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Section 31.11 Harmonizing the Bebop Scale

In The Jazz Theory Book, author Mark Levine provides a method for harmonizing the bebop major scale (\(\hat{1} \)\(\hat{2} \)\(\hat{3} \)\(\hat{4} \)\(\hat{5} \)\(\hat{♯5} \)\(\hat{6} \)\(\hat{7} \)\(\hat{8} \)) with four voices.
Try singing through each part—soprano, alto, tenor, then bass.
Figure 31.11.1. Four-Part Harmonization of the Bebop Scale in Major
Figure 31.11.2. Four-Part Harmonization of the Bebop Scale in Minor
Notice that all of the non-tonic chords are \(\left.\text{vii}^{\circ}{}^{7}\right.\) chords in various inversions.
One hears a similar approach to harmonizing a scale (though without the fully-diminished seventh chords as passing chords) in the following example.
Figure 31.11.3. Count Basie and His Orchestra, “London Bridge is Falling Down”