Roresishms

A Virtual World of Live Pictures.

A great way to alter a dominant harmony in jazz is by using the diminished whole tone scale. This scale is a combination of a diminished scale and a whole tone scale. The scale is spelled: 1/2 whole 1/2 whole whole whole whole (steps). Notice that the first half of the scale is dropped and the second half is full tone.

There is a much easier way to form this scale. Actually, the diminished whole tone scale is the seventh mode of melodic minor. First let’s take a look at all of our minor scales. We define the minor sound as having a b3. Remember the sixth mode – Wind. This is another name for the natural minor. If I compare a natural minor scale to a major scale, the spelling is: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8. (We call it b3 b6 and b7). The natural minor has two different variants. The first variation is called harmonic minor. Compared to major, it is written: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8. (We call it b3 b6) The second variation is called a melodic minor. It is written: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8. (We call it b3). Also note that the melodic minor scale is b3 up, and down it changes back to a natural minor (b3 b6 b7). We only care about the way UP. The other minor scale we have is Dorian, which is written: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8. (We call it b3 b7).

I mentioned that it is the 7th mode of melodic minor. Let’s look at a melodic minor scale of C. CD Eb FGAB C. If we look at the 7th note (B) and go up 1/2 step (to C) we can figure out what key we’re playing in. This is the exact same method we use to play major scale based modes. A diminished whole-tone scale actually starts on the seventh note of a melodic minor, then goes to the eighth note (or first note), and continues playing until it returns to the seventh note. The full diminished key of B is played like this: start on B, then go up 1/2 step (to C), and now play C melodic minor.

To summarize: To form a diminished whole tone, start on the note (whatever you’re trying to play in a diminished whole tone) go up 1/2 step and follow the melodic minor. Let’s say I want to play a diminished whole tone scale of F#. I start on F#, go up 1/2 step to G, and now play G melodic minor. (Remember that melodic minor is really just a major scale with a b3 on it.) Here is the full diminished tone of F#: F# GA Bb CDEF#. The chord symbol for a diminished whole tone scale is G7#9. It could also appear as: G7alt. Another name it goes by is the Super Locrian. The actual chord contains b7 #9, b9, #4 and #5. The basic chord compared to major is written: 1 3 #5 b7 #9. This is a very tense chord. It offers a lot of tension and a great release when worn. As with the other altered dominants, we can substitute this dominant for another if we wish to add tension. Chords D-7 G7 Cmaj can be changed to D-7 G7#9 Cmaj. This can be done as long as the dominant resolves to a fourth to the I chord.

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