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