Above photos (left to right) Charlie Parker, John Collins, Barney Kessel

Introduction
...................................................................................................... 4

Chapter One

Rhythm and Forward Motion (Tracks I - 5)

...................................................................................5

Chapter Two

Delay and Anticipation Devices (Tracks 6 - 9)

.............................................................................14

Chapter Three

Neighbor Tone Note Usage

.................................................................................................

Neighbor Tones
.................................................................................................

Enclosure Figures (Tracks 10 - 13)

...............................................................................................1

Changing Tones (Tracks 14 - 18)

.................................................................................................

Connector Figures (Track 19)

.................................................................................................
 Mordents (Tracks 20 - 23)
.................................................................................................

Digital Patterns (Tracks 24 - 33)

.................................................................................................

Suspension Figures (Tracks 34 - 37)

.............................................................................................70

Chapter Four

Scales, Scale Fragments and Chromatic Lines (Track 38)

............................................................82

Dorian Mode
.................................................................................................

Pentatonic Scale
.................................................................................................

Diminished Scale
.................................................................................................

Chromatic Lines (Tracks 39 - 41)

.................................................................................................

7th Chords (Tracks 42 - 44)

.................................................................................................

Chapter Five

Circles, Turns and Tags (Tracks 45 - 47)

....................................................................................107
 Turns (Tracks 48 - 49)
.................................................................................................

Tags (Tracks 50 - 54)

.................................................................................................

Chapter Six

Tonic Lines (Track 55)

.................................................................................................

Chapter Seven

Chord Outlines and Basic Chord Changes (Tracks 56 - 64)

.......................................................144

Chapter Eight

Concluding Thoughts
.................................................................................................

Appendix
..........................................................................................................................

Author's Biography
....................................................................................................................176
 CHARLIE PARKER FOR JAZZ GUITAR: BASIC BEBOP THEORY
AND PRACTICE

Lex Giel provides a concise definition of bebop in his book, The Music of
Miles Davis: "Small groups would replace the popular big band format.
The bebop music used fast tempos, favored swing eighth notes and
triplets, and added several new elements to the jazz solo. Their [i.e.,
Parker and Dizzy Gillespie] use of alterations and chromaticism would
become a trademark for the style." Two of those new elements were the
use of irregular phrasing and irregular accenting of notes within those
jagged lines. Even so, remember that some of Count Basle's arrangements
dating from the late 1940s occasionally featured bebop phrasing, as long
as those phrases didn't interfere with the "swing" of those songs.

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate how you can easily transform
basic jazz improvisational techniques into bebop figures by embellishing
them in the style of Charlie Parker.

After presenting the music theory concepts behind the basic

embellishment figures used in pre-1950s jazz improvisation (e.g., scale
patterns, digital patterns, neighbor tones, voice leading, etc.) I present
m a n y examples of how Charlie Parker transformed straight-ahead
melodic lines into bebop phrases by using chromatic and rhythmic
alterations. You don't have to play in "double time" in order to make
these ideas work for you in your arrangements and improvisations.

Let's get started! Before you know it you will be using these figures in
your daily playing without even thinking about it.
The three basic components of music are rhythm, melody and harmony.
Rhythmic variation is fundamental as its alteration often leads to, what is
referred to in jazz circles, as "forward motion." Using a simple analogy,
if the musical scale can be considered the alphabet from which words are
formed then rhythm is the punctuation that renders those words
meaningful, i.e., you can take the same note sequence and alter the way it
moves rhythmically, thus changing the way that one perceives it aurally.

Now, let's examine how rhythmic variation contributes to forward motion

by using the common descending diatonic major scale line* from the
fifth [the dominant] descending to the Root that is commonly used over a
2-beat V-I change, or over a tonic chord:

Rhythmic Figure #1. Forward motion is easily created by rhythmically

breaking up quarter note values. Let's apply the basic rhythmic figure of a
dotted quarter note-eighth note figure to this scale fragment (I will be
referring to this rhythm as Rhythmic Figure #I):
When this line is played we end up with periods of motion and rest (often
referred to as tension-andrelease). The shorter note values create
"forward motion" a sense of "pulsing" or pushing towards the next longer
target note value where a period of rest is then achieved.

When the first and last notes of Rhythmic Figure #1 are the same pitch
then the "inside" beats can be filled in by some kind of digital pattern,
arpeggio figure, repeated note, octave displacement, or perhaps a
changing tone figure; if those two inner notes are scalar in nature, then a
two-voice structure or some type of diatonic or chromatic note sequence
might be used that would logically lead to the last note of the pair. You
will find numerous examples of this usage in Charlie Parker's solo lines.
Here are a few basic examples:
Melodic lines based on this rhythmic figure can easily be reduced to its
lowest common denominator [LCD] by eliminating those "inside" notes
in order to clearly understand the logic and movement of the basic
melodic line. In many of the examples in this book I occasionally
designate them by a small dotted quarter note-eighth note above the note
sequence or occasionally lay out a two-stave example showing the basic
LCD line vs. the improvised solo line. While you might think that these
filler notes might disrupt the forward motion they, in fact, often add to
the suspense of arrival to the target note. Such analysis will lead you to
discover a number of different ways to embellish similar note sequences
in your improvisations. Here is a basic LCD example:

Rhythmic Figure #2. Now, let's reverse this basic rhythmic figure by
positioning the eighth note on the downbeat followed by a dotted quarter
note (I call this Rhythmic Figure #2):
This figure is often notated musically as two eighth notes and a quarter
note, the second eighth note being tied to the quarter note. Charlie Parker
often uses this rhythmic figure to end his phrases on an upbeat. Here are a
few brief examples:

These first two rhythmic figures can occur consecutively in the same
measure. Here is a basic example used in a descending scale fragment
from the dominant to the Root:
In examining the songs that traditionally form the Great American
Songbook standards literature you will find that Rhythmic Figure #2 is
often positioned on beat three; however, in instrumental music it can
appear on either the downbeat or beat three (in 4/4 or common time).

Rhythmic Figure #3. The next rhythmic technique I would like to discuss
is a simple extension of Rhythmic Figure #2. In this case the dot
following the quarter note, which is equal to an eighth note value, is
replaced by an eighth note, resulting in an eighth note-quarter note-eighth
note pattern (I call this Rhythm Figure #3). The last eighth note often has
the same function as the eighth note in Rhythmic Figure # 1, i.e., to create
forward motion leading to the next note, often a new note sequence, or to
anticipate the following note via a tie.

When Parker uses this rhythmic figure invariably one of the outside notes
is tied (or an eighth rest replaces the first eighth note of the figure if that
note was not tied from the previous one).

The first note of Rhythmic Figure #3 can be positioned on beats one, two
or three. Here are some examples of beat one usage:
Here are examples of beat three usages:
Here are examples when this figure is positioned on beat two (note the
use of the tied eighth notes):
This rhythmic figure is often used as a "lick" on a stationary note; when
used in this manner the last note of the figure is usually is tied to a longer
note value. Here are some examples of that usage:
Next are some typical examples that are positioned on beat one that are
tied to the note on beat three:
As noted earlier, when this rhythmic figure appears on the third beat then
the last note of the figure often anticipates the following downbeat via a
tied note, thus creating a syncopation that also reinforces the common
jazz technique of not playing a note on the downbeat of the new phrase.
Here are some examples of this usage from Parker's solos:

It often happens that the initial note of Rhythmic Figure #3 is itself tied
from a previous note (or is replaced by an eight note rest). Here are some
examples of that usage:
Of course, the most commonly used form of forward motion is the use of
eighth notes, scalar or chromatic, leading to the beginning of a phrase:
this same kind of forward motion is similarly achieved by two eighth
notes leading to a quarter note.
I suggest that you carefully listen to the solos by Louis Armstrong and
His Hot Fives to hear how the use of these basic rhythms contributed to
the "swing" of the songs that they recorded in 1925-27. Rhythmic Figure
#3 is frequently used by Armstrong in his solos positioned on beats I or 3,
occasionally on beat 2. On the other hand, it is not unusual for Charlie
Parker to play an extended solo without using this rhythmic figure at all;
but then one has to recognize that there is a 20-year gap in between the
approaches of these two musical giants in the jazz pantheon.

Now, let's look at another basic part of the jazz language: delay and
anticipation techniques.
As noted in the previous chapter, one of the principal characteristics of
traditional jazz, in addition to the use of swing eighth notes, is to delay
the arrival of the downbeat, particularly at the beginning of a phrase,
usually via an eighth note rest, or to anticipate the downbeat, usually via
a tied note. Here are basic examples of these two usages in a descending
diatonic scale:

In the following example an eighth note rest is positioned at the end of

the phrase on the downbeat, delaying the expected arrival of the target
note (in all likelihood the bass player would play the Root note of the
chord being used to harmonize that phrase on that beat):
The dotted quarter note rhythm is quite common in jazz, as many note
values seem to move in that rhythmic value (which also creates the
common three-against-four syncopated rhythm, e.g., the Charleston
rhythm). Here are two transposed examples of the 3 + 3 + 2 clave rhythm,
based on the dotted quarter note, from the playing of bassist Wellman
Braud (Duke Ellington Orchestra) and trumpeter Louis Armstrong
respectively:

In the following example all of the quarter notes are delayed because of
the use of eighth note rests positioned on the beat:
Another common rhythmic device to create forward motion in jazz
arrangements is to alter quarter note values into other rhythmic
combinations, such as eighth-note rhythms:

Here is an example of how quarter notes can be converted to Rhythmic

Figures #3 and #1 respectively:
The use of an eighth note resteighth note sequence positioned on the
downbeat, leading to a triplet chord outline, is very common. The first
three examples from Parker's solos use the classic triplet chord outline
for a tonic chord, dominant seventh chord and ii-7 chord respectively.
Note that the approach note to the triplet itself is often a half step below,
thus acting as a chromatic leading tone (diatonic or altered):

The next two examples show the classic bebop rhythmic permutation of a
pair of eighth notes being displaced by an eighth rest on the downbeat;
the displaced eighth notes then become a pair of sixteenth notes. I call
this technique, which was commonly used by Charlie Parker, rhythmic
variation [RVar]. Obviously, this practice also creates rhythmic forward
motion because of the unexpected syncopation on the downbeat.

Next are two examples of multi-note grupettos:

Rests equal to the value of a dotted quarter note can also be found on the
downbeat. Here are several examples of phrases that begin on the "+" of
beat 2:
Finally, here are two examples of phrases beginning on the "+" of beat 3 :
Now, let's move on to a group of non-harmonic tones called Neighbor
Tones.
I would now like to focus on scale tones that surround chord tones, i.e.,
notes that are found immediately above or below a chord tone,
theoretically referred to as neighbor tones.

UPPER NEIGHBOR TONE APPROACH. These notes are usually the

diatonic note immediately above a chord tone. For instance, the second
scale degree (the supertonic) resolves downward to the tonic, the fourth
scale degree (the subdominant) resolves downward to the third (often
referred to as a 4-3 suspension figure), and the sixth scale degree (the
submediant) resolves downward to the fifth.

The 4-3 suspension figure is the basis for the "7-3 resolution" of ii-7 and
V7 chords; a similar resolution occurs when the flat nine of a V7 (b9)
resolves by half-step as well. I will discuss those figures in more detail in
Chapter Seven.

