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Advanced Gypsy jazz scales

Advanced Theory

idssdi

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Nov 11, 2019
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I figured I'd share with you some of the scales I like to use when playing gypsy jazz. I'm leaving out modes because I'm a lazy fuck

My main ones are the following

Harmonic minor which I typically use on minor chords

Natural major which I uses over major chords (sweet Georgia brown and djangology are probably good examples for just G major scale)

Double harmonic major over dominant chords sounds really good to me


As a bonus I mostly base everything of arpeggios and my go to one are typically m9, basic triads over most chords and diminished and sometimes augmented arpeggios over dominant chords.


Other options you could use are things like melodic minor, super locrion, diminished scale and augmented scale but typically I don't use that often because for whatever reason my ear doesn't dig them so much 😅
 

William B.

Hot Topic Tourer
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    I slowly learn from reading this stuff but some things I can't relate yet. Got to redo some lessons and learn a few more.
    It's cool how you can see a word and know how it sounds combined with another word like locrian in Em or something ( if that's how it works )
    Would be cool for song writing or trying to find a distinct sound for a band or project
    I can't really contribute at the moment
    Slowly getting into jazz
     

    idssdi

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    Syn told me about that one a long time ago and it sounds really cool! Yeah it has the major 7th in it so other choices would make more sense but if you use the major 7th as a bit if a passing tone it works like a charm and it can be a bit out but not too out. It also has the chromatic bit in it from major seventh, root, minor second which sounds really cool.

    In general, stuff with a minor second sounds really great over dominant chords, take for example dominant diminished (like diminished a half tone above the root)
     
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    Chris Johnston

    Music Theory Bragger
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    Syn told me about that one a long time ago and it sounds really cool! Yeah it has the major 7th in it so other choices would make more sense but if you use the major 7th as a bit if a passing tone it works like a charm and it can be a bit out but not too out. It also has the chromatic bit in it from major seventh, root, minor second which sounds really cool.

    In general, stuff with a minor second sounds really great over dominant chords, take for example dominant diminished (like diminished a half tone above the root)
    That makes sense man, I was experimenting with the scale last night and I love how chord 1 & 2 of the scale are both Maj7 chords, a half step apart - pretty strange - I think I came across the scale binge watching Rick Beato videos 😂 I was the same with Tonic & Dominant diminished scales aswell - Rick's got an amazing video on the chords you can make from the Dim scale!

    Yeah the b9 is just a great tension over a V7.

    One cool trick to try over the V7 is to play all the Major/Major blues licks you know a half step below the I chord you're resolving to so that the licks end up resolving up a half step for the I chord 👌 It's a great way to recycle a lick into something altered-ish sounding!
     
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