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arrowDiminished Scale Patterns & Licks

DIMINISHED SCALE LICKS

This is one of many useful jazz patterns for improvising, typical of Oliver Nelson.

  • If used on D7, the opening bar of this example consists of root, 7th, b10th, b9th, b5th, 3rd, 13th, 5th. Of course the Gb in this case would be F#.
  • If used on F7, the opening bar of this example consists of 13th, 5th, root, 7th, b10th, b9th, b5th (#11th), 3rd. In this case the 3rd is enharmonically correct.
  • If used on Ab7, the opening bar of this example consists of b5th, 3rd, 13th, 5th, root, 7th, #9th, b9th. The A natural in this case would be Bbb.
  • If used on B7, the opening bar of this example consists of b10th, b9th, b5th, 3rd, 13th, 5th, root, 7th. In this case the Eb would be D#, Ab would be G# and Gb would be F#.
saxophone patterns 7

The next example (B) is just an embellishment of (A), which can be played as straight semiquavers as written, or played as a bounced turn as shown here:

saxophone patterns 7

saxophone patterns 5

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Mr Lucky