The seventh scale degree ascends up to the tonic, thus its "leading tone"
function in the major scale and the melodic minor scale, i.e., it leads to
the tonic of the scale. In the natural and harmonic minor scales and the
Dorian mode, the seventh scale degree is referred to as the subtonic
because it is positioned a whole step below the tonic, i.e., a flatted
seventh.

LOWER NEIGHBOR TONE APPROACH. Jazz phrases often begin with

lower neighbor tones, invariably a chromatic half-step approach leading
to a chord tone; you will find numerous examples of this usage
throughout the jazz literature. Occasionally a diatonic lower neighbor
tone is used, i.e., a note that could be a whole step below the target note;
however, this usage often doesn't sound as strong as the chromatic half-
step approach.

ENCLOSURE FIGURES. Upper and lower neighbor tones can be

combined in a number of ways. One of the most popular ways, in the
bebop lexicon, is called an enclosure, i.e., two notes, played as a pair on
opposite sides of the chord tone. The initial note can be either the upper
neighbor tone [U] or the lower neighbor tone [L]; however, the upper
neighbor tone approach seems to be used more frequently.

Regarding the positioning of enclosures, they usually fall either on beat

four, leading to a chord tone on the downbeat, or on the downbeat leading
to a syncopation of the chord tone, i.e., the expected arrival is delayed by
one beat. In some cases an enclosure figure may appear to cross a bar line
or beat; when this occurs it is usually because it is part of a circle or turn
pattern.

In Parker's solos a triplet chord outline is often anticipated by an

enclosure or a chromatic leading tone note. The following two examples
have the enclosure figure positioned on the downbeat:
Note that the enclosure figure in both of those examples is strictly
diatonic, i.e., no altered chromatic lower neighbor tone is used.

Half-step enclosure patterns are also used in bebop music; such pattern
usage creates additional tension in the melodic line. Here are the same
lines as above but now using an altered half-step upper note approach:

In the following example of a 4-3 resolution, the direct resolution from

the fourth to the third is delayed by the use of an augmented second that
leads to the third from below:
In the next example the first note of the enclosure (see arrow) is the final
note of a B-7 chord (a disguised iii-7 chord in the key of G), or it could be
interpreted as a first inversion G Major 9'h:

In this example the target note of the enclosure is the third of the D7(b9)
chord, F sharp. The expected half-step chromatic lower neighbor tone
approach is replaced by the diatonic lower neighbor tone, E to F sharp:

Next is an example of an enclosure that is approached by a descending

scale:
Now, let's look at two examples where the enclosure is positioned on the
fourth beat. These examples demonstrate fairly typical enclosure note
sequences (one is lower-upper, the other upper-lower):

The next example targets the fourth scale degree of the tonic chord:
Here is an example of a half-step enclosure on the fourth beat leading to a
4-3 resolution figure whose line is interrupted by octave displacement
(o.d.). As the first note of the suspension figure is D, the Root of the V
chord, the leap to C natural could be considered as the flatted 7'~,
eventually resolving to the third, at which time the harmony changes to G
(it might also be looked at as an octave-displaced line where D is the fifth
of the G chord; the C, obviously, would then be the fourth resolving to the
third).

Parker often displaced melodic lines by an octave, in order to maintain a

particular note range.

Common tones are notes that share a different identity with related
chords. For instance, the fifth of the V chord is the supertonic of the tonic
chord. Common tone usage offers a smooth way to connect chords, in the
same way that chord inversions do, contributing to smooth forward
motion in jazz.

Here is an example of a 7-3 resolution over a ii-V change, i.e., the

movement of the flatted seventh, positioned on the fourth beat, to the
third of the V chord on the following downbeat. In this case, Parker
positions the fifth of the ii-7 chord on the offbeat ensuring that the
resolution of the third occurs on the following downbeat to that it can
then begin the ascending chord outline. Theoretically, this note sequence
could be interpreted visually as an "enclosure figure", in reality, it was
simply the result of diatonic note movement. Many enclosure figures can
be interpreted in such a manner.

Next is an example where the enclosure figure could be interpreted as

part of a turn figure (circle, turn, and tag figures will be discussed in
more detail in Chapter Five):

Enclosures occasionally appear on beat 2 as well; here are a few

examples from Charlie Parker's solos. Once again, note that some of
these examples use the diatonic note approach from below to the target
note vs. a chromatic half-step approach.
Here are two examples of a diatonic "double enclosure," in reality a pair
of descending thirds approaching a dominant seventh chord:
Next is an example where a half-step step enclosure figure disrupts a
descending major scale line, a simple but effective idea to keep in mind:

As l have demonstrated above, one can easily over-analyze the most

logical note movement. For instance, the following enclosure figure is
really a delayed 4-3 suspension:

Likewise, the following enclosure figure is best described as a chromatic

lower neighbor tone approach to the fifth of a Major Sixth chord:
Basically, enclosure figures delay the expected arrival of a chord tone by
disrupting the melodic line. Let's move on now to a group of notes called
changing tones.

CHANGING TONES. What happens if you surround a stationary note

positioned on the beat with an enclosure figure? In other words, the first
and last notes of the figure are the same but the inside notes form a
diatonic enclosure figure. Here is an example:
There are a number of ways to analyze this engaging sounding figure. For
instance, you could look at these figures as an extension of an upper
neighbor tone or lower neighbor tone figure:

The CLUC changing tone figure is similar to the 1321 digital pattern,
while the mirror image CULC figure is similar to the 3123 digital
pattern:

The use of CLUC and CULC patterns in diatonic scale lines can create a
certain degree of forward motion, as shown below:
However, that doesn't mean that reversing these two patterns in a scale
line will not be just as effective; their usage simply provides a different
harmonic "flavor":

Changing tone patterns can also be disguised by rhythmic variation:

The following changing tone figure closely resembles a descending

diatonic scale escape tone figure. The main difference is that the escape
tone temporarily alters, or "escapes" its inevitable descending resolution
by step, while the changing tone figure focuses on the note on either side
of the figure. Regardless of how you might choose to analyze it, it is the
sound of the note sequence and how it contributes to the quality of the
musical phrase that matters.
Now, let's look at some examples that demonstrate the use of the "escape
tone" sequence used by Charlie Parker in his solos. The following
examples demonstrate the use the "escape tone" note sequence in a
descending scale line:

Next are two examples of a changing tone figure positioned on the flatted
seventh of an altered V7 chord (in both cases note that one of the inside
diatonic notes is replaced by the fifth of the chord [notes circled in the
examples]):
Here is an example where Parker uses the CULC over a V-I cadence, in
this case the third of the V7 chord (the leading tone of the tonic) resolves
up by step to G natural, the tonic of the I chord (the note sequence used
here is similar to a 7167 1 turn figure):

Next, a CLUC figure is used where a circle figure could have been used,
thus interchangeable:
Here are examples of CULC and CLUC figures positioned on the fourth
scale degree; note that both are preceded by an enclosure figure, another
example of a combination figure:
 The Charlie Parker Quartet at the Open Door in Greenwich Village,
1953.

Here is an example of a CLUC figure on an altered V7 chord that is

positioned on the downbeat:

Next are two examples of a CLUC figure that begin on beat 2, instead of
being positioned on beats I or 3. Note the use of a mordent figure on the
first note of the figure in the first example (also see first example on page
27):
The CLUC or CULC groupings can also be used to outline chords. Here
are two basic examples outlining a V7 chord (also see second example on
page 26):

In the following example note the dominant chord 7-3 resolutions, the
initial note of the CLUC figure being a flatted seventh in both cases:
Here is an example of a 3-beat CULC figure in which the last three notes
of the figure outline chord tones:

Next is an example of a CULC figure used to outline a harmonized

descending major scale:

I want to make note here of two commonly played "modern jazz" figures
that are likewise often found in mid-19,^ century fiddle tunes! In fact,
lines similarly used in jazz can be often found in traditional fiddle tunes,
not to mention the classic baroque and classic keyboard literature.

The first example uses the CULC figure over an F Major chord; in the
contrasting example the CLUC variant outlines a G triad using adjacent
neighbor tones instead of chord tones:

The second fiddle tune example uses two consecutive 7-3 resolutions (in
a V of V of I change):

CONNECTOR FIGURES. There are many ways that chord tones and
scale lines can be "connected" to provide increased melodic interest. For
instance, in Chapter One I discussed ways that scales could be altered
rhythmically to create forward motion. I want to now present some ways
that chord tones a third apart can be connected.
The basic note connector sequence is a three-beat figure (usually quarter
notes). These figures are similar to turns except for the last note. Let's
look at the basic turn fife on which chord tone connectors are developed:

When the target note is a third higher then the second note of the
sequence acts as a lower neighbor tone, thus creating forward motion
upwards. Likewise, if the target note is a third lower then the upper
neighbor tone is used on the second note, again positioned in the opposite
direction of the target note:

Here is an example of a descending chord

tone connector in context:
Obviously, chord tone connectors can be
effective when used to "spin out" triads:

Compare this usage to that of CLUC

figures:

It is not unusual for a chord tone (circled here) to replace the second note
in the sequence (also see second example on page26 for related
substitution usage); also, please make note of the 7-3 resolution:
 Charlie Parker Miles Davis, Allen Eager Kai Winding at New
York: Royal Roost, 1948.

There are many variants of this connector note sequence. Here are some
commonly used ones:
Here are some examples of how Charlie Parker manipulated this note
sequence rhythmically:
If you only had a two-quarter note beat available then the following
substitute figure, based on a mordent figure using an upper neighbor tone,
could be used instead:
MORDENTS. A mordent is an embellishment figure that often calls
attention to the initial note (as we saw in the first example on page 28 ) or
the highest note in a musical phrase. It is usually played as a triplet
rhythm, the upper neighbor tone being the more common usage in
Parker's solos. He also often used mordents to embellish the fourth scale
degree of descending tonic lines and on the flatted ninth of a V7 chord (in
order to introduce the use the #9 altered chord tone).

