When encountering either of the diminished chords and soloing, the Diminished Scale is what to pick notes from.

This is one of the easiest scales to use, but may be hard to get under the fingers and in the brain at first. Stick at it, because the payoff comes in the fact that there are only TWO diminished scales to learn, ever, and one or the other will work over ANY of the diminished chords.

Think in steps and half steps, not note names.

Start on one of the notes of the diminished chord to begin with. Likely the root at first, later on start working on being able to quickly come up with the flatted third, flatted fifth, and, of course both sevenths involved, as you can start on each of these as well.

Two scales only:

1/2,1,1/2,1,1/2,1 etc.

or

1.1/2,1,1/2,1,1/2 etc.

VERY important thing to learn, so start with the standard practice stuff on it. Get the patterns in the head, for any and all instruments you may happen to be dealing with.

"Caravan" -- This is the tune and backing to work with, as the dim repeats enough in it to make it fun and easier to learn those two scales.

Being able to solo nicely over Caravan changes is a Rite of Passage kind of thing. Where I come from, if you couldn't do it, you couldn't get a gig!

Let Michael Petrucciani demonstrate the usage and wonderful sound of the diminished scale in soloing over Caravan changes for us:



Start by analyzing the chords to Caravan, it actually is a sort of switcharound on Rhythm Changes in which the first part consists of alternating between Maj and Dim chords - and the bridge is the old familiar Rhythm Change thang of going up a third to a Dom7, up a 4th, Dom7, repeating that twice more until the chord you are playing is the turnaround V7 for the key and back to the head again.




--Mac

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