F Minor Six Diminished Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
F Minor Six Diminished Scale — Notes and Intervals
The F Minor Six Diminished scale is a sophisticated jazz scale popularized by the Barry Harris method. On Bass, its notes are F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, D, E. It is the secret to professional voice leading in bebop, allowing for smooth, elegant movements between minor chords and their related tensions. Commonly used in Jazz, Bebop, Swing. Notable players include Barry Harris, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell. Use over m6 chords and their related dim7 chords. The scale alternates between chord tones and diminished passing tones, creating seamless bebop voice leading.
Notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, D, E
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
Formula: W-H-W-W-H-H-W-H
Number of notes: 8
Musical Character
The 'Barry Harris scale' — an 8-note system that provides the secret to professional voice leading in bebop. It allows for smooth, elegant movements between minor chords and their related diminished tensions.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Bebop, Swing
Notable players: Barry Harris, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell
How to Use the F Minor Six Diminished Scale
Use over m6 chords and their related dim7 chords. The scale alternates between chord tones and diminished passing tones, creating seamless bebop voice leading.
Origin & Background
Systematized by jazz educator Barry Harris as the foundation of his bebop harmony method. Provides the theoretical framework for understanding Charlie Parker's voice leading.
How to Play F Minor Six Diminished on Bass
On bass, locate F on the E string at fret 1. Use a one-finger-per-fret approach starting from the root and span two to three strings. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and practice shifting between positions cleanly.
The F Minor Six Diminished scale contains 3 flats (Ab, Bb, Db). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Practice the F Minor Six Diminished scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 100 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 8 notes of the scale.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on F to let the characteristic intervals of the Minor Six Diminished scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in swing contexts.
Bass Tips
Practice the F Minor Six Diminished scale on bass using only your index and ring fingers for a two-finger-per-string approach, then switch to one-finger-per-fret. Both techniques are essential for different musical situations. Aim for a sophisticated quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
The F Minor Six Diminished scale contains 8 notes (F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, D, E). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for F Minor Six Diminished
The F Minor Six Diminished scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.