Rhythmically speaking, mordent figures can be notated three ways in

Charlie Parker's solos: [1] as an eighth note triplet; [2] as a 16 note
triplet; [3] as an eighth note and two sixteenth notes (or two sixteenth
notes and an eighth note):
 The mordent figure often resolves to a lower diatonic scale tone or to a
chord tone. Let's look at an example of each:

Here is an example where Parker used a mordent figure to mark the

arrival of the third in a basic 4-3 suspension figure:

Next is an example in the context of a simple ii-V change:

Here are two examples used in scale spins:

Charlie Parker often used a mordent figure on approach notes to chord

tones. Here are several examples of the commonly used supertonic
approach to the tonic:
Here are two similar examples, except that in this case the submediant
(the sixth) approaches the dominant note:

Now, let's look at some examples of mordent usage on other scale

degrees. Here is an example over a minor third:
Here are two examples of the mordent positioned on the fourth scale
degree. Note how the triplet figure can easily be replaced by an eighth
note-two sixteenth note rhythmic figure that creates subtle descending
forward motion:

Next are several examples using a mordent positioned on the fifth scale
degree:
Here are some examples of mordent use on the flatted seventh scale
degree (I will cover the flat nine usage in Chapter Seven):
Next, the mordent figure is used twice in a V7 change:

Here is an example of mordents used on both a chord tone and scale tone
in a short note sequence:

Next is an example of mordents used twice in a descending major scale

line; once again, note the chromatic supertonic approach to the Root on
the downbeat:

Next is an example where Charlie Parker uses mordents on a descending

series of thirds over a V7 chord:
As I mentioned earlier, the use of tied notes to a downbeat is very
common, not only in jazz, but in other music genres, such as traditional
country blues guitar. Here are several examples of this usage from
Parker's playing using a tied note to the first note of a mordent:

Parker frequently uses what appears to be, at first glance, a descending

chord tone connector figure that uses 16,° notes instead of eighth notes.
This figure is in reality a mordent figure in "overdrive." The example
below first shows the common 3-beat chord tone connector used to
logically connect two notes the interval of a third apart; the next part of
the example shows a three-note descending scale line; a mordent is then
used to embellish the first note of that figure, typical of Parker's usage;
finally, that entire figure is speeded up to create a 2-beat figure:

DIGITAL PATTERNS. Scales can be embellished by the use of digital

patterns, i.e., scale patterns. These patterns can also be used to outline a
chord, a stationary note, etc.

1235 Pattern. I want to begin by discussing the 1235 pattern. As used in a

Root position-major diatonic scale those four notes represent the first
four notes of the major pentatonic scale (the only note missing being the
sixth scale degree). Only one note of the four used in this pattern is a non-
chord tone, the second scale degree (or the supertonic), thus this pattern
is often used to outline a triad. Most digital patterns share this common
trait of having one passing tone because as a triad has three notes, a
passing tone is needed to create a 4-note pattern.

When the standard eighth note rhythm is used then this pattern ends up
being played over two full beats with the Root falling on the downbeat
and the third of the triad on beat two; however, the pattern can just as
easily appear as a 16`h note grouping (either played in 2/4 or double time,
or perhaps as a short rhythmic variation). I will also provide examples
that demonstrate that the pattern can also begin on other chord tones
and/or beats within a measure.

When the Root of a major, minor or dominant seventh chord appears on

the downbeat of a measure, then that is a quick and easy way to decide to
use this pattern. Here is the basic outline of the pattern on the tonic
chord:

The following is an example using sixteenth notes where the pattern falls
on the fourth beat of a measure; note the preceding use of a chromatic
leading tone leading to the "I" of the pattern; an upper/lower enclosure
could also have been used instead of the single note:
Charlie Parker and Sindev Bechet traveling to
France in I949.1or one of the first international jazz
festivals ever held anywhere.
Here are two examples of this pattern used over a ii-V chord change. Note
that in the latter example that the last note of the pattern is lowered one
octave (i.e., octave displacement, or o.d.) to maintain the musical line in
the same octave range.

Next is a similar pattern where only the ii-7 chord uses the pattern. Note
in particular the descending scale line from the third of the V7 chord
leading to a 321 chromatic line via a 7-3 resolution. I discuss chromatic
lines in more detail in Chapter Four.

Minor chords are frequently outlined using the 1235 pattern. Here is an
example using the pattern to outline a D minor chord that concludes with
a suspension figure leading to the third of the G7 chord:

Because the fourth note of the Root position 1235 digital pattern ends on
a weak beat, we can easily delay the arrival of the target note to the
downbeat by introducing use of the sixth scale degree to temporarily
displace the fifth, creating a 3-beat figure in the process:

The late Milt Jackson used this note sequence quite frequently in his
playing, particularly where "I" begins on the fifth scale degree. Note that
the Root of the V7 chord is enharmonic with the fifth of the tonic chord
(or a chord a fourth away). Compare use of this digital pattern to a
descending scale line to the Root.
Here is an example of the pattern beginning on the third of a D minor
chord that resolves to the octave note on the downbeat:

Here is a similar example, this time beginning on the fifth of a V7(b9)

dominant chord; the pattern targets the flatted ninth:
The 1235 pattern is also effective in outlining first inversion dominant
seventh chords because the last note in the pattern would be the flatted
seventh which would the resolve down to the third of the chord a fourth
away (a 7-3 resolution):

This last example represents more traditional pre-bebop jazz usage.

Now, let's look at some examples of the 1235 pattern positioned on the
offbeat.
This example shows how this digital pattern can be embedded within a
grupetto:
Here are some typical examples of how this basic 2-beat figure can be
varied rhythmically:
5321 Pattern. This pattern, where "5" is usually the fifth of the tonic
chord, is often positioned on the downbeat of a measure. Be aware that
while eighth note rhythms are often used in instrumental music
improvisations, it is more common to see longer note values and
rhythmic variations are common when this pattern is used in the
"standards" literature.

Here is a basic descending triad followed by a standard 5321 pattern that

includes the passing tone, the supertonic:
Next are two examples (one in major, the other in parallel minor) of how
Charlie Parker used this figure in context:

When this pattern begins on beat three of a measure then the concluding
note is often tied, in anticipation, to the note across the bar line, e.g., the
tonic; however, the arrival of "1" can be delayed - thus negating use of
the tie - by an enclosure figure:
The initial note of the 5321 pattern can be delayed as well via a tied note.
Here are a couple of examples demonstrating that usage:

If you wish the ending note of the pattern to fall on a downbeat then a
note has to be added to the note sequence. Here are some typical
examples of how this can be done:
Note that the latter example was a little deceptive in that it actually
outlined a V7 chord instead of a tonic chord. The "1" of the 5321 pattern
was the third of the V7 chord, thus acting as the leading tone to the
following tonic note, G, on the beat.

Now, here are two examples where the "I" of the pattern is positioned on
beat four, without a tie:
Here are some additional examples from Parker's playing using the 5321
pattern:
Finally, here are a few additional examples where the 5321 pattern
crosses a bar line:
Keep in mind that while Charlie Parker used the 1235 digital pattern in
ascending lines he frequently uses the 5431 digital pattern in descending
lines that focuses on the fourth scale degree instead of the third.

1345 Pattern. The 1345 pattern is often used to outline Root position
minor triads, blues scale fragment lines, or first inversion Major Seventh,
dominant seventh, or second inversion V9 or V7(b9) chords, all due to
minor third interval based on those inversions. Here are examples of
these basic usages:
Here is an example where the 1345 pattern alternates between major and
parallel minor:
If used on a second inversion Major Ninth chord then the last note of the
pattern seems to require a downward resolution (supertonic to Root)
because, out of context, it sounds like a Root position V triad (the D
chord in this case), thus full of tension requiring release to the tonic. This
stems from the Major third interval between steps I and 3 in the pattern
instead of the minor third interval.

I believe that using this pattern on a major triad is not as convincing

aurally due to the passing fourth scale degree to the fifth. However,
having said that, feel free to experiment using the 1235 pattern as an
alternate "flavor" to the 1345 pattern. The ear is often the determiner as
to which pattern might be used for a minor chord in a musical phrase; it
could also be dependent on which form of the minor scale you might be
using, e.g., natural minor vs. melodic minor, to harmonize the chord
change as well.
5431 Pattern. As I mentioned earlier, Charlie Parker seemed to favor the
5431 digital pattern for descending tonic chords. I think that the reason
for this revolves around the pattern's descending scale function that is
enhanced by the use of the 4-3 suspension figure. It also seems that the
majority of the time the "5" in the pattern is indeed the fifth of the chord.

This pattern can effectively be positioned on any beat within a measure.

Let's first look at three examples positioned on the downbeat, using a
different chord for each; the first example ends a phrase, while the other
two examples begin a phrase:

Now are two examples in E minor, where the pattern ends a phrase; note
that the latter example is rhythmically varied, a common Parker practice:
When positioned on beat two for a tonic chord this pattern holistically
segues into a 3R65 tag (see Chapter Five):
Here are a couple of additional examples that end on the tonic note, but
where the pattern is rhythmically altered:
Next is an example of a V7 chord, similarly altered rhythmically:
Let's now look at some other examples, also in E minor. The first
example repeats the fifth and fourth scale degrees, while the remaining
two examples are, once again, altered rhythmically:
The final example for beat two usage is that of a V9 chord; note the
mordent usage on the first beat of the pattern:
 Lucky Thompson, Dliz:y Gillespie. Charlie Parker and Billy Eckstine.
The Billy E.rkctine hand. Pittsburgh 1944.

Here are four basic examples of beat three usages:

The next three examples use rhythmic alteration:
This example shows usage where the first note of the pattern is tied from
the previous beat:

Here are three examples for beat four usages: the first two examples
contrast each other as the first one uses all 16th notes while the second
use eighth notes, thus the pattern crosses the bar line; the last example of
the three uses rhythmic variation in its approach to the bar line:

Let's finish up this section by looking at a few examples where the flatted
seventh is positioned on beat three:
The final example is on the ninth of a D9 chord that leads to the tonic G
chord via the supertonic approach note:
You can also experiment by substituting the 5321 pattern for 5431 and
compare how they sound and function harmonically.

1231 Pattern. This pattern works in two basic ways: (1) a passing tone is
involved in connecting the chord tones a third apart, similar to the 1235
digital pattern where the second note is a passing scale tone; and (2) to
reinforce a stationary note (usually a chord tone that is two quarter note
beats in duration and often positioned on beats I or 3).

The following two brief examples demonstrate the basic 1231 pattern
usage. The first one shows how a passing tone can be introduced into an
existing note sequence creating a 1231 pattern, while the second one uses
the pattern to reinforce a stationary note, in this case the target note of a
1235 digital pattern:
The following example shows a downward resolution of the last note of a
1231 pattern by step, in this example based on the common tone
relationship of the fifth of the V7 being enharmonic with the supertonic
of the tonic chord:
Next is an example of how this pattern can be used to connect ascending
scale tones the interval of a second apart (circled in this example):

Here is an interesting variation on the 1231 pattern in an ascending scale

that uses a triplet rhythm vs. the more common eighth note grouping:

A variation on this will follow later under the discussion of the 1234 and
4321 digital patterns.

Here are some examples from the solos of Charlie Parker using the 1231
digital pattern:
1321 Pattern. The 1321 pattern is a mirror image of the 1231 pattern. This
is because the notes on either side of the pattern is the same note, like the
CLUC and CULC neighbor tones that I discussed earlier in this chapter.
Here are two examples where this pattern is used to reinforce the arrival
of the target note, the Root:
Next are two examples where this figure is found on the downbeat. Note
the chromatic lower neighbor tone usage in the first example (at first
glance this looks like a 4-3 resolution except that the fifth is the target
note):

This pattern can also be rhythmically varied:

Here is an example where the 1321 digital pattern is used to outline a
descending major scale; I have also provided a rhythmic variation of it as
well:

Next are two examples used over a ii-7 chord. In the latter example the
Parker tag of an eighth notedotted quarter note is extended by use of the
1321 digital pattern (also see last example on page 7):
Here are two examples using the fifth of a V7 chord. Note that in each
example the last note of the pattern resolves to the Root of the tonic
chord via the supertonic-tonic note sequence that I have mentioned
several times in this book. Did you also notice the eighth note rest
positioned on beat three that delayed the arrival of the Root? Classic
Charlie Parker!
Now for some examples of the figure as used on the flatted seventh of a
V7 chord; please note the 7-3 resolutions:
Next is an example of the pattern used over the sixth scale degree in a V7
chord, or is it? In this case the A sharp is the augmented second of the G
major scale (i.e., the chromatic lower neighbor tone) that signals the
impending arrival of the tonic chord.

