LJS 214: 16 Scales to Know for Jazz


Welcome to episode 214 of the LJS Podcast where today I go over 16 scales that can be useful when it comes to conceptualizing jazz improv. Scales are never to be used exclusively to improvise, but the 16 I cover in this episode can be helpful to map out note choices over many different chords you will come across in jazz standards.



Listen to episode 214







When it comes to jazz improvisation, scales can be really great ways to organize pitches or note choices over top of chords in chord progressions.



Now, I don't think scales should be used exclusively by any means to improvise. If we do that, they often become crutches and they're not tools, and sounds more like you are playing scales than actual musical melodic lines. 



But that doesn't mean we should throw out scales altogether, not at all. We need to know them in order to know our instruments better, to explore them, to navigate them, and they can also be super helpful for helping us identify those note choices. 



So, in today's episode, I'm going to be going over the 16 most important scales that I think you should know for jazz. 



In this episode:



1. Ionian or Major



2. Dorian



3. Phrygian



4. Lydian



5. Mixolydian



6. Aeolian



7. Locrian and Locrian #2



8. Half Whole Diminished



9. Whole Half Diminished



10. Altered scale



11. Whole Tone Scale



12. Minor Pentatonic and Blues Scale



13. Lydian Dominant



14. Major Bebop Scale



15. Minor Bebop Scale



16. Mixolydian Bebop Scale



Important Links



Blog Post: 16 Most Important Scales in Jazz



LJS 67: How to Use Pentatonics Over Any Chord

Om Podcasten

The LJS Podcast is the podcast where you get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories and advice for becoming a better jazz musician! Hosting the show is the jazz musician behind learnjazzstandards.com, author, and entrepreneur Brent Vaartstra, who’s one goal is to answer any question about playing jazz music you may have. Jazz can be a challenging music to learn and play, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. Each episode features a specific musical challenge that jazz students may come across, where it is discussed and answered. Special jazz guests frequent the show, sharing their expertise on an array of different musical subject matter. Listeners are invited to call in with their jazz questions to the podcast hotline, where it could get answered on a future LJS Podcast episode. Join thousands of other listeners getting free jazz education every week!