The Minor Sixth/Diminished Scale Sat SCOTS Introduction: Ee} If | had to name one single harmonic concept as being the most important to my development as a player, it would be the Sixth/Diminished scale taught to me by leg- * endary jazz. pianist Barry Harris. This scale’s unique combination of notes and its built-in tension and release free the player to focus on more intuitive and musical aspects of voice-leading and linear movement while offering a vastly rich harmonic palette from which to choose. In the last issue we looked at the Major Sixth/Diminished, Today we'll examine the Tonic Minor Sixth/Diminished and some of its appli- cations Sixth/Diminished Scale Construction In review, the Sixth/Diminished is an eight-note scale created by combining the notes from two chords; a 6" chord built on the tonic note from which the scale is named (shown as whole-notes), and a diminished 7" chord built on the leading-tone (shown as solid note-heads), Example | — Major Sixth/Diminished Scale es 7 © Since these chords may be used in all of their inversions it is also possible for the C6 to be heard as Ami7 and the Bo7 as G#o7. Therefore the Major Sixth/Diminished scale may also be used in almost any situation calling for a minor 7" chord (such as the II-7, III-7 or VI-7 of a major key). However when dealing with minor keys the “Tonic” chord is generally not a minor 7" chord but instead a minor 6" (or sometimes a minor-major7), and for this we need another scale. Enter the “Minor Sixth/Diminished.” Building the scale is simple, just lower the 3 tone of the Major Sixth/Diminished Scale as shown in the fol- lowing example: Example 2 ~ Minor Sixth/Diminished Scale = Minor Sixth/Diminished Chordal Movement The Minor 6" chord conveys a much stronger sense of Tonic than a minor 7" (which might be heard as the II- 7, IIL-7 or VI-7 of a Major key), while the Leading-Tone Diminished acts as a V7(b9). When combined, these chords quickly focus the harmony and establish the minor key tonal center. The following examples (3-5) show some of the most practical voicings for the minor 6"/diminished sequences in C minor. They should first be played as written, then transposed and learned in all keys. Page 52 stExample 3 ~ Minor Sixth/Diminished drop-2 voicings on string set 1234 fe tht] opti opre#) octisi ‘ade aes see c Ty arn o we 897 us Be7 Cue = 87 Ca x, ea iu 7 Cu i Ef eC 2 Example 4 ~ Minor Sixth/Diminished drop-2 voicings an string set 2345 ffe8 Peau Cue Ber Cue = 887 Cus 897 Cus 87 Sa Example 5 ~ Minor Sixth/Diminished drop-3 voicings on string set 2346 ee Ber ft Application of the Minor Sixth/Diminished Chord Sequence Since many minor tunes stay close to the Tonic for extended periods, the Minor Sixth/Diminished is extreme- ly useful for comping in these situations. Excellent examples of this kind of harmonic motion are Lester Young's “Tickle Toe,” Dizzy Gillespie's “Bebop,” Charlie Parker's “Segment,” and Eddie Durham’s “Topsy.” The sequence is also extremely effective when played as melodic arpeggios as in the following example. Example 6 ~ Arpeggiated Minow/Sixth Diminished Sequence oo Using Borrowed Notes As with the Major Sixth/Diminished, it is possible to create some interesting harmonic sequences by borrow- ing notes. While playing a 6" chord, we can “borrow” notes from the neighboring diminished chord, and vice- versa. The following examples (7 and 8) use the drop-3 and drop-2 voicings from examples 4 and 5 but use “porrowed” notes to create a series of anticipations and suspensions. Tis az Gar» Agu 2000 Tage 53Example 7 — Minor Sixth/Diminished Chordal Sequence with Anticipations in Lead Voice fi Example 8 - Minor Sixth/Diminished Chordal Sequence with Suspensions in the Second Voice. $ortish ombia) 7g] otis] worries Ts es ee) TT H + att H L #7 st While it is possible to name the chords in the previous examples, it is somewhat superfluous. Most of these chords can be named in more than one way, and then the name may not have anything to do with how the chord is being heard. Hearing and knowing the movement they create in the tonality is more important than knowing what to call them, Ideas for Practicing the Minor Sixth/Diminished 1) Write out and practice minor sixth/diminished scales in all ke 2) Add suspensions and resolutions (borrowed notes that move into a chord tone) and sequence through the scale. 3) Add anticipations (chord tones that move to a note borrowed from the next chord) and sequence through the scale 5) Build a chord combining chord-tones with borrowed notes and move all voices the scale. 6) Harmonize some simple minor melodies by ear using nothing but minor sixth and diminished chords. 7) Use pieces of these exercises to build intros, endings and chordal fills in various minor keys stepwise together through Conclusion Beautiful in its simplicity yet rich in possibilities, the Sixth/Diminished is a powerful tool for the creative improviser and arranger. Next time we'll see how it can be superimposed over other harmonies. 144i ailil STV TG . 8 Page 54 Tust Jazz Guitar © August 2000