Here is an example of the 1321 pattern used over an altered V7 chord

(with sharp nine):
Next is a longer phrase by Charlie Parker that uses the 1321 digital
pattern twice on the fifth of two different V7 chords:

3123 Pattern. This pattern closely resembles a CLUC changing tone

pattern, regardless of whether you would use a scale tone or a chord tone,
because the notes at either end of the pattern are identical:
Note also that the 3123 pattern can seamlessly substitute for the 1321
digital pattern:

Here is how the pattern could be utilized using Rhythmic Pattern #1 in a

descending scale passage:

Next is a similar example; note the tied note at the beginning of each note
sequence:

Here is an example of how the 5431 and 3123 patterns can occasionally
overlap:
The following example is quite instructive, as a CLUC changing tone
pattern prepares the 3123 pattern; in this case that a chord tone connector
just as easily could also have been used in place of the 3 123 pattern:

Here is an example of the first note of the pattern tied to the previous
beat:
The following two examples are interesting in that in the first example a
chromatic line used to approach the fifth of a V7 chord where the pattern
is used; in the second example, the 3123 pattern is positioned on the Root
of a tonic chord that segues into a 5321 digital pattern to end the phrase
(note that while the chord change indicates a V7 chord Parker plays a
tonic line note sequence over it):

Next is an example where the pattern is used on the flatted seventh scale
degree of a V7 chord (note the 7-3 resolution):

Following are some of the ways that this pattern can be rhythmically
altered:
Continuing this theme, here are two examples that begin with this pattern
but end differently:

To conclude this section let's look at the way that 3123 and 1231 digital
patterns can be used consecutively:
3213 Pattern. Let's begin by looking at how this pattern can be used to
outline an ascending major scale:

The following examples show usage of this pattern on target notes. The
first is on the last note of a 1235 digital pattern, while the latter is on the
Root of the tonic, using the descending bebop dominant seventh scale (I
will discuss this tag pattern in more detail in Chapter Five):
Here the pattern is used over a V-I chord change; note that this example
is very similar to that shown in the last example on page 55 and the
second example on page 58.

Next the pattern is used on the Root of the IV chord that sets up a 4-3
suspension to the I chord:

In this example the last two notes of the pattern form the first two notes
of a V9 chord outline, thus the first two notes of the pattern is simply part
of a descending scale and is not really functioning in the usual manner of
a digital pattern:
Here is a similar example using the flatted ninth:

Finally, here are a couple of examples of the 3213 and 1321 patterns used
consecutively; note the 7-3 resolutions in the latter example:

1234 Pattern. This pattern is useful for outlining ascending scales in a

"staircase" configuration:
4321 Pattern. Here is a similar example to that just presented, except the
scale line is now descending:

Next is an example of how this pattern can be used to target the Root of
the tonic chord at the end of a phrase:

Here is an example of this usage with rhythmic variation (once again,

note the use of a mordent over the fourth scale degree):
Finally, here is an example of how the pattern is used in context of a
Parker solo:

3121 Pattern. This is a very useful pattern, particularly to end phrases.

The first example is used in the context of a descending pentatonic scale:

In the next example note the close relationship that this pattern has with a
standard circle figure (see Chapter Five for additional information on
circle, turn, and tag figures):
Here is an example used in the context of a phrase by Parker:

Next is an example where the target note is the fifth instead of the Root:

In the following example the pattern appears in the middle of the measure
on beat two, once again targeting the Root:
Next is an example where the first note of the pattern is tied from the
previous beat, targeting the Root:

Here are two examples from Parker's solos that use the flatted third, as
the chords are minor (note the rhythmic variation in the latter example):
This example also demonstrates the use of tied notes on minor chords;
note the very staggered rhythmic variation on the latter example:

This 3121 digital pattern is usually played over two quarter note beats. If
you would like to extend this pattern to three beats the example below
provides one possible solution:

Here are examples of the use of a flatted third "blue" note in a tonic line
from Parker's playing:
Next is a similar example, except that the first note of the pattern is tied
from the previous beat:

Here is an example where a flatted seventh "blue" note is used over a

tonic chord, targeting the fifth:

The minor third interval between 3 and I in the 3 121 pattern is also
evident from the flat nine to flat seventh in a V7(b9) chord. Here is an
example from a Parker solo that segues into a standard 7-3 suspension
figure in a V of V change:
Here are two similar examples; the notes involved are the flat seventh to
the fifth of a V7 chord instead of the b9 to the b7:

Next is an example of similar usage except that the first note of the 3121
pattern is tied to the previous beat:
Here are several examples where the 5431 pattern segues into the 3 121
pattern:

These lines, over the tonic chord, closely resemble what I call "tonic
lines" that I will discuss in Chapter Six.

To end this section here is a similar example, in a minor key, where the
pattern crosses the bar line:
321 Pattern. The target note of the 321 pattern is invariably the Root of
the tonic major scale. Here are three examples in different rhythmic
guises:

1232 Pattern. This pattern closely resembles a circle figure from the
lower neighbor tone:
This pattern can also be used for ascending scale figures. Make note of
the repeated notes (bracketed):

3212 Pattern: This pattern is also identical to a circle figure based on the
upper neighbor tone:
Outwardly similar to the 1232 pattern; note the repeated notes
(bracketed) in a descending scale line:

Let's move on the final section of this chapter, suspension figures.

SUSPENSIONS. In Chapter One I briefly discussed suspension figures, in

particular the 4-3 descending note tendency. In addition to this note
sequence, there are two other similar suspension figures frequently found
in Charlie Parker's solos: the 7-3 suspension and the b9-5 suspension
figures.

1. 4-3 Suspension Figures.

Let's begin by looking at how the 4-3 suspension figure, frequently used
by Charlie Parker, evolved. The basic figure consists of these two
diatonic scale notes, altered rhythmically by including the lower
chromatic approach note to the third scale degree:

The third below the initial note is usually included preparing the
use of the chromatically altered note to complete the four-note
suspension figure:

If we shift the fourth scale degree suspension figure to the weak beat, in
this case replacing it with the Root of the tonic chord, it ensures that the
third will resolve on the beat. Another way to look at this is that the
fourth scale degree was simply added to the commonly used R 2+23
chromatic line (see Chapter Four for more information on chromatic line
usage):
Charlie Parker often uses this figure. Here are two examples:

In the latter example a chord tone connector could have been used for the
suspension figures, as both target the third of the tonic chord.

Here is a similar example in that the suspension figure is positioned on

beat three, with a diatonic halfstep lower neighbor tone approaching the
suspension figure:
The initial note, the Root, is occasionally replaced by an eighth note rest.
Here is an example of that usage:

The fourth can also be approached by an upper scale tone. In the

following example note, once again, the chromatic lower neighbor tone
approach, in this case to the fifth of the tonic chord:
Here are two examples that use Rhythmic Figure #1, the second note of
which is the fourth (the space in between this rhythmic figure could be
filled in, for instance, with the notes F# to G). The first example uses a
321 chromatic line to lead into the rhythmic figure, while the note
sequence following the suspension figure in the second example utilizes
an interesting descending chromatic line resolving to the tonic note, G:

In the following example the fourth appears on the beat, a somewhat

unusual occurrence as this figure is designed for the note of resolution to
be positioned on the beat. In this particular case the note of resolution on
the upbeat leads into a chromatic note leading to the fifth, then the
supertonic-Root note sequence:
These examples from Parker's playing all use octave displacement (o.d.)
in order to maintain the phrase in the same octave range. I have also
outlined what would happen if those notes were not displaced:
2. b7-3 Suspension Figures.

Here is an example of a leap from the Root to the flat seventh in a V7

chord, resulting in a 7-3 suspension figure. If the line hadn't been
interrupted by octave displacement then this figure would have been
approached from the octave note:

Now, let's look at some of the traditional bebop 3-b9 leap figures used in
bebop phrasings. In this following example the leap, approached via a
descending scale, occurs on the downbeat (see Chapter Seven for related
information):

The flat nine usually resolves to the fifth of the chord a fourth away (e.g.,
the fifth of the tonic chord), or it could also be the Root of the V7 chord.
The following two examples show the leap occurring on
beat three:

Next is an example where the leap begins on beat four, thus the
suspension figure crosses over the bar line:

What else did you notice about this example? There was an enclosure
leading to the third of the leap figure, a 4-3 suspension over the tonic
chord (thus two suspensions in succession), followed by a 321 chromatic
line figure (see Chapter Four) leading to the Root of the tonic chord.
Quiet a mixture of techniques over eight beats, but not unusual in Charlie
Parker's playing style.
Now, let's look at some 3-b9 chord outline figures, i.e., no leap involved.
In the first one the outline is positioned on the downbeat, approached by
an enclosure:

Let's look at several ways that Charlie Parker often uses the 3-b9 note
sequence. In the first example the 3-b9 figure represents a fairly stock
sounding Parker phrase: make note the 321 chromatic line ending (see
Chapter Four). The latter example is similar except that a triplet is used
to begin the chord outline.

In this example the arrival of the flatted seventh of the ii-7 chord on the
downbeat, approached by an ascending scale, is delayed by an U-L
enclosure figure (even though it appears that the Root of that chord is
positioned on the downbeat!). In order for the flatted seventh of the
V7(b9) chord to fall on the beat the Root of the ii-7 chord is used as part
of the scale/outline figure; also note the use of rhythmic variation on the
concluding scale:

Next is an example that runs through a V of V of V cycle based on the III-

VI-II-V chord progression that demonstrates several techniques. A first
inversion B7 chord outline is positioned on the downbeat that leads to a
9-5 suspension figure followed by two 7-3 resolutions on the following V
of V chords; note the use of the contrasting 3213 and 1321 digital
patterns usage over the D7 chord that, in itself, leads to the final 7-3
resolution:
The Earl Hines band at the Apollo, 1943. Billy Eckstine at the Mike.
Charlie Parker on the fat right.

Note also that the ninth approach to the final 7-3 resolution is via a
descending scale.

As I have mentioned from time to time note sequences in chord outlines

can be displaced by an octave, a frequent Parker technique designed to
keep the musical line in the same octave range. Here are three similar
examples:
In this example the approach to the flat nine (b9) is via a descending
scale:
Next is an example of an altered V7 chord outline used to lead to the b9-5
suspension figure (i.e., the use of E instead of the expected F sharp):
The Count Basie hand. 1938. Freddie Green on guitar.

