Jazz/Prog Metal Scales

[bassuser35]

Any suggestions for scales I should start practicing in order to get better technique for jazz / prog metal fills and solos???

[MODNY]

1/2 whole and whole 1/2 diminished

altered scale

whole tone scale
lydian flat 7

5 degree of the harmonic minor scale

[SuperDuck]

All of them?

[l0calh05t]

Originally Posted by MODNY

1/2 whole and whole 1/2 diminished

altered scale

whole tone scale
lydian flat 7

5 degree of the harmonic minor scale

That last one is one of my favorite scales (it also sounds nice with an major7 instead of the minor 7th, although it is of course a different scale when you do that)

But i agree with SuperDuck, the more scales you know the better.

If you don't know modes and their uses yet, you should start with those and move on to the more exotic stuff mentioned MODNY afterwards

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by bassuser35

Any suggestions for scales I should start practicing in order to get better technique for jazz / prog metal fills and solos???

The modes of the major scale and the modes of the melodic minor. The trouble with these is that they sound terrible if you use them incorrectly... and they can sound terrible even if you do use them correctly. While it might be correct to use the superlocrian (7th mode of melodic minor, same as the diminished/whole tone scale already mentioned) over the V chord in a ii V I cadence, it can sound awful if your ear isn't used to it. Jamey Aebersold has some play along books that are good for getting your ear in. Volume 3 deals with the ii V I which is where you'll get most use out of scale substitution. I think there is a volume called the scale syllabus which demonstrates the correct usage of each of the scales, but I haven't actually used it.