A♭ Bebop Dominant at a glance
Bebop dominant is the eight-note workhorse of bebop and post-bop jazz. Its added passing seventh keeps chord tones on every downbeat across an eighth-note line — exactly what Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell built their language around. Built on the root A♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where A♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2M · 3M · 4P · 5P · 6M · 7m · 7M |
| Step pattern | W W H W W H H H |
A♭ Bebop Dominant on the piano
Improvisation drone · A♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano A♭ Bebop Dominant uses five black keys (A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭) and three white.
A♭ · B♭ · C · D♭ · E♭ · F · G♭ · G
Try A♭ Bebop Dominant on the virtual piano
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A♭ Bebop Dominant on the guitar
A♭ Bebop Dominant - fr 0–12
A♭ Bebop Dominant on the staff
Notes of the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | B♭ | major 2nd2M | 2 | |
| 3 | C | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 4 | D♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | F | major 6th6M | 9 | |
| 7 | G♭ | minor 7th7m | 10 | |
| 8 | G | major 7th7M | 11 |
What makes A♭ Bebop Dominant different
Bebop dominant is Mixolydian with one extra note, the major seventh, slotted between ♭7 and the octave. The added half step gives it eight notes, so a descending eighth-note line from the octave lands a chord tone (1, ♭7, 5, 3) on every beat. That passing note is the only difference from Mixolydian, and it's meant to be played through, not held. It's a core piece of bebop vocabulary, the language of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. On A♭, A♭ Bebop Dominant is A♭ Mixolydian (A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭) with G added.
How to use the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale
Because A♭ Bebop Dominant has fewer or more than seven notes, it doesn't produce a standard set of seven diatonic triads. Instead, build chords by stacking thirds within the scale or use it as a melodic colour over chords drawn from a related diatonic key.
Bebop dominant is the eight-note workhorse of bebop and post-bop jazz. Its added passing seventh keeps chord tones on every downbeat across an eighth-note line — exactly what Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell built their language around.
Practice tips
Run the bebop dominant scale eighth-notes-per-beat starting from the fifth, the third, and the root over a V7 chord. You'll hear how the added passing seventh always lands chord tones on the downbeat.
Formula & step pattern
The A♭ Bebop Dominant scale follows Mixolydian with an added passing major seventh (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7, 7), the eight-note bebop scale that lands chord tones on every downbeat. Step pattern: W - W - H - W - W - H - H - H. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2M · 3M · 4P · 5P · 6M · 7m · 7M. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear A♭ Bebop Dominant
Start with the music described above: listen for A♭ Bebop Dominant in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale?
The A♭ Bebop Dominant scale contains A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and G.
What is the formula for the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale?
A♭ Bebop Dominant follows Mixolydian with an added passing major seventh (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7, 7), the eight-note bebop scale that lands chord tones on every downbeat.
Is A♭ Bebop Dominant a major or minor scale?
A♭ Bebop Dominant is a bebop dominant scale. Mixolydian with an added passing major seventh (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7, 7) — the eight-note bebop scale built to land chord tones on every downbeat.
What chords belong to the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale?
A♭ Bebop Dominant doesn't produce a standard seven-chord diatonic set. Use chords from a related diatonic scale instead.
Which genres use A♭ Bebop Dominant?
Bebop dominant is the eight-note workhorse of bebop and post-bop jazz. Its added passing seventh keeps chord tones on every downbeat across an eighth-note line — exactly what Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell built their language around.
How do you play the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale on the piano?
On the piano A♭ Bebop Dominant uses five black keys (A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭) and three white.
What is the difference between A♭ Bebop Dominant and A♭ Mixolydian?
On A♭, A♭ Bebop Dominant is A♭ Mixolydian (A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭) with G added.
How do I practise the A♭ Bebop Dominant scale?
Run the bebop dominant scale eighth-notes-per-beat starting from the fifth, the third, and the root over a V7 chord. You'll hear how the added passing seventh always lands chord tones on the downbeat.