A# Bebop Major Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
A# Bebop Major in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The A# Bebop Major scale is a classic swing tool that introduces a chromatic link between the fifth and sixth degrees. On Guitar, its notes are A#, C, D, D#, F, E##, G, A. It is essential for creating the flowing, endless melodic lines characteristic of the traditional bebop era. Commonly used in Jazz, Swing, Bebop. Notable players include Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell. Use over Maj7, Maj6 chords. Essential for the smooth, flowing lines of traditional swing and bebop over major harmony.
Notes: A#, C, D, D#, F, E##, G, A
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5P, 5A, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 #6 7 8
Formula: W-W-H-W-H-H-W-H
Number of notes: 8
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
Adds a chromatic link between the 5th and 6th degrees of the major scale, creating the flowing, endless melodic lines that define the swing era.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- I – vi – IV – V (50s Doo-Wop)Pop / Rock — Nostalgia