Steve Cardenas, one of my favorite guitar players, taught me how to create a 7 note diminished scale. These scales work over Dominant b9 (half/whole) type diminished as well, but we’ll look at regular Diminished 7th in this example. There are two versions of the scale. The first version removes the natural 13 from the scale. This creates what could be called a Harmonic Minor with #11 or, as Steve says, “Lydian Harmonic Minor”. The second version removes the b13 which creates a “Lydian Melodic Minor”. These 7 note scales allow for some asymmetrical uses in terms of voicing and line playing. This helps you manipulate the scale the same way you might a major or melodic/harmonic minor. Below, I’ve applied one of Mick Goodrick‘s cycle motion concepts, which are more difficult with symmetrical diminished, classical augmented and whole tone but work well with 7 note scales.
~ Enjoy!
In the example below, I’m using Goodrick’s Cycle 5 (single note or root motion only) within a 7 note diminished scale. This creates interesting intervalic material that works over a Diminished 7th chord (or the related Dom7b9#9#11/13 chords).
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