The secrets of the augmented scale

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

THE SECRETS OT THE AUGMENTED SCALE

Two augmented triads T 3 5+ and 9+ 5 7 are making this scale

In C :C E G# Eb G B or T 9+ 3 5 5+ 7

It’s a symmetrical scale that could be named a minor third-half step scale:
CEb EbE EG GG# G#B BC

It’s an hexatonic scale with a repeating sequence of minor seconds and minor thirds:
EbE GG# BC
CEb EG G#B

It contains
6 augmented triads C+ Eb+ E+ G+ Ab+ B+
3 major triads C E Ab
3 minor triads Cm Em Abm

As this scale has 3 tonals centers and divide the octave into three equal parts,therefore,there are 4 mutually exclusive augmented scales:

I/ C augmented scale=E augmented scale=Ab augmented scale
II/ Db aug scale=F aug scale=A aug scale
III D aug scale=F# aug scale=Bb aug scale
IV/ Eb aug scale=G aug scale=B aug scale

The fingerings of this scale are quite easy ,and well described by Matt Warnock:

How To Solo Over Maj7#5 Chords


I SUBSTITUTION OF DOMINANT MODES BY THE AUGMENTED SCALE

The altered mode (VII mode of the MelodicMinor Scale) and the Lydian dominant mode (IVth mode of the Melodic minor Scale) can be substituted by an Augmented Scale:
This Augmented Scale will be at the Tonic, major third or augmented 5th of the name(Tonic) of the mode
-Ab7 altered of A melodic minor Scale can be replaced by a Ab or C or E augmented scale
C Eb E G Ab B, or T 9+ 3 5 5+ 7

-D7#11is replaced by D or F# or Bb augmented Scale
D F F# A Bb Eb, or T 9+ 3 5 5+ b9

II SUBSTITUTION OF MAJOR MODES BY THE AUGMENTED SCALE

The Major Scale is substituted by a Augmented Scale at the Tonic, major third or augmented 5^th of his Tonic,as well commented by Matt Warnock.

III SUBSTITUTION OF MINOR AND LOCRIANS MODES BY THE AUGMENTED SCALE

a)Minor Mode

Cminor Mode can be substituted by a Augmented Scale beginning at the minor third (Eb),perfect fifth (G) or Major 7^th (B) of the name of his Tonic.

Beginning at the minor third, by exemple Eb Augmented Scale,it will give: b3,b7,7,11+,5,9,b3,b7,7,11+,5 on C minor

b)Locrian Mode

A D Locrian Mode can be substituted by an Augmented Scale beginning,as for a minor mode, at his minor third, perfect fifth or major seventh.
Replace a D Locrian by a F Augmented Scale, A Augmented Scale or Db Augmented Scale


IV CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COLTRANE CYCLE AND THE TRIADS OF THE AUGMENTED SCALE

I encourage you to read this excellent article made by Chris Parrello :

http://www.chrisbuono.com/wp-content...9/JJG_0207.pdf

Take a Coltrane cycle in C major by exemple:

C Eb7 Ab B7 E Eb7 Ab B7 E G7 C

Now ,replace the V7 of this Cycle by the 3 minor triads of a Caugmented Scale: Cm,Abm and Em
You got:
C Cm Ab Abm E Em Ab Abm E Em C

There is no “clash”to comp with those triads of the Augmented Scale during a Coltrane Cycle because those 3 minor triads can replace the 3 V7 by the mechanism of polytonality:

a V7 can be replaced ,among others options,by a minor triad beginning on the sixth degree of the Tonic:

aTriad Cm can replace Eb7 = it gives on Eb7 :13 T 3
aTriad Abm can replace B7 = 13 T 3
aTriad Em can replace G7 = 13 T 3

Now, substitute all the minor triads in the triadic sequence of the Augmented Scale by their relative Majors:
Cm by Eb
Abm by B
Em by G

You return on a Coltrane Cycle where the Dominant are replaced by theirMajor Triads:
C Eb Ab B E Eb Ab B E G C

Take the exercices proposed by Chris Parrello,and get some ideas to improvise on Giant Steps by mixing the Coltrane Cycle and the Triadic cycles ob the Augmented Scale.
I give you some short ideas to improvise on Giant Steps, but in the C tonality as choosed in the Parrello paper:

/ TrC Eb75+ TrCm / Tr Ab B13 Tr Abm / TrE Tr Em G7 / Eb7 TrCm / TrAb B7 TrAbm / TrE Db7 TrEm / C.


