2

I recently started playing a bass groove consisting of two simple arpeggios:

|: d a | eb bb :|

I started looping this and figured out a scale for improvising:

d eb f g a bb c# d

Question 1: What's the name of this scale? Question 2: For further development of this groove I'd like to be able to identify possible chord progressions. I tried this over DmMaj7 and Eb7 but that didn't feel quite right.

Thanks a lot!

|improve this question
  • It may not even be a scale. It could have two: D and A belonging to one, followed by Eb and Bb, a semitone higher, having another. Happens in jazz, where a motif is played, then replayed half a tone higher. No direct answer, thus a comment. I guess it's in 3/4 time, and the ':' is a rest? Just to get the feel. – Tim Oct 25 '16 at 11:03
  • @Tim I tried to "notate" in plain text one bar consisting of the notes d and a and another bar of the notes eb and bb (root and fifth). The ':' should mark a repeat sign ;) It's 4/4 time and has a latin swing feel. You are right about the the jazz suggestion. It just happens that I used this "scale". I know it's kind of weird having a db and a d in it - but "d neopolitan" works great and the suggested site offered me a lot of fitting chords for that. :) – madhippie Oct 25 '16 at 12:43
3

For the first question there are online tools that can help you identify scales such as this one.

The scale is the "D neopolitan", which has these triads: C#aug, Dm, D#, Faug, Gm, Gdim, Aaug, A#, and A#m.

|improve this answer
  • 1
    Actually they give you possible chords for these scales, too. Thanks a lot! – madhippie Oct 25 '16 at 8:45
  • Cool :) hadn't noticed that. – J. P. Petersen Oct 25 '16 at 8:55
  • I thought answers like this weren't acceptable, due to the possibility of the recommended site not existing at some time in the future, thus rendering the answer unhelpful. Right now it is a good answer! – Tim Oct 25 '16 at 10:54
  • @Tim you are probably right, but it seems ok according to this page on the Help Center: music.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-answer – J. P. Petersen Oct 25 '16 at 11:48
  • 1
    Maybe just copy "D neopolitan" and a few of the suggested chords in here? – madhippie Oct 25 '16 at 12:43

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.