Chapter 4: Minor Bebop Scale Patterns

When learning how to apply scales to an improvisational context, one of the biggest problems

guitarists face is that their lines sound like scales.

In order to keep the scale as your underlying melodic device, while breaking away from

sounding like you are playing scale A over chord B in your solos, we will explore five different

Bebop patterns that you can use over the Dorian Bebop Scale in order to expand your Bebop

vocabulary, while not ditching the scales you’ve worked so hard on to learn.

Once you have learned a pattern, here are some ways that you can go about practicing it in order

to have the lick become ingrained in your playing and come out in a more natural way, rather

than sound forced or worked out.

Improvise over a static m7 chord using only one Bebop pattern in your solos, such as

focusing on enclosing the root or fifth, or using the Honeysuckle pattern.

Improvise over a static m7 chord and mix two Bebop patterns together in your solos, such

as working between enclosing the fifth and the 3 to b9 arpeggio throughout the

improvisation.

Do the above two exercises over a ii-V-I progression in multiple keys.

Bring the above exercises into a tune you know or that you are working on in the practice

room.

Enclosed Root

The first bebop pattern that you will apply to the Dorian Mode is an enclosed root. This

technique, the enclosure, is one of the most popular in jazz and an essential pattern for anyone

looking to bring a Bebop sound to their lines.

The idea is fairly simple. Pick a note, such as the root in this example. Play one half-step (1 fret)

above that note, then one half-step (1 fret) below that note, then play the note itself. So, if you

are playing a D Dorian Mode as in the example below, you would play Eb-C#-D.

Try playing this idea descending the scale first, as in the example, as that is the most common

application of the enclosure in a jazz context. Once you have it under your fingers, take it to

other keys and use it in your solos whenever you bring the Dorian Mode into your lines.

Enclosed Fifth

You can also apply an enclosure to the 5th

of the Dorian Mode. The theory is the same. Pick the

note, in this case the 5th

. Play one half-step above, one half-step below and resolve to your target

note. For a D Dorian Mode that would be Bb-G#-A.

There are other notes that you can enclose in the Dorian Mode, but we will look at these two for

now as they are the most commonly used in the jazz tradition. If you get the hang of these two

enclosures and want to take the technique further, try applying it to any other note in the mode to

see how it sounds and if you feel those enclosures would fit into your playing style.

Enclosed Root and Fifth

Since you can enclose the root and fifth separately, you can practice enclosing both the root and

the fifth together as you work your way down the Dorian Mode.

In the example below I’ve written out a D Dorian Mode descending with the root and fifth

enclosed each time those notes occur in the fingering. Again, take this exercise to other keys and

apply it to an improvisation so that your ears learn how these two enclosures sound when paired

up throughout the mode.

Honeysuckle Riff

Another common Bebop pattern is the Honeysuckle Riff. This riff is so named because it is

similar to the opening phrase of the tune “Honeysuckle Rose.” Those who are familiar with this

melody will recognize the first five notes in this riff, though here they are slightly altered with a

chromatic passing note to spice things up.

The riff starts on the root, goes down three notes of the Dorian Bebop Scale, and then ascends a

triad starting on the second note of the scale, before descending in scale order until you hit the

next root, where you repeat the lick.

This lick is a little longer than the enclosures, so go slow when learning this idea and applying it

to your improvisations. It might take longer to learn, but it’s a great sounding melodic phrase that

adds some Bebop spice to your lines and phrases.

3 to b9 Arpeggio

The last Bebop pattern we will look at in this section is the 3 to b9 arpeggio. This idea does

exactly as the name suggests. You descend the Dorian Bebop Scale. When you reach the third,

you ascend an arpeggio that uses the notes 3, 5, b7, b9, which spells out a 7th arpeggio.

So, for the key of D Dorian Bebop, you would start on D. Descend the scale. When you reach F,

you play an ascending F7 arpeggio that brings you back up to the top of the scale and then you

descend down until you reach the next third, where you repeat the lick.

Since this pattern has a built in b9, it works great when you pair it up with an enclosure on the

root. As you ascend the 7th arpeggio, when you reach the b9 note, just sneak in a note 1fret

below the root before hitting the root and descending the scale again. This pairing of the 3 to b9

arpeggio and root enclosure is a common pattern and one that really helps you extend your scale

ideas while injecting some Bebop flavor at the same time.