Cheers
HB

[destinytot]

This looks like a really useful post - thank you, HB!

[Boston Joe]

Excellent info. I'll have to do some shedding with these ideas. Thanks!

[Guitarzen]

F##$ just when I thought I knew everything some #$## jazz musician has to come along and point out there is yet another scale I am not using. Curse you!

[destinytot]

I've read about applications of this scale, but it didn't make sense to me because it was overwhelming.

I think you've done an excellent job of breaking it down, HB, and you've made great use of links. Your post is one of those special cases where it's useful to press Ctrl + P, save as PDF and print so I can study it at the piano. I'm still on the first page, but I like what I'm hearing. (I wouldn't call myself a 'modernist', although I did rather enjoy being called a 'hipster' the other day... as Mr Waller put it, "One never knows, do one?")

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

abomination ! Guitarzen !
cheers
HB

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Hi destinytot!

If something seems overwhelming for me,I have the habit to break it in little pieces in order to betterunderstand.

HB

[destinytot]

Hi destinytot!

If something seems overwhelming for me,I have the habit to break it in little pieces in order to better understand.

HB

I work that way, too - but have so much on my plate that I doubt whether I'd ever have bothered looking into this scale had it not been for the excellent job you've done in presenting it in manageable chunks.

Instead of being overwhelming, this an adventure; it's fun. And neither is it putting too much on my plate: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person."

Nice one, HB!

[lumena]

Thanks Hyppolyte. Love your contributions.

I have been reading an old blog post about doing an extended study of coltrane changes and this fits right in.

Ever Up and Onward: Countdown to Giant Steps

The Matt Warnock article is attached as a pdf just in case like me you are printing all this to put on the music stand.

[wolflen]

and to take the augmented scale a few steps further into the far reaches of symmetric harmony..blend it with the diminished scale...

this is a very insightful read for those that feel .. there must be a way to NOT get lost in a solo....

Augmented Scale Theory ? Javier Arau


also..a slight correction in the post..I encourage you to read this excellent article made by Chris Parrello :

http://www.chrisbuono.com/wp-content...9/JJG_0207.pdf

in example 2 the last G to E note...the tab should read 10 7 not 7 10

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Always a pleasure to hear from you,lumena.


Thanks for the blog of Mac Donald.
You saw that Trane used the Augmented scale in his division of the Octave!

Trane divides the octave into 3 equal parts. In the key of C this looks like:

C --- Ab --- E --- C

Think of these as tonal centers (or key areas) descending by major thirds. A progression is formed by preceding each tonal center with its dominant (V7). Theorists call this "tonicization".

John Coltrane superimposed this harmonic cycle into existing, commonly played tunes within the jazz repertoire.

I think the Coltrane Cycle is in fact an extended II V I pattern:

If you substitute in bar 1 the Tonic B,by his IIm7,you got :

/C#m7 D7/G Bb7 /Eb F#7/B

Applying the triads of the Augmented scale is a key to enter in the Trane Universe
Cheers
HB

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Kollosal Wolflen !!!

HB

[destinytot]

and to take the augmented scale a few steps further into the far reaches of symmetric harmony..blend it with the diminished scale...

this is a very insightful read for those that feel .. there must be a way to NOT get lost in a solo....

Augmented Scale Theory ? Javier Arau

Thank you! This really is a great thread.

I hope it's cool to post this - I'm intrigued by the idea of blending small-group swing with a more modern language, like Branford does from about 1m20:

[eddy b.]

Thanks so much for this great insight!!!!

[jordanklemons]

So unfortunately, they cut out the standards that he played, maybe for copyright reasons I guess. But Sco played some killer solo guitar at the end of this fantastic interview. Including a piece that I believe is just him riffing on the augmented scale.

Fast forward to 39:30...the whole interview is great. But if you just want to hear the tune. It's killer.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

IMPORTANT FOR THE UNMINDFULS !

Don't forget that all the explanations of Matt Warlock in his G exemples,could also be applied to B augmented scale or Eb augmented scale.

