Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Understand where in the blues
form to use the half-whole
diminished scale.
• Create tension-filled altered
lines using diminished
arpeggios.
• Impress your friends with
your mastery of secondary
dominants.
Click here to download sound clips from this lesson's notation.
I’ve always been a fan of Robben Ford,
Larry Carlton, and more recently, Matt
Schofield. Influenced by the jazz language,
they will use more complex ideas but don’t
sound brainy doing it. Also, what they’re
playing is just as important as where they’re
playing it. More commonly used by jazz
players, the half-whole diminished scale and
diminished 7th arpeggio are right at home
in a blues setting, and we’ll be discussing
ways to use them over a 12-bar blues.
In Fig. 1, the first measure is the A
Mixolydian mode (1–2–3–4–5–6–b7),
the scale typically used over dominant
7th chords. In the second measure, our
diminished scale starts on A and is built
with alternating half-step and whole-step
intervals, creating scale tones 1–b9–#9–3–#11–5–13–b7. When using this scale over an
A7 chord, you not only get the basic chord
tones (1–3–5–b7) and the 13th, you also
have a few chord alterations (b9, #9, and #11)
that will create some musical tension. The
rule of thumb is to play a half-whole diminished
scale from the root of your dominant
7th chord. I’ve included both scales so you
can hear the difference between the insideness
of the Mixolydian mode and the altered
sound of the diminished scale. The fingering
I’m using for the diminished scale is not as
common as some, but it’s eerily similar to
the A Mixolydian mode. Practicing both
scales back to back will help you to see
where the altered tones lie on the fretboard.
In addition to scale-based lines, diminished
arpeggios will also create some tension and
inject a little angularity to your solo. There are
two diminished 7th arpeggios that you can
get from the A half-whole diminished scale:
Adim7 (A–C–D#–F# or 1–#9–#11–13) and
Bbdim7 (Bb–C#–E–G or b9–3–5–b7). The Bb
arpeggio fits the A7 chord better because it
contains more chord tones than the first.
The first half of Fig. 2 is the A7 arpeggio
followed by the Bb diminished 7th arpeggio.
The rule of thumb here is to start the
diminished arpeggio a half-step above the
root of your dominant 7th. Again, both
arpeggios are included so you can hear the
difference in their sound.
Musical Disclaimer: It’s not that you
couldn’t use the Adim7 arpeggio, just be
aware that it will sound more “outside” than
the Bbdim7. Altered scales and arpeggios
are important for creating the musical tension
you so desire. But remember, musically
resolving your temporary tonal excursion is
just as important, if not more. Plan it out!
Aim for chord tones in the following measure
or jump back into the tried-and-true
minor pentatonic scale. Otherwise, prepare
yourself for the “don’t taze me bro” type of
reaction you’ll get from your bandmates.
We’re going to apply the half-whole diminished
scale to a standard 12-bar blues in the
key of A, as shown in Fig. 3. Harmonically,
it’s pretty straightforward using only A7 (I),
D7 (IV), and E7 (V). Because each chord is
a dominant 7th, you could use a half-whole
diminished scale in every measure if you
wanted, but that would be all tension and no
release. So, where are you going to use the
diminished scale? You want to use it at places
where there is a V–I chord progression (measures
four and five, measures 12 and one), or
any time you go back to the I chord (measures
six and seven, measures 10 and 11).
We tackle the first place in the form where
the diminished scale can be used (measures
three through five) in Fig. 4. You might be
thinking “A7 to D7 isn’t a V–I chord progression,”
and it isn’t. In the key of A, that is.
Pretend for a minute that you are in the key of
D where V–I is now A7 to D. This theoretical
slight of hand is referred to as a secondary dominant
and temporarily makes A7 the “new”
V chord. Your solo will have some forward
motion by adding tension to the end of the
first phrase. It will sound like you’re modulating
to a new key, but you’re actually setting
up the release of tension when you get to D7.
This lick starts with the A minor pentatonic
in measure three, uses a Pat Martino-style
phrase from the A half-whole diminished scale
in measure four, and resolves to F#, the third
of D7 on the downbeat of measure five.
We capitalize on the move back to
the I chord in Fig. 5. With a nod to Wes
Montgomery, this D half-whole (D–Eb–F–F#–G#–A–B–C) diminished run in measure six is
actually one measure long, but is displaced by
one count. By starting this lick on beat 2, you
delay the resolution and create a little more
tension—subtle, but noticeable. The actual
resolution happens with the half-step bend to
C# on beat 2 of measure seven. The A minor
blues scale is used to begin and end the entire
line, flanking your diminished sensibilities
with some meat-and-potatoes guitar playing.
The last phrase of a blues is where all the
action is. From bluesy pentatonic licks to
fusion-infused diminished lines, there are
many tools at your disposal. Fig. 6 starts
with an A Dorian (A–B–C–D–E–F#–G)
flavor by using a half-step bend to C natural
and an F# in measure nine. You could
use the E half-whole diminished scale
(E–F–G–Ab–Bb–B–C#–D) in this measure
if you’re looking to ratchet up the tension
from the beginning! Measures 10 and 11
is another “return to the I chord” situation,
using an Eb diminished 7th arpeggio
pattern over D7 that resolves to A minor
pentatonic material, reminiscent of Robben
Ford or Matt Schofield. The end of this
phrase uses the E half-whole diminished
scale, leaving out the 13 and #11, but
emphasizing the b9 and #9, as well as chord
tones of E7. Also, the line starts at the very
end of measure 11—half a beat early—and
resolves on beat 4 of measure 12. Things
don’t always have to line up with the bar
lines. Starting and ending your phrases
before (or after) they’re supposed to is a
very hip and effective way to create tension.
These are just a few ways to use the
half-whole diminished scale and diminished
arpeggios over a blues. Drag out your
looper, try them at different spots, and let
your ear decide. Incorporate other fingerings,
experiment with scale and arpeggio
combinations, and remember to work out
resolutions to your lines. You’re probably
only a half-step away from resolution.
Pete Weise has a B.M. and M.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, is an Associate Professor of Jazz Guitar at Collin College, faculty of the National Guitar Workshop, and teaches privately at the Guitar Sanctuary and the Fine Arts Academy at FBC Keller. He leads his own jazz fusion quartet and is a freelance guitarist in Denton/Dallas, Texas. Visit
peteweise.com for more information.