Product Description

Scales provide the basis for jazz improvisation and fill-ins. The scales presented in this book produce idiomatic sounds associated with many jazz styles. Boyd explores the jazz scales and examines their potential, giving the player more improvisation resources. Each chapter includes charts with the scales written in all keys with suggested fingerings and a list of chords which complement each scale. Music examples apply the scales to jazz chord progressions and compositions. Upon completion, the student will gain new insights into the practical application of jazz scales and will be able to enhance performance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #325359 in Books
• Published on: 1992-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, but improperly titled.
Boyd's succinct volume offers a thorough, chapter-by-chapter analysis of pentatonic scale usage in jazz solos, intros, and endings. It does not, however, discuss other scales in common use by jazz pianists and other instrumentalists, and this renders the title misleading. This book is negligent of critical areas in the jazz idiom.
On some pages, readers will encounter fine-print disclaimers. Pentatonic scales, according to the author, are only a small part of what a true improviser uses in order to create convincing solos. Most people understand this; I don't know why the author ignored other possibilities. Readers need to be aware that if they expect to see how diminished, altered dominant, and modal scales are employed, they won't find guidance here.
Another drawback might be its short musical examples. Though tasteful, they are often only eight bars long, usually demonstrating a typical ending or intro. Longer etudes would have added to this work.
Every chapter closes with a complete fingering chart for the pentatonic scales presented (right hand only). Some may consider this unnecessary; other jazz piano books, in fact, leave it to the reader to figure out pentatonic fingerings.
Perhaps the most valuable asset is its discussion of harmonic context. Every chapter illustrates the type of chords that complement each pentatonic scale. In this regard, the book delivers, offering ideas for exploration.
In all, one should think of this as a supplemental volume to other, better realized instructional books. Nevertheless, since it does contain some valuable information and is relatively unexpensive, its vague, misleading title may be forgiven.

be aware of the book's real content and how to use it
I agree with the other review on this book, one thing it must be notice is that this book covers pentatonic and blues scales only, not more than 7 scales, but to point a positive aspect, the examples on the book aren't just on one key, so that you will have to figure out the aplicaation, fingerings and construction of the scales in the rest of the keys. All the keys are developed on charts at the end of each chapter and with sugested tips for it's usage.

To say it clear, this is not a bad book, but it may be adquired with a wrong idea of it's content and the way to be used. This is way I belive this should be pointed out, especially when buying on-line. This is more a reference guide than a book, it is all about short examples that ilustrate the charts of chords and the recomended use the autor point out. But this examples and the material presented wont really teach you scales and their aplication. It would give you a theoretical idea(very brief) and the knoledge of the sound that this scales can produce in the context of the exaples studied. This is what the book can offer to be used at: to be aware of the sound of this scales and some tips on how to use them.

The rest is more up to you, to figure it out how you can apply this ideas by your own, by experimenting them however you may. Dont expect this book to be a kind of how to or a deep explanated book on the matter. This book wont make a lot for your playing by it's own, but the study of the examples can be a way (maybe a very dificult or discouraging one) for you to start experimenting with pentatonic and blues scales in the jazz context, if you figure out how to beneffit by studying this licks and brief examples and finding ways to apply them.