Lesson 2: Scale Step Patterns
Scale Step Patterns
These essential scales are all related to the major scale stepwise pattern. The major (a.k.a. diatonic) scale is two whole steps one half step three whole steps and one half step. The rest of these scales are shown as variations of this pattern with the variants in bold type and underlined.
Major = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Dominant 7th = 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8
Minor (dorian) = 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8
Half-diminshed = 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8 (same as major scale ½ step above)
Major Pentatonic = 1 2 3 5 6 8
Minor Pentatonic = 1 b3 4 5 b7 8
Blues Scale = 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 8
TUNE LEARNING
1. Listen to the song over and over.
2. Memorize the melody in your mind. Be able to sing it.
3. Listen carefully to the bass line and the harmony in general. Get an overall sense of how
the song is put together.
4. Try playing the melody from memory, slowly at first.
5. Then play the melody along with the recording. Copy inflections, articulations, slurs,
phrasing, dynamics, etc...
6. Learn the scales and chords in the order as they appear in the song. Make sure you've got
the right changes (chord progression.) Get them from a reliable source, such as play-a-long
cd’s and books.
7. Improvise over the harmony, keeping in mind the original melody as a frame of reference.
8. Emphasize the thirds and sevenths of scales in your soloing.
9. Memorize both melody and chord/scales if you haven't already. Know where the chord tones
are ON YOUR INSTRUMENT.
10. Improvise your original melodies based on what your mind HEARS. Let your mind guide
your choice of notes, phrasing, rhythms, articulations, etc...
11. Listen constantly to the original recording of the song to further stir your imagination.
Incorporate ideas of the recording into your solos.
12. Learn the lyrics if the song has any. Mentally sing the lyrics while playing the melody.
13. Fall in love with the melodies to songs. Play them like YOU wrote them.
