Bebop scale

rdf:langString Bebop scale

rdf:langString Bebop scale is a term referring to the practice of adding a note (typically a chromatic passing tone) to any common seven tone scale in order to make it an eight tone scale. An eight tone scale is balanced, meaning that it contains an even number of notes (8), and an even number of notes enables the primary to continuously fall on the strong beats of "1 2 3 4" (downbeats). This is unlike common seven note scale (an odd quantity of notes) in which the chord tones do not all naturally fall on the beats "1 2 3 4" (downbeats). These bebop scales are frequently used in jazz improvisation. Jazz educator David Baker nicknamed these scales the 'bebop scales' because they were used often by jazz artists from the Bebop Era. These artists include Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie, to name a few. In general, bebop scales consist of traditional scales with an added passing tone, and when the scale is played from any chord tone (1 3 5 6 in major) and placed on any downbeat 1 2 3 or 4, downbeat, then all other chord tones (1 3 5 6 in major) will also continuously fall on downbeats 1 2 3 and 4. Chord tones on downbeats are characteristic of all strong melodies throughout musical history. The remaining notes in the scale (non-chord tones 2 4 ♯5 and 7 in major) fall on the upbeats (the "+" counts between downbeats 1 2 3 and 4). As such, generally, any scale of seven notes may be modified by the addition of an additional note to accomplish this same eight note balancing effect that enables chord tones to naturally stay on the beat. The modifier "bebop" is reserved to indicate those scales most frequently used—and popularised—during the bebop era.