The “Jazz Pentatonic” scale

The “Jazz Pentatonic” scale

This is a name I have made up. It really refers to a major pentatonic scale with a flat third added to it as a blue note.

It is spelled:

1, 2, b3, 3, 5, 6, 8

It can be used effectively in any tune or section of a tune that is not in a minor key. In other words over major and dominant chord structures. Shelley Berg uses a similar approach in his “Chop Monster” method. I have also seen Australian musician/educator Ed Wilson use this approach successfully to teach complete beginners. Dan Greenblatt calls it the major blues scale in his book The Blues Scales.

It is common for beginning improvisers to be taught blues tunes and to be told to use the blues scale throughout. This can work, but is actually difficult. Also, it does not reflect what jazz musicians actually play when they improvise on a blues. We do use the blues scale, but only in conjunction with many other sounds. In fact, it is very, very, rare for a jazz musician to construct a whole solo using only the blues scale. And yet we tell young players to do so. Why? Because we think it is an easy way out. Plus, it is called the blues scale, so it must be right? But it isn’t…

The jazz pentatonic scale comes much closer to what professional jazz musicians play over a blues progression. As students progress they can add passing notes to the pentatonic scale, including notes from the blues scale. This will add variety to the sound and help create more flowing lines.

Then, as they progress still further and develop an awareness of time in their playing, students can use the many other techniques jazz players use in improvisations.

Unlike the blues scale, the Jazz Pentatonic avoids clashes:

Blues scale includes notes 4, and b5 of Chord I, 4, b9 of chord IV and 4 of chord V. Young beginners will, if given the option, ALWAYS, play the 4th against a major or dominant. They gravitate towards it. Jeff Jarvis called it “ the magnetic fourth”.

The minor 3rd of the jazz pentatonic scale against the major 3rd of major and dominant chords is a “blue note”, but is a common and accepted sound. It is a juxtaposition we are used to hearing.

The Jazz Pentatonic is easy to play, easy to hear, easy to teach and avoids bad notes. It allows beginning improvisers to sound good straight away. It gives them something they can reliably use while they learn more advanced techniques.

Examples of usage:

Blues whatever key the blues is in, use a jazz pentatonic scale in the same key. Emphasise the key note. This is an example of using the scale through a whole tune.

Rhythm changes Concert Bb jazz pentatonic scale through the A section. In the bridge, 2 bars each of D jazz pent., G jazz pent, C jazz pent and F jazz pent. This is an example of using the scale in a section of a tune.

Blue Bossa Use concert Db jazz pent. In bars 9 through 12 (II V I in Db major). Here is another example of using the scale in a section of a tune. The rest of the tune is in concert C minor.