Charlie Parker often used a 4-3 style suspension figure twice in

succession (e.g., see first example on page 75). Here are additional
examples that are representative of that usage:
Here is one more example of this usage, but with a harmonic change in
that the first chord is a V7 of ii tritone substitution, i.e., Bbl for E7. The
first figure is a pure 4-3 suspension based on D7.
Occasionally Parker substituted one of the stock notes of the suspension
figure. For example, the chromatic lower neighbor tone can be replaced
by a chord tone, here the fifth of the V7(b9) chord:

Here is a longer phrase where that technique is used:

Other scale tones can be used in suspension figures than just 4-3 and b9-
5/R. Here is an example of the flatted sixth resolving to the fifth (note the
use of octave displacement):

Here is an example of a Major Seventh resolving down to the Major Sixth

(note the use of the 4321 pattern):
The concluding two examples are based on minor chords. In the latter
example note the use of the descending harmonic minor scale beginning
on the note that the suspension figure resolved on, in this particular case
the supertonic, B:

Let's move on now to scales, scale fragments and chromatic lines.

Charlie Parker and Miles Davis at the Three Deuces on 52nd Street, New
York, 1948.
In this chapter I want to present a brief overview of the basic scales used
in jazz, including the bebop major and dominant seventh scales, as well
as some commonly used chromatic lines used by Charlie Parker in his
solos.

Major and Bebop Scale Forms. In playing the standard ascending

diatonic major scale [i.e., the Ionian Mode] chord tones fall on the beat;
however, when the descending form is used this is not the case. The
example below outlines this dilemma:

You have probably noticed that the ending note of the standard diatonic
scale ends on the upbeat of four, not on the downbeat where phrases
ordinarily end (although, interestingly enough, early bebop phrasing often
ended on upbeats). For the phrase to end on the downbeat two forms of
the scale are often be found in pre-bebop phrasing: the descending scale
that begins on the ninth (i.e., the supertonic), or the octave note of the
scale that uses a longer note value:

Regardless of which one of these two patterns are used the oft-used
dominant to Root diatonic scale fragment (S/R scale), targeting the Root
on the downbeat, remains intact.

By such trial-and-error efforts, the bebop visionaries found ways to

chromatically alter the descending form of the major scale. For the
descending form, the use of the lowered sixth scale degree was frequently
used:
For the dominant seventh scale the use of both the Major Seventh and
flatted Seventh were often incorporated, thus altering the standard
descending Mixolydian Mode:

In the lesser-used ascending form of those scales use of the altered scale
notes similarly reposition the target note, the tonic, on the downbeat of
the following measure.

Here are some examples of how Charlie Parker uses the bebop major
descending scale and the descending bebop dominant seventh scale:

In practice, you will also find bebop phrases that use fragments of the
descending form of the major scale used over a dominant seventh chord,
or the descending form of the dominant seventh bebop scale used over a
major chord. Thus, this usage is not a hard-and-fast rule.

Minor Scale Forms. The first five notes of each of the three forms of the
minor scale forms are the same in terms of intervallic relationships. The
upper tetrachord of the natural minor scale [Aeolian Mode] has a ?-W-W
relationship; the harmonic minor scale adds a leading tone to the tonic
resulting in a ? step-one and a half-step? step intervallic relationship,
while the melodic minor form uses the standard intervallic relationship of
the upper tetrachord of the major scale:

The Dorian mode is the usual minor scale used in jazz in the ii-V chord
changes. The natural sixth scale degree, common to the relative major
scale, is used (i.e., a whole step between the fifth and sixth scale degrees),
thus both tetrachords in this mode are thus uniform in structure.
Pentatonic Scale. This 6-note scale utilizes the first, second, third, fifth
and sixth scale degrees of the diatonic major scale:

Here is an example from Charlie Parker's playing:

Note that the use of the pickup note figure [5-6-R] is commonly found in
many music genres.

The Minor Pentatonic scale is built from the last note, or fifth mode, of
the pentatonic scale:
The "standard" blues scale adds a note, the flatted fifth scale degree
(commonly referred today as the augmented fourth), whose use was
popularized by bebop artists:

Diminished Scale Forms. Two forms of the diminished scale are

available: the first form uses the whole step-half step intervallic
relationship for playing over diminished seventh chords:

The second form is the half-step-whole step form used to play over
dominant seventh chords, which creates the altered extensions:
The melodic minor scale is also frequently used to achieve similar altered
chord extensions, using the flatted ninth of the V7 chord as its point of
departure, i.e., the Root of the scale.

Scale "Spins." In the same manner that digital patterns and neighbor
tones are used to "fill in" longer note values, the use of ascending or
descending scale "fragments" are similarly used. Perhaps it is best to
think of them as mini-tetrachords that take up the value of two beats,
three beats, etc. Although they often seem to begin on the Root, they can
begin on any chord tone. Here are some basic examples:

For more information on how these spins can be used in bebop lines I
suggest you look at David Baker's classic book, How to Pla_v Bebop,
Volume 1. You will also find scale spins in many of the examples
presented throughout this book.

Scale Endings. While I will discuss in more detail some of the standard
tag endings used by Charlie Parker in the next chapter, here are a number
of very short phrases used by Charlie Parker that demonstrate scale usage
that target the octave note at phrase endings:
A very common scale line used in jazz is the descending scale from the
fifth to the Root (I usually designate these in my examples as 5/R scale):
Another common line, which I will discuss in more detail in the next
section of this chapter, is one that begins on the third, descending to the
Root. Three basic lines are frequently found: a chromatic line from the
third, a descending chord tone connector figure, or a changing tone
pattern (CLUC). In practice, Parker didn't use chord tone connectors to a
large degree.
Here are some examples of approaches to 5/R scale lines:
Any of the above lines will easily work over a basic ii-V I chord change.

It is not unusual for the arrival to the Root of the 5/R scale to have what
is called a "change of quality", i.e., the target note is altered in order for
the line to continue harmonically. In the following example the expected
Root of G is altered by making it sharp, thus becoming the third of the E7
chord:

Next is an example over a V-l cadence where the flat nine resolves to the
fifth. In this case the 5/R scale line is completed by a turn (see Chapter
Five for additional information).

Here are two examples where the 5/R scale is used over a stationary
dominant seventh chord:
Next is an approach by a 4321 pattern:

There are other scale fragments commonly used, usually over some type
of seventh chord. In this example, the third of the first V7 chord resolves
to the third of the second V7 chord:

Now, let's move on to chromatic lines.

CHROMATIC LINES. Charlie Parker regularly used several distinctive
types of chromatic lines.

321 Chromatic Lines. Perhaps the most common chromatic line note
sequences found in Charlie Parker's solos are what I call 321 chromatic
lines [usually notated as 321 cr1 in my examples throughout this book].
The basic line often begins a Major third above the Root descending
chromatically to the Root; the "3" in the pattern can also begin on the
Major Seventh or the fifth of the major scale. The initial note of the
pattern is usually positioned on beats one or three. In addition to this line
being used over tonic lines it is commonly used over V7 chords leading
to the tonic chord (similar to 5/R scale usage).

Tonic Lines. Let's look at a number of examples where this line is used
over major triads.

Here is a very basic idea of the chromatic line, targeting the Root on
either beat three or on the downbeat:
The next two examples both begin on the downbeat, the first of which is
based on the IV chord. After arriving at the Root a 1321 pattern is used
that easily segues into a 4-3 suspension leading to the tonic chord, G. The
second example differs in that after arriving at the Root of the IV chord
the scale continues to descend, leading to the third of the V7(b9) chord:

In the following example, the 321 chromatic line over the V chord targets
the fifth of the tonic chord, thus, common tone usage:
Here is an example of the 321 chromatic line rhythmically altered:

Here are some examples of the 321 chromatic line embedded with a
phrase in a tonic line:
Next are two examples where the line begins on an unusual beat due to
rhythmic variation:
Major Seventh - Fifth. Since the intervallic distance between the third
and the Root is a Major Third, likewise the same distance occurs between
the Major Seventh and the fifth. Let's look at some examples of this
usage in tonic lines.

Here is a basic example where the line begins on beat three:

This example sets up the examples to follow:

In the next two examples a triplet chord outline leads to the Major
Seventh:
In this example the arrival of the triplet chord outline is delayed by a
dotted quarter note rest positioned on the downbeat; thus, the chromatic
line begins on beat four:

The next three examples are rhythmically related:

In these examples a suspension figure leads to the chromatic line:
Here are two unusual lines. In the first example a descending bebop
dominant seventh scale leads to the chromatic line, while in the second
example octave displacement [o.d.] is used:
 Billy Eckctine and Charlie Parker at Birdland, 1950 (Down
Beat)

In the following three examples the approach by the ii-7 chord to the
chromatic line are all different rhythmically:
In these examples the chromatic line falls on beat three. Make note of the
way that Parker varies the endings of each phrase:
V7 Chords. Let's look at some examples of the 321 chromatic line used
over a dominant seventh chord. In the first example a suspension leads to
the line:

In the following two examples the line begins on beat four:

As shown just above, similar chromatic lines can be used over chord
tones other than the third, although that is the most popular usage in
Charlie Parker's solos. Here are two examples where the fifth descends to
the third in a ii-7 chord:

In this example the ninth of a dominant seventh chord resolves to the

fifth (we will run across this usage many times in Chapter Seven):
Here is an example of the flatted seventh descending to the
third in a G7 chord:

In these two examples the ninth resolves to the seventh via the 321 cr-/
(not the fifth as in the example above):
Other Chromatic Lines. Let's move on to some other commonly use
chromatic lines that use what is often referred to in music theory circles
as "mixed mode" usage, i.e., the use of chromatic notes in a diatonic
scale.

First of all let me outline a G chromatic scale:

I have bracketed the main chromatic lines developed from that scale that
Charlie Parker often used.

In this example the use of the 321 chromatic line based on the Major
Third and Major Seventh is easily discernible:
The use of the augmented second (+2) is very common as it
chromatically leads to the third of the chord. Here are some examples
from Charlie Parker's solos lines:

R2+23. 1 have previously outlined use of this chord in connection with

the basic 4-3 suspension figure in Chapter Three. Here is a very basic
example:
Here is an example, rhythmically varied, where the first note of the
pattern - the Root - is replaced by rests:

The following examples are very similar except for slight rhythmic
alternations:
In the next example the chromatic line is spread out rhythmically:

Here are some similar lines that begin on different scale tones:
3 2 b2 R. Here are two different examples of this descending chromatic
line:
4 3 b3 2. The arrival of the Root in this line is often delayed. Here are two
brief examples:

In the next two examples the arrival of the Root is not delayed:
3 4 +4 5. Next to the 321 chromatic line the "3 4 +4 5" line would seem to
be second in popularity. Here are two basic examples of the line
positioned on the downbeat (note the different in rhythm usage):

In the following examples the first note of the line is tied from the
previous beat:
In these examples the triplet rhythm is used for the chromatic line (note
that Parker often used a triplet when playing this chromatic figure). Make
note of the different ways the phrases end in each example:
In this example Parker played the chromatic line in one beat, as sixteenth
notes:

In these two examples note how the initial quarter note is rhythmically
altered to an eighth note resteighth note figure:
In the following three examples the augmented second is positioned on
the beat, leading to the third of the chromatic line:
Let's finish up this chapter by looking at some longer chromatic line
usage by Charlie Parker. The first example, in G Major Seventh, goes
from the Major Seventh to the Ninth and down again to the Seventh:

I have outlined a basic descending scale line from the Major Seventh to
the third and then show an example of how Parker chromatically altered
this basic line:
Here are two additional chromatic lines in G major:

Next are some lines in the minor mode. Take particular note of the 3-note
chromatic note sequence in the last example:
Finally, some lines over the dominant seventh chord:
Let's move ahead to circle, turn and tag figures: figures often used to end
phrases on the Root of the tonic.
John Collins
CIRCLES AND TURNS. Circle figures (often called turns in classic
music theory) and turns (often called trills in classic music theory) are
interrelated note sequences that usually target the tonic note, particularly
at cadences or on downbeats. The principal difference is that a turn is
usually a three-beat figure while the circle is usually a two-beat pattern
(i.e., when using eighth notes; however, Charlie Parker frequently uses
sixteenth note figures in his playing due to his penchant for playing in
double time). In any event, the note sequences "circle" the tonic note or
"turn" around it.

