BASS
EXTRACTING PENTATONIC IDEAS FROM THE DORIAN SCALE | Adam Nitti
In this lesson I want to share one of the ways in which I analyze the relationships between different scales for improvisation and groove creation . In this example , I ’ m going for a Dorian sound over a minor 7 chord ; however , I ’ m going to be approaching it in a more unique way based on pentatonic substitutions and displacement .
Many of us began our improvisational journey using scales . The modes of the major scale ( and others ) give us a basic framework for assigning specific sounds to chord types that help us play appropriately over the harmony . But if you are interested in becoming a more skilled improviser , you don ’ t want to just adopt the approach of matching scales to chords . It is more important to play from the perspective of the harmonic movement and progressions , which usually means you are thinking outside of the limitations of a scalar pattern and more about the chords themselves . ‘ Tension and release ’, a concept that ’ s so important in music , often relies on a player ’ s ability to step inside and outside of each chord to convey emotion and mood . A complete tutorial on this is outside of the scope of this individual lesson , but I hope this approach will at least spawn some new ideas for you as you practice improvising . If you are not yet experienced with improvising or don ’ t know the modes of the major scale , that ’ s totally ok . You can still benefit from this lesson by following along with the shapes and examples and listening closely to how they influence the mood of the music . With that out of the way , let ’ s jump right in !
THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE As bass players , most of us are familiar with the minor pentatonic scale . It is the ‘ box ’ that so many legendary basslines and grooves are born out of . Because it only has five notes , its shape is relatively easy to memorize and navigate technically . Play through it and you will instantly recognize the sound . The A minor pentatonic scale is shown in FIGURE 1A and 1B .
One possible approach to improvising or groove playing over a minor chord would be to use the minor pentatonic scale starting from the root of the minor chord . For example , you can use the A minor pentatonic scale over an A minor or A minor 7 chord . Although it fits over the chord well , it is admittedly very ‘ safe ’ sounding and certainly has a basic foundational character that is hard to escape if you don ’ t combine it with other ideas .
FIGURE 1A
FIGURE 1B
FIGURE 2A
THE DORIAN MODE The Dorian scale , or mode , is built from the second degree of the major scale . It is commonly used when improvising over static minor 7 chords , most notably in the context of jazz or blues music . Because it is a seventone scale , it potentially offers more intervallic variation for basslines or improvising when compared to the minor pentatonic scale . Like the minor pentatonic scale , in minor contexts it is played starting from the root of a minor 7 chord . Play through it and you will hear its smooth ‘ bluesy-ness ’... The A Dorian scale is shown in FIGURE 2A and 2B .
It is worth noting that both the A minor pentatonic and A Dorian scales include the root as well as intervals b3 , 5 , and b7 , which are the chord tones found in a minor 7 chord . This reveals in part why they are such good choices
Since this lesson will be focused on creating ideas over a static minor 7 chord , we will be examining two primary scale types that are somewhat related , the minor pentatonic scale and the Dorian scale . I ’ ll demonstrate how they relate to each other in a moment .
FIGURE 2B