If you want to start playing jazz, learning a few key scales is one of the fastest and most effective ways to get there. Scales are sets of notes that help you understand melodies and get to grips with jazz.
Jazz scales are groups of notes that can help give jazz its unique and colorful sound. Learning a basic scale is a great way to start playing jazz songs and understanding how the music works. In this guide, you’ll find essential jazz scales to get started and practical tips for practicing them.
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What are jazz scales?
Jazz scales are the foundation of jazz music. Understanding and mastering them opens up a world of possibilities for creating melodies, improvising and playing your favorite jazz songs. Unlike classical music, jazz often uses scales with extra notes or slight variations that give them a unique sound. When you get familiar with them, you’ll have the flexibility to express different moods and styles in your playing.
In short, jazz scales are the foundation for playing jazz music. They give you a structure to work with, making it easier to perform, improvise and understand jazz songs.
Essential jazz scales for beginners to get started
If you’re wondering which jazz scales to learn first, start with these five. They are the most common and useful for anyone starting out in jazz.
Lydian scale
The Lydian mode is one of the musical modes that is used in many songs in jazz. The Lydian scale is often used over major seventh chords like a Cmaj7. Make sure to listen out for the raised 4th degree and internalize this scale’s unique brighter quality, compared to the standard major scale. You can play it over major 7th chords of the same key to build melodies that sound bright and interesting.
Example (C Lydian Scale): C – D – E – F# – G – A – B
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (E), 4 (F#), 1 (G), 2 (A), 3 (B)
- Left hand: 2 (C), 1 (D), 3 (E), 2 (F#), 1 (G), 4 (A), 3 (B)
Dorian mode
The Dorian mode has a smooth, minor sound but with a bit of brightness. It’s often used in jazz because it combines the feel of a minor scale with a jazzier, more melodic tone which comes from its raised 6th degree. Dorian is commonly used over minor chords, like Cm7 and works well when playing jazz standards. It helps create a more expressive, soulful sound when you’re playing a minor key piece.
Example (C Dorian Mode): C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1(C), 2( D), 3(Eb), 1(F), 2(G), 3(A), 4(Bb),
- Left hand: 2(C), 1( D), 4(Eb), 3(F), 2 (G), 1(A), 3 Bb)
Mixolydian mode
The Mixolydian mode gives you a bluesy, relaxed sound. It’s less bright than the major scale, due to its lowered 7th degree. You can use Mixolydian over dominant 7th chords to create a cool, funky sound. This scale is often used in blues and jazz fusion and adds a bit of tension that can be resolved beautifully.
Example (C Mixolydian Mode): C – D – E – F – G – A – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1(C), 2(D), 3(E), 1(F),2 (G), 3(A), 4(Bb)
- Left hand: 1(C), 3(D), 2(E), 1(F), 4(G), 3(A), 2(Bb)
Pentatonic scale
The Pentatonic scale has a simplified, smooth sound. It consists of only five notes, making it easy to memorize and apply. The Pentatonic scale is used in jazz, blues and rock to create simple yet expressive melodies. Use the Pentatonic Scale over major and minor chords to create bluesy solos and works well for beginners to experiment with phrasing and timing.
Example (A Minor Pentatonic): A – C – D – E – G
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (A), 2 (C), 3 (D), 1 (E), 3 (G)
- Left hand: 2 (A), 1 (C), 3 (D), 1 (E), 3 (G)
Relative major pentatonic can be found by playing from the second note of a minor pentatonic.
Example (C major Pentatonic): C – D – E – G – A
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (E), 5 (G), 1 (A)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (D), 3 (E), 1 (G), 3 (A)
Minor blues scale
The minor blues scale is one of the most fun and recognizable sounds in jazz. You’ll hear it in almost every blues and jazz song. The Blues scale is full of soul and character because of its added lowered 5th degree. The Blues scale is great for improvisation, it lets you play solos that feel emotional and funky with ease.
Example (C Blues Scale): C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (/Eb), 3 (F), 4 (Gb), 5 (G), 6 (Bb)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (Eb), 3 (F), 2 (Gb), 1 (G), 3 (Bb)
Bebop scale
The Bebop scale adds extra chromatic notes that make your playing sound smooth and flowing. It’s often used in fast jazz lines. The Bebop scale can be played over a variety of 7th chords. Due to its versatile nature, it is a staple teaching of jazz theory. It’s great for creating fast, seamless melodies that fit perfectly with jazz rhythms.
Example (C Bebop): C – D – E – F – G – G# – A – B
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (E), 4 (F), 1 (G), 2 (G#), 3 (A), 4 (B)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (D), 3 (E), 2 (F), 1 (G), 4 (G#), 3 (A) 2 (B)
Advanced jazz scales for improvisation
Once you’ve mastered some of the basic jazz scales, you may want to explore some more advanced scales that will allow you to add even more color and complexity to your jazz playing. These scales are used by experienced jazz musicians to add depth and expression to their solos and melodies.
Harmonic minor scale
The Harmonic minor scale has a dramatic, exotic sound. It’s often used in classical and jazz music to add tension and resolution. The Harmonic minor scale works well over dominant 7th chords that resolve to minor chords because of its raised 7th degree. It’s perfect for adding a bit of exotic tension to your solos and melodies.