Why?
Cause the symmetry of this scale :
G augmented scale= B augmented scale= D# (Eb) augmented scale

Economy! 3 scale patterns for the price of one


HB

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

II V7 Imaj7,with V7 as triads od an Augmented scale

Let's take A Augmented scale (or F or Db augmented,they are symmetrics) as a dominant scale:
We have 3 possibilities in a II V I movment:

Em/A7/Dmaj7
Cm/F7/Bbmaj7
Abm/Db7/Gbmaj7

Now,we replace A7 F7 and Db7 with triads of theAugmented scale of A , F or Db

Em/ C+ Db F A / Dmaj7
Cm/ C+A Db F / Bbmaj7
Abm/ C+ A F Db / Gbmaj7

It works well if you place the last triad before the maj7 a perfect fifth above the Imaj7

cheers
HB

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Minor augmented,played by triads

Play a minor augmented scale by a sucession of desending or ascendings augmented and major triads at a minor third,a perfect fifth and a major seventh of the name of the minor chord

Exemple

Db minor augmented:

triads:
Ab/ Ab+ /C/ C+/ E/ E+/

it gives:

Ab /AbCEb= 5 7 9
Ab+/AbCE =5 7b 3
C /CEG =7 b3 11+
C+/CEAb =7 b3 5
E/EAbB = b3 5 b7
E+/EAbC =b3 5 7
HB

[wolflen]

HB yep...your seeing the beginning of the "great Mandela"

lets meld the diminished tonics (C Eb Gb A) in some augmented chords (C E Ab)

using the ii7 V7 chords of each dim tonic to resolve into the augmented tonic chords

Fm7 Bb7 C minor 3rd sub
Dmi7 G7 C diatonic
Bmi7 E7 C major sixth sub
Abmi7 Db7 C the ol tri-tone trick

do the same for E augmented and then Ab aug

Ami7 D7 E etc

note the ii7 V7 are a minor 3rd apart(dim cycle)

now add extensions to all chords Mi9/11 dom 9/13 Ma9 6/9 13 etc ..use inversions and wide voicings

then mix and match some of the progressions..review Coltrane changes for insight...there will be a lot of "(ah Haa) moments...have fun

[edh]

That's great stuff.
Thanks guys.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Ok Wolf

I follow you easily.

You're applying the minor third cycle(dim cycle) to the 3 tonics of C+: C,E and Ab,with their 4 possible II V subs.

Let's take,ie,the following Coltrane Cycle in C:

Dm Eb7/Ab B7/E Eb7/Ab B7/E G7/C

You could replace that ,inter alia,by the following progression:

Dm9 C#m /C+ C7#11 /Ab+ A79+ /E+ Ebm /C+G7alt/C

and so on,with so many possibilities.

What embarrase me,that's those Coltrane cycles are traditionnaly so quickly played by all those sax players,that all those beautiful shades don't have the time to be played on guitar.Me,anyway.I'm not a guitar virtuoso with one thousand notes/sec .
That's why I prefer to play rapid tunes"à la Trane" with triads only.
If the song is not so quick,then I play as you advise

cheers
HB

[Boston Joe]

What embarrase me,that's those Coltrane cycles are traditionnaly so quickly played by all those sax players,that all those beautiful shades don't have the time to be played on guitar.

Pat Metheney does a wonderful slow version of Giant Steps. It's a little jarring at first to hear it so slow, but once you get used to it, it's lovely to hear him stretch out on those changes.

[wolflen]

HB

yep...but the Coltrane changes (Giant Steps) -- taken out of tempo/song structure..and just look at the changes and the possibilities. You quickly get overwhelmed..just by the cycle of subs that are produced..and the scale possibilities are almost endless..using the tri-tone scale as a sub alone gives you many ideas..

CM7 Dm7 Em7 Bb7 EbM7 Ab6 CM7

CM7 Dm7 Em7 Bb7 EbM7 Ab13 Db-triad.wide voiced...C triad wide voiced

now both the Ab (flat 6th) and the tri-tone (Db) both resolve nicely to the C

TriTone scale from D dim(G7b9)...D E F G Ab Bb B Db -- tri tone scales can be built on the 2 4 6 8th degree of Dim scale

E F Ab Bb B D
1 b2 3 b5 5 b7
now you have two tri-chords E F Ab (1 b2 3)and Bb B D (1b2 3) ... these are what the augmented scale is made of--

ahh the Augmented scale..E G Ab B C Eb--see any tri-chords here..

G Ab B -1 b2 3 Eb E G - 1 b2 3

for me I use the tri-tone scale for both Dim & Aug chords..

have fun...

[Endorphins]

eye on this one.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Hey Wolf !

Inter-relations between 4T and 3T systems
I took 2 full days to learn his theory,and I succeed !!

Augmented Scale Theory ? Javier Arau

Maybe,i'll share it in a post,cause certains points are not explained,ie (013)trichords, (014)trichords,or eluded for beginners in Harmony
cheers
HB