STRINGSCALES

A minor bebop Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G, G#, A, B, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

A string: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G#, A at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

D string: D, E, F, G, G#, A, B, C, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

G string: G, G#, A, B, C, D, E, F, G at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

B string: B, C, D, E, F, G, G#, A, B at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

High E string: E, F, G, G#, A, B, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

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A minor bebop

The minor bebop scale is natural minor with an added major 7th passing tone between the flat 7th and the root. The extra leading tone gives minor key runs the same smooth chromatic engine that the dominant bebop scale gives V chords. Eight notes, chord tones on downbeats, and an easy resolution onto the tonic minor.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

I

B

II

C

bIII

D

IV

E

V

F

bVI

G

bVII

G♯

VII

Same notes, different mode

A minor bebop uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

C bebop majorE spanish heptatonic

minor bebop in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Run A minor bebop in eighths over a tonic minor chord; the added major 7th (G#) passing tone slides between bVII (G) and the root.
  • Land on chord tones of the minor triad and treat both 7ths as connective tissue: bVII (G) descending, VII ascending home.
  • It gives natural minor the same smooth chromatic engine bebop gives dominants; use it when a minor key line has to keep walking.
  • Try ending phrases VII to root (A); that borrowed leading tone is the whole reason this scale exists.

How to play A minor bebop on guitar

Root sits on the open A string, and no other open string falls outside the key, so all six can sound while you play above them. Open G adds the minor seventh and open B the second, which means extra tones are available with no fretting. Position one closes at fret 9. Fretted roots appear at fret 5, both outer strings, plus fret 2 on the G, so the low shape is easy to anchor.

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