listeners. So many have much to say and often lack the tools with which to say it.

Humbly, I hope this page will help all of you say what you want to say and afford
listeners new voices and stories to hear and enjoy.
Ed

Download the Sibelius Scorch plug-in in order to view the lead sheets and musical
examples.
Thesaurus of commonly used chord-scales for improvisation.
Pentatonic scale patterns (C Major).

Chord Chord scales Starting point

CMaj7 C major scale Any Maj7 chord = Apply the major
scale from the root of the chord.
CMaj7 (#11) G Major scale Any Maj7 (#11) chord = Apply the
major scale from the 5th of the chord .
CMaj7(#5) A melodic minor scale Any Maj7(+5) chord = Apply the
melodic minor scale from the 6th of the
chord. This is also the same as playing a
melodic minor scale starting a minor
3rd below the root of the chord.
Cm7 C dorian Any min7 chord = Apply the Dorian
C-7 scale from the root of the chord or the
Major scale from the 7th of the chord.
Cmin (Maj7) C melodic minor Any min (Maj7) chord = Apply the
melodic minor from the root. Note: Use
the ascending mode exclusively.
Dm7(b5) F melodic minor Any min7(b5) chord = Apply the
Dø7 melodic minor from the 3rd of the
chord. This scale, when starting from
the root of the m7(b5) chord, is called
the super-Locrian scale.

One can also use a Locrian scale from

the root of the chord. Note that this is
equivalent to using a Major scale from
the b9 of the m7(b5) chord.

The melodic minor scale from the 3rd

of the chord and the Locrian scale are
exactly the same scale except for the 9th
degree of the chord. The Locrian scale
provides a b9 in the chord.
 For me, the b9 of the m7(b5) chord is
not as "good" a choice, especially when
playing longer notes, as the natural 9th
provided by the melodic minor scale.
G7 G mixolydian = Any 7 chord = Apply the Mixolydian
C Major scale atarting on the 5th mode from the root of the chord.
degree
G7(#11) D melodic minor Any 7(#11) chord = Apply the melodic
minor scale from the 5th of the chord.
G7alt. or Ab melodic minor Any 7(b9, +9, b13) chord = Melodic
G7(b9,+9,b13) minor from one-half step higher than
the root. Melodic minor from the b9 of
the chord.
G7(b9,+9,13) Ab diminished scale. When Any 7(b9, +9, 13) chord = Apply the
playing the Ab diminished scale diminished scale from one-half step
starting with G natural, this scale higher than the root of the chord or
is called the G auxilliary apply the auxilliary diminished scale
diminished scale. from the root of the chord.
C7(#5) C Whole-tone scale Any 7(#5) chord = Apply the whole-
tone scale from the root of the chord.
Cº7 C diminished scale Any º7 chord = Apply the diminished
scale from the root of the chord.
F/G or G mixolydian scale Any bVII/I chord = Apply the
FMaj7/G mixolydian mode from the root of the
chord. This is another way of describing
or notating a dominant seventh
suspended fourth chord (X7sus4).
"Stella by Starlight" chord scale application lead sheet. This lead sheet contains most of
the information covered in our clinics in Texas and Minnesota. This lead sheet is written
for concert instruments and can be transposed for use with your specific instruments
using the transpose button on the Sibelius Scorch plug-in. ¨
Why use these scales? The fact of the matter is that even though the chord-scales
mentioned here are not the only possible choices, they do provide excellent choices when
attempting to find the "correct" or most "inside" notes for their respective chord(s). The
chart below illustrates various chord-scale applications and functions in detail.

Chord Chord scale Scale notes/

Chord extensions
CMaj7 C major C D E F G A B
scale
 Root 9 3 4 5 6 or 13 7

G major G A B C D E F#
CMaj7(#11)
scale 5 6 or 13 7 Root 9 3 #11

A melodic A B C D E F# G#
CMaj7(#5)
minor scale 6 or 13 7 Root 9 3 #11 or #4 #5

C Dorian C D Eb F G Ab Bb
C-7
scale Root 9 3 4 or 11 5 6 or 13 7

C melodic C D Eb F G A B
C-(Maj7)
minor Root 9 3 4 or 11 5 6 or 13 Maj7

F melodic minor scale

F G Ab Bb C D E
3 4 or 11 b5 6 or 13 7 Root 9
D Locrian scale
D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Dm7(b5) F mel. min. Root b9* 3 4 or 11 b5 6 or 13 7
Dø7 or
D Locrian
* In my experience, the b9 is not a very strong choice when
improvising on a m7(b5) chord. One can use the b9 when
playing moving lines or passing tones. When playing notes
of a longer duration use of the b9 on a m7(b5) chord may
create conflicts with piano and guitar chord voicings since
many m9(b5) chord voicings will include a natural 9.

