THE SCALE SYLLABUS

LEGEND: H = Half Step, W = Whole Step.; ∆ = Major 7th; + or ß = raise H; ∫ or - = lower H; Ø = Half-diminished; —3 = 3H (Minor Third)
CHORD/SCALE SYMBOL SCALE NAME WHOLE & HALF STEP SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
CONSTRUCTION IN KEY OF C
C Major W W H W W W H C D E F G A B C CEGBD
C7 FIVE BASIC Dominant 7th (Mixolydian) W W H W W H W C D E F G A B∫ C C E G B∫ D
C— CATEGORIES Minor (Dorian) W H W W W H W C D E∫ F G A B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
CØ Half Diminished (Locrian) H W W H W W W C D∫ E∫ F G∫ A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G∫ B∫
°
C Diminished (8 tone scale) W H W H W H W H C D E∫ F G∫ A∫ A B C C E∫ G∫ A (B∫∫)
1. MAJOR SCALE SCALE NAME W & H CONSTRUCTION SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
CHOICES IN KEY OF C
C∆ (Can be written C) Major (don’t emphasize the 4th) W W H W W W H C D E F G A B C CEGBD
C Major Pentatonic W W —3 W —3 C D E G A C CEGB
C∆+4 Lydian (major scale with +4) W W W H W W H C D E Fß G A B C CEGBD
C∆ Bebop (Major) W W H W H H W H C D E F G Gß A B C CEGBD
C∆∫6 Harmonic Major W W H W H —3 H C D E F G A∫ B C CEGBD
C∆+5, +4 Lydian Augmented W W W W H W H C D E Fß Gß A B C C E Gß B D
C Augmented —3 H —3 H —3 H C Dß E G A∫ B C CEGBD
C 6th Mode of Harmonic Minor —3 H W H W W H C Dß E Fß G A B C CEGBD
C Diminished (begin with H step) H W H W H W H W C D∫ Dß E Fß G A B∫ C C E G B D
C Blues Scale —3 W H H —3 W C E∫ F Fß G B∫ C CEGBD
2. DOMINANT 7th SCALE NAME W & H CONSTRUCTION SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
SCALE CHOICES IN KEY OF C
C7 Dominant 7th W W H W W H W C D E F G A B∫ C C E G B∫ D
C7 Major Pentatonic W W —3 W —3 C D E G A C C E G B∫ D
C7 Bebop (Dominant) W W H W W H H H C D E F G A B∫ B C C E G B∫ D
C7∫9 Spanish or Jewish scale H —3 H W H W W C D∫ E F G A∫ B∫ C C E G B∫ (D∫)
C7+4 Lydian Dominant W W W H W H W C D E Fß G A B∫ C C E G B∫ D
C7∫6 Hindu W W H W H W W C D E F G A∫ B∫ C C E G B∫ D
C7+ (has ß4 & ß5) Whole Tone (6 tone scale) W W W W W W C D E Fß Gß B∫ C C E Gß B∫ D
C7∫9 (also has ß9 & ß4) Diminished (begin with H step) H W H W H W H W C D∫ Dß E Fß G A B∫ C C E G B∫ D∫ (Dß)
C7+9 (also has ∫9, ß4, ß5) Diminished Whole Tone H W H W W W W C D∫ Dß E Fß Gß B∫ C C E Gß B∫ Dß (D∫)
C7 Blues Scale —3 W H H —3 W C E∫ F Fß G B∫ C C E G B∫ D (Dß)
DOMINANT 7th
SUSPENDED 4th
C7 sus 4 MAY BE Dom. 7th scale but don’t emphasize the third W W H W W H W C D E F G A B∫ C C F G B∫ D
C7 sus 4 WRITTEN Major Pentatonic built on ∫7 W W —3 W —3 B∫ C D F G B∫ C F G B∫ D
C7 sus 4 G-/C Bebop Scale W W H W W H H H C D E F G A B∫ B C C F G B∫ D
3. MINOR SCALE SCALE NAME W & H CONSTRUCTION SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
CHOICES* IN KEY Of C
C— or C—7 Minor (Dorian) W H W W W H W C D E∫ F G A B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
C— or C—7 Pentatonic (Minor Pentatonic) —3 W W —3 W C E∫ F G B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
C— or C—7 Bebop (Minor) W H H H W W H W C D E∫ E F G A B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
C—∆ (maj. 7th) Melodic Minor (ascending) W H W W W W H C D E∫ F G A B C C E∫ G B D
C— or C—6 or C— Bebop Minor No. 2 W H W W H H W H C D E∫ F G Gß A B C C E∫ G B D
C— or C—7 Blues Scale —3 W H H —3 W C E∫ F Fß G B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
C—∆ (∫6 & maj. 7th) Harmonic Minor W H W W H —3 H C D E∫ F G A∫ B C C E∫ G B D
C— or C—7 Diminished (begin with W step) W H W H W H W H C D E∫ F Fß Gß A B C C E∫ G B D
C— or C—∫9∫6 Phrygian H W W W H W W C D∫ E∫ F G A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G B∫
C— or C—∫6 Pure or Natural Minor, Aeolian W H W W H W W C D E∫ F G A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G B∫ D
4. HALF DIMINISHED SCALE NAME W & H CONSTRUCTION SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
SCALE CHOICES IN KEY OF C
CØ Half Diminished (Locrian) H W W H W W W C D∫ E∫ F G∫ A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G∫ B∫
CØß2 (CØ9) Half Diminished #2 (Locrian #2) W H W H W W W C D E∫ F G∫ A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G∫ B∫ D
CØ (with or without ß2) Bebop Scale H W W H H H W W C D∫ E∫ F G∫ G A∫ B∫ C C E∫ G∫ B∫
5. DIMINISHED SCALE SCALE NAME W & H CONSTRUCTION SCALE IN KEY OF C BASIC CHORD
CHOICES IN KEY OF C
°
C Diminished (8 tone scale) W H W H W H W H C D E∫ F G∫ A∫ A B C C E∫ G∫ A
NOTES: 1) The above chord symbol guide is my system of notation. I feel it best represents the sounds I hear in jazz.
Players should be aware that each chord symbol represents a series of tones called a scale. 2) Even though a C7+9 would appear
to have only a raised 9th, it also has a ∫9, +4 and +5. The entire C7+9 scale looks like: Root, ∫9, +9, 3rd, +4, +5, ∫7 & root (C, D∫,
Dß, E, Fß, Gß, B∫, C). My chord symbol C7+9 is therefore an abbreviation, while the complete name of this scale is Diminished
Whole Tone (sometimes called Super Locrian or Altered Scale). Similarly, C7∫9 also appears to have only one altered tone (∫9) but
it actually has three: ∫9, +9 and +4. The entire scale looks like: Root, ∫9, +9, 3rd, +4, 5th, 6th, ∫7 & root (C, D∫, Dß, E, Fß, G, A, B∫,
C). This is called a Diminished scale and my chord symbol abbreviation is C7∫9. 3) All scales under the Dominant 7th category are
scales that embellish the basic Dominant 7th sound. Some scales provide much more tension than the basic dominant 7th sound
and require practice and patience to grasp the essence of their meaning. I encourage you to work with Volume 3 “The 11-V7-1
Progression” since it emphasizes Diminished and Diminished Whole Tone scales and chords. 4) In category #3, MINOR SCALE
CHOICES, the PURE MINOR scale choice is not used very often. I have found the order of preference to be Dorian, Bebop, Melodic,
Blues, Pentatonic, and then any of the remaining Minor scale choices.

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