Articles

Articles By Greg Abate:

Ideas for Jazz Improvisation Using Minor Pentatonic Scales

By Greg Abate

Many times I am asked by students to give them an insight into different scales to use for jazz improvising or if there may be ways to play through changes with fewer scales.  I thought to use this original tune The Woods At Night as a vehicle to explain one concept using minor pentatonic scales. As you see in the function of the minor pentatonic scale on the minor 9th chord works as 1 b3 4 5 b7 1 and the same F-pentatonic scale notes work through the F# Maj. 7 #11 as 7 9 3 #11 13 1 . This function works as well with the E-9 and FMaj 7 #11 and then the Emaj7#11 using the same format of course changing the notes to fit the chord. I have also given some ideas of my own to hopefully give you some ideas of your own. As you see in the tune there are five different chord changes being F-9 F#Maj 7 #11. These two chords could share an F minor pentatonic scale shown in Ex. A

The next two c’hanges are E-9 and F Maj 7#11 and these two changes could share an Eminor minor pentatonic scale shown in Ex. B.

The next and last chord is Emaj 7 # 11 which is Example C. which shows using from the seventh a 0# minor pentatonic or enharmonically speaking an Eb minor pentatonic scale.  Jazz Improvising using certain scales and vocabulary is the first road to being able to play jazz and to develop a great solo which also by the way must have other elements other then the diatonic notes as to be able to use chromatics and repeated notes and to also have good time and pulse and use of dynamics and articulations. The more we listen to jazz and internalize all the things we experience and practivce is when we really start to play in the moment and are playing jazz. I would suggest to play with your own ideas after you have worked with these scales for a while. If you record the changes to practice the tune and chord progressions be sure to trans,pose properly as to a Bb or Eb instruments.

You can also make the key of the tune your key and transpose the changes to the concert key to fit the key of your instrument.

Example: Alto sax plays as is from the original example and chords are transposed to the key of C as to starting on Ab -9 Amajor 7#11 etc.

If you can record the changes for many chorouses it would be helpful to you for trying different ideas.