How to Play Alternate Scales

Most music students know about major and minor scales. For more than 200 years, these scale categories have composed the majority of music, including classical, pop, rock and jazz. However, there are many alternate scales that you can play on your instrument. Each has a unique sound and gives you great material with which to improvise and have fun.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Experiment with different musical modes by playing only the white notes of a piano. The major and minor scales are 2 of these modes, but there are 5 more to discover. For example, the dorian mode is a popular example from jazz.

2. Give one of the whole-tone scales a shot. These scales only have 6 notes in them, each separated by 2 half-steps. The one beginning on C goes as follows: C, D, E, F#, G#, A# and C.

3. Savor the rich character of the blues scale. There are many variations of this scale, but its basic form includes a minor pentatonic scale with a sharp fourth note. The B-flat blues scale looks like this: Bb, Db, Eb, E, F and Ab.

4. Sample the sounds of the octatonic scale. This scale became popular around the mid-20th century and contains 8 notes. Play the scale by alternating half-step and whole-step intervals. Starting on C, the octatonic scale continues with Db, Eb, E, F-sharp, G, A and Bb.

5. Play one of the pentatonic scales. These only have 5 notes, including the first, second, third, fifth and sixth notes of the major scale. In the key of C, these are C, D, E, G and A.

Tips & Warnings

• Play Alternate Scales