Example (C Harmonic Minor): C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – B♮
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (Eb), 1 (F), 2 (G), 3 (Ab), 4 (B♮)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (D), 3 (Eb), 2 (F), 1 (G), 3 (Ab), 2 (B♮)
Melodic minor scale
The Melodic minor scale has a smooth brighter sound, compared to other minors, due to its raised 6th and 7th degrees. It is often used in contemporary jazz. It’s more complex than the major and minor scales and gives your playing a more sophisticated, dramatic feel. The melodic minor modes are often used in jazz standards and for minor-major chords (like CmMaj7). It can also be applied to ascending lines to create smooth, flowing melodies.
Example (C Melodic Minor): C – D – Eb – F – G – A♮ – B♮
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (Eb), 4 (F), 5 (G), 1 (A♮), 2 (B♮)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (D), 3 (Eb), 2 (F), 1 (G), 3 (A♮), 2 (B♮)
Phrygian mode
The Phrygian mode has a dark, intense sound and is often used in Spanish and Middle Eastern music. The Phrygian mode is great for creating exotic melodies and is used over minor 7th chords with a flattened 2nd interval. It’s often used in modal jazz for a dark, mysterious feel.
Example (C Phrygian): C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (Db), 3 (Eb), 1(F), 2(G), (3Ab), 4(Bb)
- Left hand: 5(C), 4(Db), 3(Eb), 2(F), 1(G), 3(Ab), 2(Bb)
Locrian mode
The Locrian mode has a dissonant, unstable quality due to the flattened 2nd and 5th degrees. The Locrian mode is important for understanding half-diminished chords and creating tension in jazz progressions. It’s a great way to create tension and add a dissonant sound to your solos.
Example (C Locrian): C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (Db), 3 (Eb), 1 (F), 2 (Gb), 3 (Ab), 4 (Bb)
- Left hand: 1 (C), 3 (Db), 2 (Eb), 1 (F), 4 (Gb), 3 (Ab), 2(Bb)
Whole tone scale
The whole tone scale has a dreamy, ambiguous sound because it’s made entirely of whole steps. The whole tone scale is often used in modern jazz to create a sense of floating or unresolved tension. It’s often used in impressionistic jazz styles and is great for modular improvisation.
Example (C Whole Tone): C – D – E – F# – G# – A#
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 1 (E), 2 (F#), 3 (G#), 4 (A#)
- Left hand: 3 (C), 2 (D), 1 (E), 4 (F#), 3 (G#), 2 (A#)
Diminished scale
The diminished scale has a mysterious, symmetrical sound. It’s built on alternating whole and half steps, which gives it a unique quality often heard in modern jazz. The diminished scale is commonly used over diminished 7th chords and dominant chords with altered tensions. This example is of a half whole diminished scale but it can be altered to be a whole half step diminished depending on the harmonic context.
Example (C Diminished): C – D – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bbb – B♮
Fingerings:
- Right Hand: 1 (C), 2 (D), 3 (Eb), 1 (F), 2 (Gb), 3 (Ab), 1 (Bbb), 2 (B♮)
- Left Hand: 5 (C), 4 (D), 3 (Eb), 1 (F), 3 (Gb), 2 (Ab), 1 (Bbb), 3 (B♮)
Altered scale
The Altered scale is full of tension and has a crunchy, “outside” sound. It’s used for creating extreme dissonance and resolving it back to a consonant sound. The Altered scale is often used over dominant 7th altered chords (like C7alt). This scale creates a very jazzy and edgy sound that’s common in bebop and modern jazz. It’s especially helpful in bebop and hard bop.
Example (C Altered): C – Db – Eb – E – Gb – G# – Bb
Fingerings:
- Right hand: 1 (C), 2 (Db), 3 (D#), 1 (E), 2 (Gb), 3 (G#), 4 (Bb)
- Left hand: 5 (C), 4 (Db), 3 (D#), 1 (E), 4 (Gb), 3 (G#), 2 (Bb)
Practice jazz scales with interactive songs
Now that you’ve learned the essential jazz music scales, it’s important to practice them effectively to see real progress. Here are some practical tips to help you practice jazz scales and continue improving:
- Play slowly and clearly – Focus on hitting the right notes with a clean sound.
- Use a metronome – Start slow, and gradually increase speed as you get comfortable.
- Play in different Keys – Once you master a scale in C try G, F and so on.
- Use both hands – Practice scales with both hands together and separately.
- Improvise and adapt – These scales are great versatile improv tools, get used to their functions and sounds and experiment with them in your playing.
To truly master the piano jazz scales you’ve learned, the next step is to apply them in real musical settings. Skoove can help you with that! Here are some perfect songs you can start playing right now to put your newly learned scales into practice:
Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma
“Autumn Leaves” is a classic jazz standard and a great place to incorporate some modes and blues scale and pentatonic playing.
All The Things You Are – Frank Sinatra
A perfect place to practice moving through keys. The modulations in “All The Things You Are” are a perfect way to get you comfortable with all these new scales.
The Girl from Ipanema – Pery Ribeiro
This beautiful bossa nova is a great way to get some rhythm into your new favorite scales.
Author of this blog post:
Susana Pérez Posada
With over seven years of piano education and a deep passion for music therapy, Susana brings a unique blend of expertise to Skoove. A graduate in Music Therapy from SRH Hochschule Heidelberg and an experienced classical pianist from Universidad EAFIT, she infuses her teaching with a holistic approach that transcends traditional piano lessons. Susana’s writings for Skoove combine her rich musical knowledge with engaging storytelling, enriching the learning experience for pianists of all levels. Away from the piano, she loves exploring new places and immersing herself in a good book, believing these diverse experiences enhance her creative teaching style.
Published by Lydia Ogn from the Skoove team
