Description
The dominant bebop scale is an essential tool in playing jazz. It is used all over the place in jazz music. If you’re transcribing jazz solos you won’t have to go long before you find some variation of this scale being used. In my Approach Note Books I tackled Major and Minor tonalities pretty thoroughly. In this book I focus on the dominant tonality and what to play over it. The book starts out with the basic dominant bebop scale. the next section deals with what I call “Bebop Scale Links”. These are small phrases or patterns that can be inserted into the bebop line to add variation. The next section deals with “Dominant Resolution Links”. These can be added to the bebop scale when the dominant chord is resolving down a fifth. I have written out each of these sections in all 12 keys so that you have a handy reference if you want to quickly jump to a specific key. The last section of the book I write about how to use and practice these scales and links over a standard blues progression. I provide a 4 chorus blues solo to demonstrate. This book is a gold mine of bebop ideas and lines. It is filled with many musical gems that once mastered will add greatly to your jazz vocabulary. The cost for these patterns is $14.99. You can print this file and get to work immediately. Have fun. I hope you dig these as much as I have over the years. Thanks, Steve
Here’s a clip of me using some of the concepts from the book on a blues progression.
Audio Player
Tom Schneider –
I have been using Steve’s II-V-I patterns, Approach Note Velocity, and
Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale books and can honestly say that my
playing has grown more than any other methods I have studied. Steve’s
practical approach really allows someone at any level to apply directly
to their improvising. As a working musician I really do appreciate
methods such as Steve’s that make the best use of my practice time…..
these really work!
Tom Schneider – R&B/Funk/Jazz saxophone during the night, Electrical
Engineer during the day.
Ed Zlotnick –
As a jazz sax teacher, I use all of Steve Neff’s Books. My students all want to cop jazz and swing feel, so often I play Steve’s MP3 examples for them with confidence. Mr. Neff swings with the best of them. His sound is awesome and his ideas are easy to grasp. The key is daily practice. The books are just guides lines. I favor Steve Neff’s books and any good Transcription in teaching jazz at all ages.
Ed Zlotnick, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, in D/FW, North Texas
Wil Greenstreet –
As I’ve been playing jazz on the alto sax since 1981 and I have continually come up against the same question of what to play over a Dominant 7th chord. That question remained until I came across Steve’s book Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale. I immediately started to benefit even after a few days of studying the opening pages. I have continued with my study of this book and the difference is truly remarkable; I am never lost for an idea of what to play when I’m on the Dominant 7th chord of any tune now. I would highly recommend this book for the serious student of the jazz standard tunes.
Shane –
This book is great. I have used it for total of 6 hours in 3 days on chapters one and two and I already feel my playing changing for the better. When I finish this one I will be back for one of your other volumes. Thanks for the great resource.
Jazz Bassist –
This is a superb book which has aided my playing immensely.
Steve can you please consider writing
“Mastering the Bebop Minor Scale”
Now that I have all this great material from your first two bebop scale books under my fingers I really feel inadequate playing over minor chords by comparison.
Michele Holevar –
Steve, I am a trauma surgeon with very limited time who is learning to play jazz guitar. I have purchased all of your books ( The Best II-V-I Patterns, Approach Note Velocity or Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale) and have found them invaluable in giving me an insight into modern improvising. The Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale is much clearer and user-friendly than the Baker books thtat I had been using (How to Pay Bebop). Instead of just a single riff, you provide building blocks that allow the student to really internalize the Bebop scales and actually make music with them. I am also using Approach Note Velocity in combination with the New York Guitar Method to master the use of chromatics in my playing. I have taken your advice and worked with the Aebersold Major & Minor CDs, and I beieve that the time I have invested in your method has paid off ten-fold. Like you, I have noticed that I am now “playing over the barline” and intuitively using polyrhythms in my playing. Thank you so much for taking the time to develop these books, and please let me know when you develop a new product!
