---
title: '3 Scales Every Jazz Musician Should Know'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=hG--y7My6Hc'
video_id: 'hG--y7My6Hc'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 386
---

# 3 Scales Every Jazz Musician Should Know

> Source: [3 Scales Every Jazz Musician Should Know](https://youtube.com/watch?v=hG--y7My6Hc)

## Summary

In this concise tutorial, a jazz musician explains three essential scales all great jazz players know: the diminished scale, the minor pentatonic scale, and the blue scale. He demonstrates each scale on piano, shows how to use them over chords, and reveals a bonus 'secret blue scale' with a major third for added flexibility.

### Key Points

- **Three essential scales introduced** [0:00] — The video covers the diminished, pentatonic, and blue scales, which are indispensable for jazz musicians.
- **Diminished scale structure** [0:44] — This is an octatonic (eight-note) scale that alternates between half and whole steps. In C, it goes: C, D♭, D♭, E, F♯, G, A, B♭, C.
- **Using the diminished scale** [1:15] — The diminished half-whole scale adds tension over a dominant chord (e.g., C7 resolving to F major) by providing the flat 9, sharp 9, sharp 11, and 13.
- **Minor pentatonic scale explained** [1:56] — A five-note scale: C, E♭, F, G, B♭, C (root, minor third, fourth, fifth, dominant seventh). It's the most important pentatonic scale.
- **Using the minor pentatonic scale** [2:34] — Played over a C minor chord, the musician shows how to vary the pattern rather than simply running up and down.
- **Blue scale definition** [3:18] — The blue scale is the pentatonic scale plus a flatted fifth (flat 5). In C: C, E♭, F, F♯/G♭, G, B♭, C.
- **Secret blue scale (bonus)** [5:07] — Same as the blue scale but with a major third added: C, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, B♭, C. This gives a 'real blue sound' and more flexibility.

### Conclusion

Mastering the diminished, pentatonic, and blue scales is essential for any aspiring jazz musician. Adding the secret blue scale with a major third further expands your expressive palette.

## Transcript

do you know the three scales that all
great jazz musicians
know that's
diminished that's
pentatonic and that's the blue scale if
you're not up on those three scales no
problem I've got you covered trigger
warning this gets a little Advanced and
I go fast because we're hitting three
indispensable scales in just 6 minutes
but it's super essential if you want to
become a great player and make sure to
stick around to the end I've got a
special bonus secret scale something
that none of the theory books ever talk
about but that all the pros use so let's
dive in first up is the diminish scale
what exactly is the diminish scale it's
an octatonic or eight note scale that
alternates between half and whole steps
let's look at the diminished scale in
the key of
C half step whole step step half step
whole step half step whole step half
step whole step c d flat d flat E F
sharp G A B flat C simple stuff
diminished half hole scale okay how do
we use it well we can add
tension over a dominant
chord so if we're starting on C7 and
then then we're going to resolve to F
major normally we might be
[Music]
going just over the dominant scale but
with that diminished half
hole it gives us the flat nine the sharp
nine sharp 11 to
[Music]
13 all those great tension points next
we have the pentatonic scale this is of
course a five note scale and it's worth
noting that there's actually quite a few
different types of pentatonic scales but
the most important is the minor
pentatonic so what is it we've got C E
flat F G B flat C so we've got the root
C the minor third the fourth the fifth
the dominant 7eventh and back up to the
root
all right how do we use the minor
pentatonic here's an example over a
classic C minor
[Music]
sound now you notice I'm not just
running up and
[Music]
down that doesn't really work I'm
varying
it I'm finding those shapes in there you
can check a link below I did a whole
video on how to practice this minor
pentatonic scale to get you to that
place our third and final essential
scale is the blue scale now what exactly
is the blue scale well be glad that you
just learned the pentatonic scale
because the blue scale is exactly the
same with just one additional
note okay so the
pentatonic the
blues that flatted fifth that's the
additional
note okay so we got six notes 1 2 3 4 5
6 back up to the root C E flat F F sharp
or g flat flat and fifth G natural B
flat C
[Music]
that's all with the blue scale and you
see how coming out of those patterns
those shapes that we learn from the
pentatonic scale how you can really
spice things
[Music]
up now this is not really the
traditional way way that we use the blue
scale it works there too if we kind of
[Music]
do over an actual
[Applause]
Blues that's the three scales that all
the Masters know of course there's a
bunch more but if you get these down
you're going to be well on your way to
being a fantastic jazz musician now
here's a little bonus here we learned
the
pentatonic the blue scale what about the
secret blue
scale same as the blue scale but with a
major third
also that's how you get that real blue
sound so you got the root minor 3D major
3D fourth flat and Fifth Fifth dominant
seventh rot c e flat E F FP G B flat
C gives you a lot of flexibility
[Music]
peace and
piano someone's been using my setup