CIRCLE FIGURES. Let's look at a fairly standard use of the circle figure
to outline a triad. Note that in the second example I use the half-step
chromatic approach from above vs. diatonic, as discussed earlier in
enclosure patterns.

Circle patterns can also begin with the lower neighbor tone approach but
Charlie Parker shows a preference for the upper neighbor tone start (as he
did with enclosure figures).

Here are a few basic examples of the circle figure positioned on the
downbeat:

Let's look at how the circle figure can be incorporated into tonic lines. In
the following examples the circle figure ends a phrase on the downbeat:

Here is an example that begins on a dominant seventh chord. Note the

chromatic lower neighbor tone approach to the circle figure

The circle figure can be varied by not including the lower chromatic
neighbor tone, thus a substitution:

Next is an example of the circle figure that ends a descending natural

minor scale (note the flatted sixth):
Here is an interesting variation in that the circle figure, approached from
below, is positioned on beat two and includes a mordent figure on the
upper note:

It is not unusual to find a concluding "tag" attached to the circle figure.

Let me outline four such patterns. The first outlines a Major Seventh
chord:

This example returns to the leading tone, then outlines a triad:

The following two examples use a chromatic line from the third to the
fifth, the only difference being that in the latter example that chromatic
line is itself approached by a chromatic lower neighbor tone that shifts
the arrival of the target note (the fifth in these examples), to the
following downbeat:

Another common tag is rhythmic, the use of one of Charlie Parker's

favorite rhythms: the eighth note-dotted quarter note figure. Normally the
second of the two notes of this tag is a third higher. Here is a basic
example:

In this example the lower note approach is used:

Here are some phrases from Parker's solos using this tag figure. Note in
the final of the three examples the use, once again, of octave
displacement (o.d.):

In the following example the note sequence is changed, as the third

returns to the Root:
I want to take this opportunity to look at some of Parker's phrases where
he tags on an additional note sequence to the 3567 tag (also see the third
example on page 109):

Now, let's look at some examples of approaches to the circle figure. The
ascending approach line lead to the leading tone, followed by a "leap" of
a third to the supertonic, then down to the Root:
In the following example the ascending scale line ends on the Root of the
tonic chord, then the circle figure is used to reinforce the arrival of the
Root:
Perhaps the most common approach, really a "stock" Parker phrase, is the
approach from the upper tetrachord:

Here is an excellent example that covers several techniques in one short

phrase. A suspension leads to the upper tetrachord approach to the circle
figure, followed by a chromatic tag (also see the first two examples on
page 110):
Here are a couple of examples that use descending note approaches to the
circle figure:

Here are two examples that target the lower note approach to the circle
figure.

The supertonic note moves down to leading tone; also make note of the
similarity of the approach notes that are altered rhythmically:
On occasion circle figures appear consecutively. Here are two examples
(note the rhythmic variation in the latter example):

Here are a couple of interesting examples of how Parker rhythmically

altered the basic circle figure itself:
Most of the examples of circle figures shown so far have targeted the
Root. Other scale and/or chord tones can also be targeted. The following
examples target the fifth:
Here the flatted seventh of a V7 chord is targeted. Once again, note the
rhythmic variation on the latter example:
Next are two examples of the circle figure positioned on an off-beat:

TURNS. As I noted earlier, turns and circles are related; the principal
difference is that the circle note sequence is a 2-beat figure while the turn
is a 3-beat figure. Three of the commonly-used turn figures begin on the
tonic, two on the leading tone, one on the supertonic and another on the
mediant:

1712 1 (basic classic turn figure)

 1217 1

1727 1 (based on LNT circle figure)

7127 1 (based on the 1231 digital patterns

71671

2172 1 (based on the 3213 digital patterns

3217 1

Later on I will look at some minor turn figures and the symbiotic
relationship between changing tones and circles.

1712 1 Turn. Let's begin by looking at the basic classic turn figure that
consists of a lower and upper neighbor tone alternating with the tonic:

1217 1 Turn. Here are some examples of this usage from Charlie Parker's
solos. Invariably he altered this particular turn note sequence
rhythmically:
17271 Turn. This turn is used in two main ways: one in which the final
tonic note is targeted on the beat and the other when the first note of the
turn figure is positioned on the downbeat.

First is the basic 1727 1 turn figure, with the initial note on the downbeat,
using the stock Parker tag of an eighth note-dotted quarter note:
Here are two examples of the last note occurring on the downbeat:

The following two examples both use a 321 chromatic line approach to
the Root that is positioned on beat two:
Next is an example that has a tag added to the turn figure:
 Barney Kessel

7127 1 Turn. Perhaps the most popular turn figure that can be found in
Parker's solos is the 7127 1 note sequence. The reason why this is so may
be because the initial notes of the 7127 1 turn figure are identical with the
first three notes lower neighbor circle figure, the principal difference
being that the circle is a four note sequence while a turn consists of five
notes. Here is a comparison:
Like the previous turn examples the first note of the figure may appear on
beat three or the following downbeat. Here are some examples of the
latter; make note of the different ways that Parker approaches the turn
note sequence:
Now for some beat three examples :

In this example the stock eighth note-dotted quarter note tag is used:

The next two examples show a triadic outline tag:

Parker occasionally uses this turn figure on a minor tonality:

Here is a similar example to the last one except that it is embedded with
the phrase:

In this example note the rhythmic variation employed by Parker:

7167 1 Turn. This note sequence is usually used on scale or chord tones
other than the Root due to the CULC changing tone relationship. Here are
two examples: the first on the third, the second on the fifth:

In the next example the supertonic replaces the leading tone in the
approach to the tonic, thus a subtle variation:
Here is a similar example of use of the supertonic; note the delay caused
by the tied note:

2172 1 Turn. Most of the time Parker seems to have used this turn when
the last note of the figure was positioned on the downbeat. Here is an
example where a descending scale line leads to the turn figure:
The next two examples, in E minor, have scale approaches from both
directions:

In this example, the turn crosses over a bar line, thus a variation:

2132 1 Turn. As you have seen from many of the examples I have
presented in this book, the note sequence of the supertonic to the tonic is
fairly important, based on its continual usage by Parker. This turn is
based on this note sequence as it combines 21 with 321:

3217 1 Turn. This turn can be positioned on either beat three or the
downbeat:

Miscellaneous Turn Figures. This following turn is related to the 7127 1

turn except that it begins on the sixth scale degree:
TAGS. This section will cover several basic tags often used by Charlie
Parker to end phrases. Please keep in mind that you will find many
variations on these figures as you play your way through his solos.

Triad Outline Tag. Occasionally, Charlie Parker uses triads to end

phrases, usually appearing on either beat three or the downbeat; the Root
is often targeted, although I have included an outline that begins on the
fifth (as a result of the flat nine resolution to the fifth of the chord a
fourth away):

The next two examples use the 1727 1 turn to approach the triad outline
tag:
Tonic Tag. I call the following example the tonic tag since it uses the
leading tone:

Similarly, in the following two examples a 3121 digital pattern, based on

the fifth of the relative V7 chord, leads directly to the tonic tag because
of the supertonic-tonic relationship, i.e., the fifth of V7 is enharmonic
with the supertonic of the tonic scale:
Here is a similar line but used in a longer phrase:

V7 Tags. The basic outline of this tag, one of Charlie Parker's favorites, is
based on the Root moving down to the fifth then up to the flatted seventh;
however, the use of the sixth scale degree, thus shifting the flatted
seventh to an upbeat, is more frequently found in his playing:

As with most tags, it is usually positioned on beat three or on the

downbeat. Here are some typical examples of beat three usages
approached from the third scale degree:
In this example the approach to the V7 tag is via a vi-7 substitute chord
outline (note that the last two notes of the chord outline diatonically
forms a L-U enclosure figure) with that familiar supertonic to tonic note
movement:
The following example uses the 32171 turn approach to the V7 tag:

All of the following examples use the 321 note sequence approach to the
V7 tag positioned on the downbeat instead of beat three, even though the
notes may be identical or very close to each other:
Here is an example of the V7 tag used over a tonic line:

The next two examples are similar in that the flatted seventh is tied for an
extra quarter note beat; however, they begin on different beats within the
measure:

The Root is not always the first note of the pattern as shown in this
example, where the fifth replaces the Root as the first note of the tag:

3R65 Tag. This is a tag also found frequently in

Charlie Parker's playing. Here is the basic tag
outline:

While this tag can be found on downbeats, it's positioning on beat three is
more characteristic. The first example is approached by a 4-3 suspension
note sequence:

The second example approach is by descending

thirds:

In the next example a 3123 digital pattern on

the fifth of the tonic chord is used to lead into
the tag:
The next two examples are virtually identical, using the sixth-flat sixth
note sequence from the bebop major scale; the difference is that in the
latter example the sixth is displaced by a half-step enclosure figure
leading to the fifth:
Enclosure figures are frequently found in tags. On occasion the fifth is
the note displaced by an enclosure instead of the Root.

Here is an example of a descending bebop major scale that segues into

Parker's favorite tonic line, using a mordent on the fourth scale degree:
You would obviously expect to find this tag used in conjunction with the
7-3 resolution since 3 is the first note of the tag. Here are several
examples:

Occasionally, Parker went from the last note of the tag back to the Root,
thus a standard fifth to Root movement:

The arrival back to the Root can be delayed via an enclosure figure:
More common is that, once again, the supertonic is used to lead to the
Root:

Here is one way that this note sequence can be extended:

In this example after the tag, a tonic line is appended:

Example #5-67 showed an example of the sixth-flat sixth note sequence

that led to the tag figure. In this example the sixth in the tag figure itself
is altered by the addition of a chromatic passing tone to the fifth, thus
delaying the arrival of the fifth to the following downbeat that, in turn,
leads to a 5/R scale line:

2165 Tag variation. The supertonic can also be used to replace the third in
the 3R65 tag. Here are two such examples:
In the following example the arrival of the fifth is disrupted by a
chromatic lower neighbor tone then down to the third:

Octave displacement of a tag is not unknown. Here is

such an example:

2153 Tag. Once in a while the 2165 tag variation is also modified by
replacing the "65" with "53." When the 2153 tag is used it is not
uncommon to find the 3565 note sequence used in tandem with it. Here
are two such examples:

3567 1 Tag. Perhaps the most common tag that ascends from the third
is the 3567 1 tag.

Let's look at a basic example of

this usage.