Michele Holevar
Keith –
I bought Steve’s V7 book and took a couple of on lines lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation. His mastering the Dominant Be Bop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7. Needless say it has improved my playing. I teach and also have recorded lots of on line lessons and Steve’s explaining style and demonstrating ability is top notch. I wish he was close enough for direct lessons. I plan to use him in the future. Thanks Steve
Dave –
Just a quick shout to Steve Neff for another great book , this time on the dominant bebop scale. As usual it’s explained in a very unintimidating way and includes some great linking and resolving phrases with it.
Sometimes in your development as a player, something will click or you’ll be shown something you’ll never forget- this for me is one of those things.-Dave
Jim D. –
More experienced players will find that Steve’s exercises “links” and “mixes” are great preparation for tackling the solos of the masters. Shedding this stuff will pay off big time when you surprise yourself on the bandstand playing authentic flowing bebop lines. There’s something here for every level of player. Whether you’re a beginner wanting a musical way to get familiar with the horn, or an intermediate player looking to move beyond blues scales, work with this book and you’ll reap benefits in every area of your playing.
Junior –
hi steve, i purchased and have been practicing your invaluable bebop scale exercises for about 3 months now. i find that the “starter exercises” are superb just as workouts and i have gained an amazing amount of dexterity and evenness practicing them in all the keys– more so than regular scales i’ve practiced in the past. i usually practice accompanied with Aebersold’s Major or Dom 7th play-a-long books. i can’t wait to plunge into the next sections. Bless you for your dedication to your great learning resource. sincerely, junior
Dan Ryan –
Hi Steve, Just got this. It’s great. These little “link” phrases that fit, building right onto a strong grasp of the scale itself, is a great idea. It is natural enough to start figuring out what works, how to break things up, etc…lots of little geometric note-math stuff. So for you to do all this legwork, and codify it into these atomized language fragments (which, the longer I play, the more it seems it seems to come down to that) is just great. Real red meat in the cage. Thanks. (I play guitar, BTW)
Nathan –
I downloaded your PDF book “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” And I just wanted to tell you that the content is brilliant! I’ve just been jamming away on the G and already I’m getting so many more ideas after running through some exercises. Just wanted to give you some positive feedback. I’m looking forward to tackling all keys!
Joe Nickerson –
I’ve been playin jazz guitar 30 years.. sax for almost 4.. this book has many of the type of lines I’ve known for years but even more and presented in such a way that makes me much better and gives me new ways to use the dominant bebop scale in every key.. I love the prep-lines and use them as starters in 16th notes and extend them through the 2nd octave and that launches me into spontaneous continuations.. and the links are a brilliant idea steve.. we experienced musicians can just fly with them and combine them spontaneously.. what inspirational material you’ve shard with us.. thank you! and please add more (like the new devasting series) to the blog page so we can snap them up!!
joe nickerson
Shane –
This book is really taking years of transcriptions and licks I learned and organizing them so much better as well as teaching me tons of great new licks. It is giving me the freedom to use a lot of stuff I already new in so many more ways. It goes way beyond licks and scales. Because of my strong base in my scales the concepts in the book are instantly helping my playing in all keys even though I have gone through only 2 keys in the book. It’s helping me in my minor keys as well just by the way it has me thinking. Thanks again.
Clinton (verified owner) –
Not that you need another five star review to convince you that you ought to check out this book, but now you have one anyway. These books have absolutely changed my playing for the better, and what else are you going to get for twelve dollars!? The price for the content is just too good!
Mike Pautz (verified owner) –
Hi Steve,
I just wanted to let you know that I’m really enjoying your books. I’ve just picked up your Mastering Dominant Bebop book which is my 4th book so far (along with Mastering Major Diatonic, Devastating Minor Lines, Velocity Approach Vol. 1). Your books are really great, I’ve found them to improve my instrument facility pretty significantly as well as my confidence in sight reading.
Thanks so much for putting these books together. I’m no where near where I want to be playing-wise…..yet
but your books are definitely helping to speed my otherwise slow progress.
Cheers and much appreciation.
Mike Pautz