The Major Bebop Scale | Guitar Diagrams and Theory

The major bebop scale is an octatonic scale (eight notes).

It contains the same notes as the major scale (ionian mode) including a passing tone (#5) between the fifth (5) and the sixth (6).

Adding this chromatic passing tone creates a scale with eight notes, which aligns better with the rhythm of bebop music and helps to create smoother-sounding lines when improvising over chord changes.

SUMMARY

Interval Pattern

Comparison With The Major Scale

Interval Pattern

The major bebop scale is essentially a major scale with an added chromatic passing tone.

This extra note is inserted between the 5th and 6th degrees of the scale.

In other words, the formula for constructing a major bebop scale is:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - #5 - 6 - 7 - 8

So, for example, in the key of C major, the major bebop scale would be:

C - D - E - F - G - G# - A - B - C

C Major Bebop Scale	C	D	E	F	G	G#	A	B
Formula	1	2	3	4	5	#5	6	7
Intervals	W	W	H	W	H	H	W	H

Comparison With The Ionian Mode (Major Scale)

As explains in the chart below, the major bebop scale as an additional note between the 5 and the 6, meaning that you can see it as the Ionian mode with a passing tone.

C Major Scale	C	D	E	F	G		A	B
Formula	1	2	3	4	5		6	7
C Major Bebop Scale	C	D	E	F	G	G#	A	B
Formula	1	2	3	4	5	#5	6	7

Major Bebop Scale Application

The major bebop scale can be used for improvising over non altered major chords : Maj7, Maj6, 6/9, sus4, sus2, Maj9, Maj11 and Maj13. Playing the major bebop scale over major chords brings tension because of the #5.

Notice that the sharp fifth is a passing tone so you need to resolve this note in your major lines and avoid to play it on strong beats.

One Octave Shapes

Here are four major bebop scale guitar fretboard diagrams. It is recommended to play these patterns starting on the chord tones :

Root / Tonic (1)
Major third (3)
Perfect fifth (5)
Major seventh (7)

Be sure to play these patterns in twelve keys. Playing the corresponding chord is a good way to make the link between scales and chords. For example if you play the G major bebop scale, just play a Gmaj chord (maj7, maj6).

Major Bebop Scale | Two-Octave Shapes

These two diagrams show how to play the major bebop scale within the space of two octaves.

Major Bebop Scale - 7 Shapes

The 7 shapes below show how to play the major bebop scale all over the guitar neck.

C Major Bebop Guitar Pattern

Here is an easy guitar pattern using the major bebeop scale. You can see the #5 on bar 2, specific to this scale. Notice that it starts with a diatonic enclosure. (D-B-C).

II V I Jazz Guitar Lick

This line taken from David Baker's book "How To Play Bebop Vol.2", is a major 2 5 1 progression using the C major bebop scale with an outside note over the I chord.

Please note the use of another bebop scale, the Dorian bebop, over the iim chord.

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