Improvising Tools

Part 1: Common Tones

Chart #1

Chart #2: Major Scale Modes

This chart illustrates the spellings of the major scales and their modes.

The "W's" and "1/2's" across the top represent the intervals between
each of the notes - whole steps and half steps.

The Roman numerals represent the degrees of the scales. Directly

above the Roman numerals are the names of the modes.

The two charts at the bottom show the chord qualities (major, minor,
diminished, etc.) that result from building chords on each of the scale
degrees. This is called "diatonic harmony".

* VIII is the octave

Major: I, IV, V Major 7: Imaj7, IVmaj7 of I
Minor: ii, iii, vi Dominant 7: V7
Diminished: vii° Minor 7: iim7, iiim7, vim7
Minor 7b5: viim7b5
R b3 b6 b7 b3
5 b6 b7 b3 b6 b7
b3 b6 b7 b3
b7 b3 b6 b7
4 b6 b7 b3 b6
R b3 b6 b7 b3

4 b6 b7 b2
R b2 b6 b7 b2
b6 b7 b2 b6 b7
b6 b7 b2
b7 b2 b6 b7
4 b6 b7 b2