In the following example an augmented second leads to the first note of

the tag figure, note that a 1235 digital pattern could be used upon the
arrival of the target note, the Root:
Here is a similar example except that the first note of the figure is tied
from the previous beat:

In this example a circle figure is used to approach the tag, followed by a

chord tone connector to the third:

Guess what'? The arrival of the target note, the Root, can be temporarily
delayed by the supertonic!
Here is a similar example that uses a triplet rhythm over a V7 line:

In the following example the supertonic note is part of a basic circle

figure:

Here is a related example; note that the first note of the pattern, the third,
is replaced by a rest:
In the next two examples the supertonic is part of an upper-lower note
enclosure figure; once again, note the rest replacing the third in the tag
figure:

In this example the supertonic is chromatically altered, thus keeping the

Root of the tonic chord positioned on the beat:
Here are some examples where descending scale lines are used once the
target note has arrived:

Did you notice the rhythmic variation in the latter of the three examples?

Next are some examples of this tag usage on a Major Seventh chord:
BeBop Tag. What I call the bebop tag is the first three descending notes
of the bebop dominant seventh scale with an immediate return up to the
Root:

Here are two examples where descending scale lines lead to the bebop
tag, positioned on the downbeat:
In the following example this tag is positioned on the downbeat followed
by a 5/R scale:

Did you notice the octave displacement? It makes sense here due to the
common tone of D where that note is the Root of the V chord and the fifth
of the tonic chord.

In the following example the tag, once again positioned on the downbeat,
is approached by a suspension figure and 321 chromatic line; the use of
the supertonic temporarily delays the arrival of the concluding Root in
the tag figure:

This example uses the six-flatted sixth note sequence leading to the 5/R
scale then to the bebop tag, with the supertonic note approach to the Root:

Charlie Parker occasionally used tag-like figures that revolve around the
sixth scale degree. Here are several examples:
Let's now move on the heart-and-soul of the bebop harmonic structure,
the iiV chord progression.
Charlie Parker used a variety of "stock" phrases in his solos. One is what
I call a descending tonic line that begins on the fifth of the scale and
descends to the Root after which some kind of tag is often added. Parker
usually embellishes the fourth scale degree with a mordent figure (please
refer to Chapter Three for related information on mordent figures) that is
found in three basic upper neighbor tone rhythms:

While Parker often used descending lines he occasionally used the

embellished fourth scale degree in ascending scale lines.

Let's look at the basic core of the phrase. You will notice that two endings
can be found: one that goes from the third directly to the Root, the other
that includes the supertonic passing tone:
Parker used a variety of approaches to the fifth scale degree. Let's first
look at some descending approaches:
Another common approach is to use the pick-up eighth rest-eighth note
figure where the eighth note is a chromatic leading tone:
The next two examples are quite similar regarding note sequence. The
main difference is the use of an enclosure that is used to delay the arrival
of the Root on the downbeat in that latter example:
Here are a couple of other approaches, the first, an enclosure to the fifth;
and the second, using a chromatic approach from the third:

The following example uses a triadic approach:

On occasion the fifth scale degree, the first note of the stock descending
tonic line, is replaced by an eighth note rest. Note in the second of the
two examples the expected line is slightly disrupted by the fifth on beat
three, setting up a descending 5321 digital pattern:

Next are examples where rhythmic variation is used to alter the stock
phrase. In fact, the latter one is just like the basic line except that, as it is
in double time, i.e., it is played twice as fast:
Here is an example where the third resolves to the fifth, instead of the
Root:
The following line is really restricted to the interval of a minor third, i.e.,
from the fifth down to the third and back up to the fifth.

Let's now look at some basic tag endings found in Parker's solos used to
conclude these type of tonic lines. The first involves expanding the basic
movement of the third to the Root to also include the sixth and fifth
respectively, the 3R65 tag:
Here are some examples of how the basic third to Root and 3R65 tag can
be extended:
Here is an example in double time that uses a combination of techniques
that I have outlined above:

Let's conclude by looking at some examples where a mordent is used on

scale tones other than the fourth. The first are two examples where
mordents are positioned on the third scale degree:

Finally is an example of a mordent used on the sixth scale degree:

Let's move on to chord outlines and basic bebop chord changes.
V7 3-b9 Changes. Before looking in some detail at the use of altered V7
chords that became standardized in "modern jazz" improvisations via the
early bebop players, it would be a good idea to look at some basics of V7
chord usage as a frame of reference.

As the 7-3 resolution is paramount in Western music here are two

examples of that usage over a V-I change:

Did you notice the leap from the Root to the flatted seventh and the delay
in resolution in the latter example? This is the matrix for the 3-b9 bebop
V7 harmonic movement.

As the ii-V change is at the heart of bebop harmonic practice let's look at
several pre-bebop usage examples. In the first example the ii-7 chord is
outlined from the Root leading to the standard 7-3 resolution to the V7
chord, then by descending scale to the 7-3 resolution to the tonic chord.
This is the classic ii-V l change:

In the following example a 1235 digital pattern is used on the ii-7 chord
leading to a 5/R scale that, in turn, leads to the tonic:

In this example another 1235 digital pattern is used, this time on a first
inversion of the ii-7 chord, leading to the 7-3 resolution (similar to just
above):
Because a second inversion V7 chord is enharmonic with a ii-7 chord, the
note sequence above could also be analyzed as a Major triad or Major
Seventh chord based on the flatted seventh of the V7 chord vs. a first
inversion ii-7 chord.

In the following example the 7-3 resolution in the V-I change is delayed
by a 4-3 suspension figure, where "4" is the flat seven of the V7 chord
and the "4" of the tonic chord (see first example on page 44 for related
example involving a leap):

This example, based on a first inversion V7 triadic chord outline, shows

an early jazz standard usage of a 7-3 resolution to the tonic chord that
also frequently shows up in mid-19,' century fiddle tunes (also see second
example on page 30):
V7 chord outlines used in bebop music are often found in first inversion
due to the 7-3 resolution of its relative preceding chord, e.g., a ii-7 or V7;
on occasion the Root (circled in the example) will follow the flatted
seventh in a chord outline:

Swing Era bands also used the ninth and flatted ninth in dominant chords,
but that usage was developed to a much higher degree by the first
generation of bebop players in their harmonic thinking, as was the bebop
practice of writing new tunes on chord changes of established popular
hits, called contrafacts.

One way to look at the development of b9 usage in bebop is from the

standpoint of a chord built on the seventh scale degree of a major scale.
In G major this chord could be analyzed as a first inversion D9 chord,
because the V7 chord is often found in first inversion (theoretically it
doesn't qualify as a dominant seventh chord because there is no Perfect
Fifth in the diatonic chord outline built on the seventh scale degree).
From a strictly music theory point of view, it would be called an F#-
7(b5), a half-diminished seventh chord:

What is happening here is that the flatted fifth of the F#-7(b5) is C

natural instead of C sharp (C natural being the flatted ninth of the relative
V7(b9) chord, in this case B7, thus a common tone). The soprano note of
this minor chord is E natural, the flatted seventh that will resolve to the
third of the relative V7 chord; also, the third of the minor chord becomes
the flatted seventh of the V7 chord, another common tone:

Chord Outlines. V7(b9) chords are ordinarily outlined in three basic

ways: as a standard ascending chord outline (from the Root or, more
usually, in first inversion; by leap from the third p to the flat ninth; or by
descending scale step, from the third down to the flatted ninth:

Here are various examples of direct and indirect resolution of the flatted
ninth down to the fifth via an outline, leap or descending scale:

The other 3-b9 "leap" outline commonly found involves octave

displacement, i.e., the second note of the outline, the fifth, is lowered one
octave for variety and/or to keep the melodic line in the range of the
instrument:
Here is an example of that particular octave displacement note sequence
in context. Note that the use of the 5321 digital pattern anticipates the
Root of the tonic chord on the following downbeat; a 5/R scale could just
as easily have been used instead that would have positioned the Root on
the downbeat vs. anticipating it on the previous upbeat.
In the following example the flat nine direct resolution to the fifth
continues down to the third where you could use any number of
techniques to end the phrase: 321 chromatic line, 3R65 tag, 5/R scale,
descending triadic outline, 1235 or 5431 digital pattern, etc. Lots of
choices!

While the flat nine usually resolves downward here is an example of a V

of V change where Parker resolves the b9 pp to the 13,1 of the following
dominant chord:

Here are two typical ways that the third of the V7(b9) chord is commonly
approached, via a descending scale or by enclosure. These note sequences
are usually positioned on beats one or four, if positioned on beat one, as
shown in the following example, the note sequence delays the arrival of
the chord outline on the downbeat:
Now that I have laid out the basic ways that the 3-b9 usage is ordinarily
used, let's look at some ways the Charlie Parker used it in his solos. I will
generally lay these examples out by the beat on which the 3-b9 note
sequence occurs; be aware that Parker freely altered the basic eighth note
rhythm of the note sequence to other rhythms regardless of which beat he
decided to introduce the phrase.

Beat One
Beat Two
Beat Three
Jimmy Cannady with the Benny Carter Band.

Four Beat
When bebop phrases are played in double time then the note sequences
are shifted to different parts of the beat from where you expect them to be
positioned. Here are two additional, similar examples where the chord
outline crosses the bar line on the upbeat of beat 4.
This example uses two suspension figures, one on the V7 and the other on
the tonic (the latter being a true 4-3 suspension):

Here are some examples, in no particular order, that utilize a variety of

different chromatic note and rhythmic techniques used by Charlie Parker,
demonstrating the plasticity of the 3-b9 chord change:
Let's move on to look at some bebop cadential figures.

BeBop Cadential Figure. Charlie Parker often used a specific note

sequence based on the Root of the V7 chord; I call it the "bebop cadence":

The main feature of this figure is that there is an interruption of the

descending bebop dominant scale line from the flatted seventh to the
sixth [thirteenth] by interpolating the ninth in between those two notes.
This figure is related to the BeBop Tag that I discussed earlier in Chapter
Five (see first example page 135):

This note sequence, in its "pure form," can actually be found in an early
standards song called My Kinda Love, by Jo Trent and Louis Alter
(published in 1928). The specific phrase can be found in the last measure
of the B section, played over a ii-V change. Here it is transposed in the
key of G Major:

The last two notes in this instance are quarter notes instead of the usual
eighth note bebop pairing that would reflect the common jazz practice of
making longer notes shorter, creating forward motion in the process.

