The Be-Bop Dominant Scale: Definition and Usage – La Scala Dominante Be-Bop: Definizione ed Utilizzo

In this article, the purpose of which may be regarded as solely didactic, some simple strategies finalized to mastering the Be-Bop Dominant scale are suggested. Moreover, their application to jazz improvisation is herein discussed. We start from the mere definition of the scale, extended along two adjacent octaves, in ascending and descending motion. Subsequently, the metric characteristics of the scale are highlighted, proposing performance beginning at the chordal notes or, by exploiting some artificis typical of the Be-Bop idiom, at the tensions: this way, the notions of chromatism and approach (ascending, descending, and mixed) are recalled. Lastly, by resorting to the concept of harmonization, we expound a simple method finalized to combining the Dominant Be-Bop scale with the seventh arpeggios in the corresponding key.