STRINGSCALES

D minor bebop Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

B string: C, C#, D, E, F, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

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

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D 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:

D

I

E

II

F

bIII

G

IV

A

V

B♭

bVI

C

bVII

C♯

VII

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

F bebop majorA spanish heptatonic

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

tip
  • Run D minor bebop in eighths over a tonic minor chord; the added major 7th (C#) passing tone slides between bVII (C) and the root.
  • Land on chord tones of the minor triad and treat both 7ths as connective tissue: bVII (C) 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 (D); that borrowed leading tone is the whole reason this scale exists.

How to play D minor bebop on guitar

Root comes free on the open D string, with open A a fifth up, so a drone pair is ready before you fret a note. Both E strings and open G land in the key too, leaving only B outside, which means five strings can ring at once. Two fretted roots: fret 5, then fret 10. Position one holds until fret 14, so the first box covers more neck than most. One sharp in the signature.

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