Here is an example of the bebop cadence in which the last two notes of
the sequence are repeated:

Next is an example where the cadential note sequence is approached from

the third above:

Parker, as per his usual practice, freely began this note sequence on any
beat within a measure. Here is an example of it beginning on beat two, in
double time. This is a very interesting example in that a 5/R scale line
approaches the cadence note sequence; also note the 7-3 resolution that
concludes the phrase:

Next is a similar example except here Parker used a 321 chromatic line to
approach the bebop cadence note sequence:

Here is a related example where Parker goes directly from the ninth to a
5/R scale, thus skirting the usual cadential note sequence:
Here is a phrase that uses a slightly more complex introduction leading to
the cadential note figure:

As noted many times throughout this book, Parker often displaced his
lines by an octave. Here are two similar examples where the last two
notes of the bebop cadence are raised one octave; in the latter example
the expected completion of the cadence is replaced by a 1321 digital
pattern:
Occasionally Parker used a smoothed out mordent figure on the ninth (see
page 33): here is it in octave displacement (I have also provided a basic
note sequence without the octave displacement):

Parker often varied the endings of the cadential figure. In the following
examples the ninth doesn't descend to the sixth, but goes p to the Root:
In this example the ninth (which is displaced by an octave) goes to the
sixth, then eventually to the fifth after going up to the Root, an interesting
sounding line:

V7 Altered Chords. The use of alterations to the dominant seventh chord

in bebop revolves around superimposing chords over what is
harmonically "correct." This principle works in the same way as playing a
ii-7 over a V7 chord, or vice versa, or even the concept of playing tritone
substitutions over ii-V changes. Here are the basic inversions of a V7
chord:

Here are two examples of the 9`h and #9 being used as a "color" tone
(note that it is not uncommon for the #9 to be written enharmonically as a
flatted third for ease of reading):
In the following examples the flat nine acts simply as a chromatic lower
neighbor tone or passing tone respectively:
Earlier in this chapter I mentioned the use of the Root to flat seven leap.
When the flat nine is used it is often the target note of a chord outline
from the third. However, on occasion, the approach to the flat nine can be
simply from the flatted seventh of the V7. In this example below, a I-V-I
change, note how Parker ingeniously altered the circle pattern and
converts it to a V7 chord outline:
Next are some examples of digital patterns used on the flatted seventh of
the V7 chord:
Let's now look at some examples that use the altered ninth. In the first
example note the use of augmented fifth color tone, as well as the
alternating use of the altered ninth sequence:

This example is quite interesting in that a descending diatonic scale is

used to begin the phrase, with rhythmic variation. The ending is quite
intriguing as well, a descending upper tetrachord:

In the following example note the use of the Root in the ascending chord
outline to the flatted ninth; this usage displaces the flat nine by one half-
beat to beat three:
The #9 (sharp nine) is often found in mordent figures on the b9, as that
note is usually the highest in the phrase; the triplet rhythm may be altered
rhythmically to vary the sound of the embellishment. Regarding the last
example of the set it is quite easy to play the concluding enclosure figure
on the guitar's fingerboard; the note sequence sits naturally under the
fingers.
Here is an unusual usage of the flat nine used as a lower neighbor tone
(most of the time the upper neighbor tone is used):
Here is a similar note sequence in context:

In these examples the altered ninths are used simply as chromatic passing
tones:
The latter example of the three is really just one, long descending
chromatic line.

The II". Let's now look at examples where the extension of the II is added
into the mix, along with altered ninths. Note that the I1 is also
enharmonic with the fourth scale degree.

The first example shows the use of the I1 and ninth respectively as
"color" tones:
In this example an augmented II' is used, a Lydian fourth usage:

The next two examples show a descending use of the 11ih and flat nine.
In the first instance the chord resembles a half-diminished D-7 chord; in
the latter an A flat Major Seventh chord (due to the use of the flatted
fifth):
Next, the ninth-flatted ninth note sequence follows the 1P. In the latter
example make note of the true 4-3 suspension over the tonic chord:
The following example is basically a descending chord from the I l'''
leading, eventually, to a 7-3 resolution:

This next example deftly shows how a minor iv chord can be also
analyzed as a V7 altered chord. If a V7 chord, then the C, the seventh in
D7, would naturally resolve to the third of the tonic chord.

Note the nice tag at the end.

When the 9th and I I1h are included in the chord outline a triad is
outlined from the flatted seventh.

The 11", an enharmonic fourth in the V7 chord, resolves down to the third
via its usual 4-3 resolution tendency:

V13 Chords. Let's look at some ascending forms of the V13 chord. The
first point of order is to outline the chord itself:
This is an excellent example of playing a different "quality" chord over
the basic harmonic chord. In this instance the diatonic chord built on the
flatted seventh of the V7 chord is a Major Seventh, thus you could play a
CM7 over a dominant seventh D7 chord.

Let's look at a few examples of this theoretical concept in context. In the

first example octave displacement disrupts the altered chord outline:

Note that a chord tone, A in this case, has replaced the expected C# in the
standard chromatic suspension figure (also see related first exampe on
page 81).

In the next two examples rhythmic variation disrupts the line; also note
the use of the augmented fifth (enharmonic with the flat 13`h).

Here the chord outline is in triplets:

Make note of the "smoothed out" mordent figure leading to the 7-3
resolution in the initial example.

In these examples a 1235 digital pattern is used to outline the CM7 chord:
The previous examples began on the flatted seventh. When the line
begins on the Root and goes to the ninth then a minor chord is outlined.
In the case of D7 that minor chord would be an E minor chord. Here are
two similar examples of that usage:
In the next two examples a triplet is used; note the chromatic lower
neighbor tone leading to the ninth, a D# vs. a D natural:
Here are two examples of descending chord outlines. The first one begins
on the 11th while the latter one begins on the 13,h:

In the following two examples an augmented 5th is used. As the flat 13th
and augmented fifth are enharmonic with each other it didn't make any
harmonic sense to label A sharp as a flat 13th here.
Similarly, in terms of function, the first flat nine in the following
example simply acts as a passing tone from the Root of the V7 chord to
the ninth; later on, the flat nine is really acting as a chromatic lower
neighbor tone leading to the 9-11-13 chord outline:

Next is another interesting comparison of how two different chords can

be used over a similar note sequence. Note in particular how the
enclosure used in place of the sixth scale degree on the 3R65 tag mimics
the sharp nine-flat nine note usage in an altered V7 chord:
The use of the C sharp at the end of the V7 example above is explained
simply a chromatic lower neighbor tone approach to the fifth of the tonic
chord.

This example shows how the altered ninths can be used in playing
"outside" the basic V7 change:
In this example the flatted 13`h is used as a chromatic passing tone,
similar to the example just above:

In this concluding example note the unusual leap from the flat nine to the
13`h that leads to a supertonicRoot resolution (the supertonic being the
6'h/13th in D):
The purpose of this book has been to show how you can easily introduce
into your playing some of the basic note sequences that Charlie Parker
regularly used in his solos over tonic lines, ii-V and V-I chord changes,
etc., why he used them, and interchangeable substitutions that he
regularly used. By understanding how those various techniques were used
by Parker, and where they often appeared in his solos, you will be able to
navigate your way more easily through his solos than I was able to do
when I first began my journey.

When I initially began to play through Parker's solo transcriptions, a

quote came to mind by Alonso Mudurra (ca. 1510-1580), 16th century
Spanish court vihuelist (i.e., the 6-course guitar-shaped version of the 6-
course pear-shaped renaissance lute). Regarding his composition Fantasia
X for solo vihuela, that was composed in the style of the playing of the
famous contemporary harpist Ludovico, Mudurra instructed his readers
regarding the concluding dissonant section of the composition that,
"From here on there are certain wrong notes, but if they are well played it
will not sound bad." This quote succinctly embraces the playing of
Charlie Parker in that, in my opinion, he never met a chromatic note that
he didn't like: the faster he played, particularly in double time, the more
logical his chromatic lines sounded.

One thing to keep in mind is that, more often than not, the changes played
over Charlie Parker's solos have no direct relationship to the "line" that
he played under them (e.g., he may play a tonic major scale line over a ii-
V change, while at other times he may play notes relevant to each chord
in the change). If you rely upon the chord changes given in the
transcription of the "head" as a source of reference for analyzation of the
underlying phrase you will often be disappointed in your results. If,
however, you look at the lines independently of the changes, particularly
regarding the use of enharmonic notes often used in transcriptions (e.g.,
A natural for B double flat, F natural for E sharp, or Db for C#, etc.) you
will most certainly come to different conclusions in your analysis.

Enjoy your journey!

Joseph Weidlich

Washington, DC
The following is a list of abbreviations that I frequently use in the
examples found throughout this book:

Chord Outlines

Chromatic Notes

Neighbor Tones

Scale Lines
Suspension Figures

Other Abbreviations:
 Joseph Weidlich [b. 1945] began his formal musical studies on the
classic guitar. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1972, from his native St.
Louis, to teach classic guitar. During the 1970s he performed in several
classic guitar master classes conducted by notable students of Andres
Segovia (i.e., Sr. Jose Tomas [Spain], Oscar Ghiglia [Italy] and Michael
Lorimer [U.S.]). He has also played renaissance guitar, renaissance lute,
and baroque guitar.

In 1978, he completed research on and writing of an article on Battuto

Performance Practice in Early Italian Guitar Music (1606-1637), for the
Journal of the Lute Society of America, 1978 (Volume XI). That article
outlined the various strumming practices, with numerous examples,
found in early guitar methods published in Italy and Spain in the early
17th century. In the late 1970s he published a series of renaissance lute
transcriptions for classic guitar, published by DeCamera Publishing
Company, Washington, D.C., which were distributed by G. Schirmer,
New York/London. The American Banjo Fraternity published an article
Joe authored on James Buckley's New Banjo Book [1860] in their
newsletter, the Five-Stringer, #185, Double Issue, Fall-Winter 2000-01.

The banjo has also been no stranger in Joe's musical life. He began
learning various folk banjo styles in the early 1960s during the folk music
boom, later playing plectrum jazz and classic banjo styles as well. His
extensive research in the history of minstrel banjo demonstrates how that
style formed the foundation of clawhammer banjo. Alan Jabbour, noted
old-time fiddler, musicologist and former long-time director of the
Library of Congress' American Folklife Center, has said of Joe's book,
The Early Minstrel Banjo: Its Technique and Repertoire, that "our
understanding of the minstrel banjo in the 19th century is greatly
enhanced by the long labors you have devoted to the subject and the fine
understanding you have brought to it." Joe also collaborated with banjo
builder Mike Ramsey (Chanterelle Workshop) in designing two prototype
minstrel banjos based on the dimensions described in Phil Rice's Correct
Method [1858], as well as similar instruments made by William Boucher
in Baltimore in the 1840s.

Also published by Centerstream Publishing are Joe's editions of a

flatpicking guitar edition of George Knauff's Virginia Reels [1839],
believed to be the only substantial extant compilation of nineteenth-
century Southern fiddle tunes published in the South prior to the Civil
War (which includes songs later featured in the early minstrel shows),
Minstrel Banjo-Briggs Banjo Instructor [1855], More Minstrel Banjo-
Frank Converse's Banjo Instructor, Without A Master [1865], Guitar
Backup Styles of Southern String Bands from the Golden Age of
Phonograph Recordings, which features the guitar backup styles of Ernest
Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers, the Carter Family, Charlie Poole and the
North Carolina Ramblers, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, and Jimmie
Rodgers, often acknowledged as "the father of country music", Painless
Arranging.for Old-Time Country Guitar, and Old-Time Country Guitar
Backup Basics (based on commercial recordings of the 1920s and early
1930s).

In the jazz genre, Mr. Weidlich has written The Guitar Chord Shapes of
Charlie Christian, as well as Charlie Parker fbr Jazz Guitar: Basic Bebop
Theory and Practice.
* Please note that most of the examples appearing in this book will be
presented in the key of G major, as it minimizes the use of chromatically
altered notes in the examples while also allowing guitarists who do not
often play in. or are just learning to play in, traditional jazz flat keys the
opportunity to comfortably understand the concepts presented here using
a more familiar key center.