When it comes to jazz improvisation, creating captivating and unique solos is every musician's goal. One way to achieve this is by developing a strong and versatile vocabulary of altered, diminished, and whole tone scales. These scales add spice, tension, and a contemporary touch to your playing, enabling you to stand out in any jazz setting. In this article, we will explore the benefits and applications of mastering these scales, providing you with the tools to create cutting-edge solos that captivate your audience.

The Power of Altered Scales

Altered scales are derived from the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale and are commonly used in jazz improvisation. They contain a combination of flat and sharp alterations, creating a unique and dissonant sound. By incorporating altered scales into your solos, you can introduce a sense of tension and mystery that can truly captivate your audience.

One way of practicing altered scales is by starting with the dominant seventh chord and replacing each note with its altered form. For example, on a C7 chord, the notes would be C, E, G, Bb, and F# instead of F, which is commonly found in a major scale. By exploring various altered chords and scales, you'll equip yourself with a versatile set of tonalities to use in your solos.

Altered Scale Soloing For Jazz Guitar: Master Altered, Diminished & Whole Tone Vocabulary to Create Cutting-Edge Solos (Learn How to Play Jazz Guitar)

by Joseph Alexander (Kindle Edition)

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	40296 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	112 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Exploring the Beauty of Diminished Scales

Diminished scales are an excellent addition to your jazz vocabulary, as they can create a sense of dissonance with their symmetrical and unusual patterns. The diminished scale is built by alternating half and whole steps, creating a unique and mysterious sound. By mastering these scales, you can add a touch of sophistication and tension to your solos.

One way to practice diminished scales is by starting with a whole step, followed by a half step, and continuing this pattern. For example, on a C diminished scale, the notes would be C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, A, and Bb. By experimenting with different starting notes, you can explore the entire range of this enchanting scale.

Discovering the Whole Tone Wonderland

Whole tone scales are unique and captivating due to their exclusive use of whole steps. This scale provides a dream-like and ethereal quality to your playing, which can be ideal for creating cutting-edge solos. By incorporating whole tone scales into your improvisation, you can explore uncharted territories and surprise your audience with innovative and unexpected sounds.

One way to practice whole tone scales is by starting with a root note and moving up in whole steps until you reach the same note but an octave higher. For example, in the key of C, the whole tone scale would be C, D, E, F#, Ab, and Bb. By experimenting with different starting notes and melodic patterns, you can create captivating and fresh solos that break away from traditional jazz conventions.

Putting it All Together: Creating Cutting-Edge Solos

Now that you have familiarized yourself with altered, diminished, and whole tone scales, it's time to put them to use and create cutting-edge solos. Here are a few tips to help you integrate these scales into your improvisation:

1. Experiment with different tempos and rhythms. Playing with altered, diminished, and whole tone scales allows you to create unique melodic patterns that can be enhanced by rhythmic variations.
2. Combine different scales within your solos. Don't be afraid to transition between altered, diminished, and whole tone scales to create tension and release moments in your improvisation.
3. Listen to jazz recordings featuring master improvisers. Take inspiration from their use of altered, diminished, and whole tone scales, and incorporate their ideas into your own solos.
4. Record and analyze your improvisations. By listening back to your solos, you can identify areas for improvement and discover new ideas to incorporate into your playing.

The key to mastering altered, diminished, and whole tone scales is practice. Dedicate regular time to exploring these scales, experimenting with different patterns, and improvising over various jazz standards. As you become more familiar with these scales, you'll notice an improvement in your ability to create cutting-edge solos that impress and inspire your audience.

In

By expanding your vocabulary to include altered, diminished, and whole tone scales, you can elevate your jazz improvisation to new heights. These unique tonalities add tension, mystery, and a contemporary touch to your solos, enabling you to create cutting-edge performances. So, start exploring these scales, experimenting with different patterns, and unleash your creativity to captivate your audience with mesmerizing and innovative solos. The world of jazz is yours to conquer, one altered, diminished, or whole tone at a time.

Altered Scale Soloing For Jazz Guitar: Master Altered, Diminished & Whole Tone Vocabulary to Create Cutting-Edge Solos (Learn How to Play Jazz Guitar)

by Joseph Alexander (Kindle Edition)

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	40296 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	112 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Master Powerful Altered Scale Guitar Soloing With Mike Stern

There has never been a jazz guitar book like this before…

Mike Stern is an electrifying guitarist whose blistering chops combine sophisticated jazz harmony with rock-fusion firepower and perfect bluesy phrasing. In this ground-breaking book, he shares his secrets of altered scale soloing and reveals the keys to his signature sound.

In his new book, Altered Scale Soloing for Jazz Guitar, exclusive to Fundamental Changes, Mike teaches you in depth how to use every important altered scale on guitar to create incredible solos with his instantly recognizable sound.

You’ll master modern outside-sounding jazz guitar chops using…

• The Altered Scale (Super Locrian Mode)
• The Mixolydian b2b6 Scale (Phrygian Dominant)
• The Symmetrical Diminished Scale (Half Whole)
• The Whole Tone Scale

A Complete, Practical System to Create Modern Jazz Guitar Vocabulary

Along with over 140 jaw-dropping licks and music examples, Mike’s unique jazz guitar course teaches you to get inside the scales.

• You’ll discover the following jazz guitar soloing concepts: 
• How each altered jazz guitar scale is formed
• The most important scale shapes and positions to use and why
• How to master the scale intervals and use them to create blistering jazz solos
• Beautiful sequencing patterns that quickly become musical phrases you can use
• Dozens of modern scalic licks, runs and sequences

With these essential skills under your fingers, you’ll immediately apply them musically as you learn play intervallic licks over the most essential chord changes in jazz to add new depth to your soloing.

As your jazz guitar soloing skills develop, you’ll add to your vocabulary by learning lines based around more advanced, musical jazz structures. You’ll learnt to get creative with

• Diatonic triads
• 7th chord jazz arpeggio sequences
• Triad/arpeggio-based melodies
• Longer 8-bar jazz soloing structures

Master Altered Scale Jazz Guitar Lines With Four Epic Etudes

Each altered scale is taught in its own detailed chapter, and to round off each one you’ll be taught a full-length original solo, recorded at Mike’s New York studio. These solos combine all the musical approaches of each chapter into beautiful, melodic language you can use in your own playing.

This rigorous approach, combined with a vast arsenal of melodic ideas, gives you unparalleled insight into the mind of one of the most respected jazz musicians on the planet… and you’ll also learn plenty of Mike’s signature licks and tricks along the way!

One Solo to Rule them All!

To tie every altered jazz guitar scale sound together, Mike has written an epic 130-bar solo that explores every musical concept over a blistering Bb Blues. When you learn this solo, you’ll hear, internalize and feel how these advanced jazz guitar scales can be used to make powerful, attention-grabbing music.

Throughout the book, Mike goes into such depth about his thought processes and techniques that you’ll learn so much more than you will from a transcribed solo with no explanation.

Hear It!

In Altered Scale Soloing for Jazz Guitar Mike has been incredibly generous when it comes to sharing his licks and musical ideas. In fact, you’ll find over 140 individual notated examples (with tab) and over 40 minutes of free audio to download.

Altered Scale Soloing for Jazz Guitar is a deep dive into the musical mind of one the true jazz guitar geniuses of our generation. You owe it to yourself to check it out take your music to a whole new level of creativity.