LESSON } JAZZ
ALTERED SCALE SOLOING
Mike Stern continues his fascinating series on how he uses various Altered scales to create exhilarating solo improvisations.
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This month Mike discusses the Half-Whole Diminished scale
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Info Key: G Tempo: Various
Moderate/Advanced
Will improve your Use of Altered scales Harmony and theory Fretboard knowledge
In this series we are looking at Altered scales that can be played over Dominant chords to create outside-inside tensions in our playing. This month, our Altered scale originates from the Diminished scale. This scale has a symmetrical construction that alternates half step, whole step, half step, andis known as the Dominant Diminished or simply the Half-Whole Diminished scale.
The symmetrical nature of the scale, with its interval pattern that repeats every three steps gives it a predictable layout on the fretboard. This makes it easy to compose licks that repeat and move in Minor 3rds (a distance of three frets), and is a technique that musicians like saxophonist Michael Brecker and many others have used so effectively.