B Minor Six Diminished Timple Canario Scale
Timple Canario scale — fretboard diagram
B Minor Six Diminished Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Minor Six Diminished scale is a sophisticated jazz scale popularized by the Barry Harris method. On Timple Canario, its notes are B, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#, A#. 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: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#, A#
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
How to Play B Minor Six Diminished on Timple Canario
Begin by locating B on your instrument and play through the 8 notes of the Minor Six Diminished scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
The B Minor Six Diminished scale contains 4 sharps (C#, F#, G#, A#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Practice the B Minor Six Diminished scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 80 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 B to let the characteristic intervals of the Minor Six Diminished scale come through clearly.
Timple Canario Tips
Practice the B Minor Six Diminished scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 8 notes before building speed.
The B Minor Six Diminished scale contains 8 notes (B, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#, A#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Timple Canario with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Minor Six Diminished
The B 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.