G7 G G A B C D E F
G7sus4 mixolydian Root 6 or 13 7 4 or 11 5 6 or 13 7

D melodic D E F G A B C#
G7(#11)
minor 5 6 or 13 7 Root 9 3 #11
G7(b9,+9,b13) Ab melodic Ab Bb Cb (B) Db Eb F G
minor
b9 #9 3 #11 b13 7 Root

Note that the pitch Eb, the (b13), can also be thought of as
the enharmonic D# or (#5). Personally, I always hear and
use the (b13) function with this type of chord. Chords that
specifically require the natural (9) and (#5) extensions are
better navigated via the use of whole-tone scales.
G7(b9,+9,13) Ab Ab Bb B (Cb) C# (Db) D E F G
diminished
scale b9 #9 3 #11 5 13 7 Root

The diminished scale is a symmetrically-constructed scale.

The diminished scale contains 8 notes and is constructed via
a series of symmetrical intervals: whole step, half step,
whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step, half
step.

A note for all of the theory geeks: Since the name of the
scale is the diminished scale, a half step can and should be
described as a diminished second. Yes, we improvisers
understand this nomenclature stuff and wouldn't want any of
theory police to loose sleep fretting about our lack of
theorical understanding.

Symmetrical scales:
There are four types of commonly used symmetrical scales.
The four different types of symmetrical scales are called the
chromatic scale, the whole-tone scale, the diminished scale
and the augmented scale. The number enclosed by
parentheses define how many different scales of each type
exist. Once again for the theory enforcers, even though there
are (12) different names for each of the scales depending on
their tonic starting point, the reality is that each of the
different symmetrical scales repeat themselves starting on
different pitches. For those of us using these scales in a
functional manner, it is simply a matter of semantics.
Any Whole-tone C D E F# G# (Ab) A# (Bb)
dominant7(#5) scales
chord Db Eb F G A B
Root 9 3 #11 or +4 #5 or b13 7

The Whole Tone Scale. There exist (2) unique whole tone
scales. The whole-tone scale is constructed by a series of
consecutive whole-steps. There exist two unique whole-tone
scales containing the same notes as described above. These
two whole-tone scales are the:
C, D, E, F#, Ab and Bb whole-tone scales
Db, Eb, F, G, A and B whole-tone scales contain the same
notes starting on the respective root tones.
Any º7 chord Play the C, Eb, Gb and A diminished scales
diminished
 scale form C D Eb F F# Ab (G#) A B
the root
Db, E, G and Bb diminished scales
Db Eb E F# G A Bb C
D, F, Ab and B diminished scales
D E F G Ab Bb B C#
b13 or
Root 9 3 11 #11 (b5) 6 or 13 7
#5

The Diminished Scale. There exist (3) unique diminished

scales. The diminished scale is constructed by a series of
whole-steps and diminished seconds. The three sets of
related diminished scales containing the same notes listed
above are:
C, Eb, Gb and A diminished scales
C#, E, G and Bb diminished scales
D, F, Ab and B diminished scales.
Please note that in each case, the four related diminished
scales names define a four diminished chords respectively.

When the diminished scale begins with a half step, it is

called the auxilliary dimished scale. For example, the D
diminshed scale can also be referred to as the the E, G, Bb
and Db auxilliary diminished scales as illustrated below:

E, G, Bb and Db auxilliary diminished scales. This scale or

scales can be applied to E13 (#9, b9, #4), G13 (#9, b9, #4),
Bb13 (#9, b9, #4) or Db13 (#9, b9, #4) chords.
E F G Ab Bb B C# D
E7 Root b9 #9 3rd #11 5th 13th 7th
C C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B
chromatic
scale
The Chromatic Scale. Since the chromatic scale is
  constructed by a series of consecutive half-steps or
semitones there exists (1) chromatic scale that can be named
differently by starting it on any of the scale's 12 different
pitches.
Any Augmented C Eb E G Ab B
augmented scales
Major7 chord Db E F Ab A C
D F F# A Bb C#
Eb Gb G Bb B D

The Augmented Scale. There exist (4) unique augmented

scales. The augmented scale is constructed by a series of
augmented seconds (minor thirds) and semitones (half-
steps). The four sets of related augmented scales containing
the same notes listed above are the:
C, E, and Ab augmented scales
Db, F, and A augmented scales
D, F# and Bb augmented scales
Eb, G and B augmented scales.
Once again, one will observe that the related scales names
define an augmented triad