Seven Note Scales:

Scale #1) C Major/D Minor/G7

Added Tone "Jazz" Scales (Eight notes):

Scale #6) Bb Jazz Major (add #5)

Added Tone "Jazz" Scales (Nine notes):

Scale #12) C Jazz Dominant (add b3 and §7)

Symmetrical Scales:

Scale #5) G# Diminished - 1/2, 1, 1/2, 1, 1/2, 1, etc.

The scales are named in relation to the chord forms and chord tones they imply.

* C Dominant (#9) is a mixolydian scale with a #9 (D#) replacing the 9th (D).

Bb Jazz Major (add #5) is a major scale with an added #5 (the major Bebop scale).

C Jazz Dominant (add §7) is a mixolydian scale with an added §7th or a major scale with an
added b7.

B Jazz Minor (add b7) is a a melodic minor scale with an added b7 or a dorian scale with an
added §7th.

A Jazz Minor (add b6) is a melodic minor scale with an added b6.

Db Jazz Minor (add #11) is a melodic minor scale with an added #11th.
C Jazz Dominant (add b3 and §7) is a major scale with an added b3 and b7.

C Jazz Major (add b3 and b6) is a major scale with an added b3 and b6.

Allan says that he doesn't use the jazz scales a lot, but he thinks it's very good to know them.

Some of the more common chords derived from

Scale #1 are: Cmaj7(6,9), Dm7(6,9,11), and G7(9,11,13). (Available extensions are shown in
parenthesis.)

Scale #2 are: Dm(6,#7), A7(9,11,#5), G7(9,#11), and C#7(#9,b9,#5,b5).

Scale #3 are: Am9(#7) and E7(b9,#5)

Scale #4 are: Am9(#7), Emaj9(#11,6,9) and B7(b9,13)

Scale #5 are: G7(b9) or G#dim7.

Scale #6 are: Bbmaj7(#5) - also known as D/Bb, and F7(b9).

Scale #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 are Allan's most usuable and important scales, as well as Scale #10,
because Allan often uses it as a transitional scale while modulating.

Also, try to pick up some of his solos by ear so you can see when, and how he puts in
chromatics, or scale #10 (basically, a scale with successive steps) as transitions to other
scales...This is when he sounds like he's playing "outside." Otherwise he really does play
"inside" most of the time.

Like, if you have seen his REH video. He takes the C Major scale, uses a lot of permutations,
and only plays certain notes from it on the way up, and puts the ones he skipped on the way
back down.

Not to mention though that the dude has got some massively strong man hands for those friggin
chords that no one else plays, or those dim.3rd stretches when he is "outside."

I just found this over at www.therealallanholdsworth.com

I cannot tell you that anything I think or do is right , wrong or has any real value at all . I do not
think of myself as a teacher by any stretch of the imagination . However , the way I taught
myself has somehow worked for me . The main reason for this is , that when you find something
out for yourself , it is understood on a deeper level than handed - down information ; at least it
was for me . In my own system , scales do not have names or modes ; they have symbols , as I
do not think of any scales as having beginnings or endings . The names that i give are the
closest that could be derived from the symbols that i use . There are of course mind - boggling
numbers of scales ( and chords that come from them ) . I have tried to outline what I would
consider the basic and most practical forms with regard to improvising over chord sequences .
This is simply a keyhole glimpse at the way I have come to view harmony - a purely personal
way - and likely of no use to others .

Allan Holdsworth -

Allan's 10 Most Useful Scales -

I think of scales as ''sound families'' ( chords are just parts of them ) . I see a scale family from
the lowest available note to the highest available note on the instrument . A name is only a
means of identification and communication , but in my case , identification only . I do not think of
a scale as having a beginning or an end , a bottom or a top - just a sound . The name I give is
for identification only and not for signifying any particular root . I do not give a seven note scale
seven different names . However , it is very important to hear and remember how each scale
''sounds'' starting from each and every one of these individual notes . I feel harmony should be
mobile , so as chord sequences go by , try to hear these as whole ''sound families'' moving ,
instead of the four or five notes of a particular chord .

SCALE CHARTS -
Remember , I name scales from the closest minor ( as I explained before ) that does not mean
that you have to do the same .

1. C Major / D minor / G7
2. D minor + 7 ( D melodic )
3. A minor + 7 - 6 ( A harmonic )
4. A minor + 7 + 4
5. A flat diminished
6. B flat Major add - 6
7. C dominant 7 add + 7
8. B minor add + 7
9. A minor + 7 add - 6
10. Symmetrical - 2 half steps and 1 whole step
The whole tone scale is useful as well , there are only two . Start from F and make your own
chart .

CHORD SCALES -
When I first started to play, I would see scales written in a book showing, for example, how to
play over an altered dominant chord, and on the next page another scale to use on an altered
minor chord. Because at that time I was thinking more in positions, I would practice them
without realizing I was really just playing the same scale starting on a different note. I would also
see a chord shape, and then on the next page, the same shape with another name. I realized
then that guitar chords generally only contain four different notes. This makes the naming and
clarifying of chords on guitar a little more ambiguous. So it seemed to me, because of the very
nature of the guitar, I could view this very differently, more from an overall picture.

I try to pay attention to detail but detail is something that unfortunately cannot be accomplished
for me in this medium. It is not possible to compress a life's love, learning’s, musical desires and
dreams into a few moments for all to see, hear, and understand.

THE LAUNDRY ROOM EXCERPTS ( Taken from the old allanholdsworth.com website )

FAN: When you sat down and decided to practice....I'd like to know, if you'd like to tell me....?
Did you just learn a scale up and down and then start improvising with it, or did you and do you
also like practice patterns and things like that?

ALLAN: I practice scales in all positions, and then try to find creative ways to use them in
improvisation. There are so many of them though that there is probably no living person who
can remember them all! At least I know I can't. I try to learn as much as I can and try to keep
growing, but I realize that even if I live to be 2000 I still won't know too much about music. It's
kind of a cool feeling! I avoid patterns as they tend to force you into a situation where your
fingers are doing the walking instead of your head .

"I put that last part in bold because I really think that it is key to his playing over chords. GHA"

FAN: I have a harmonic question for you.... Just curious as to your approach on soloing in terms
of scales. (I have studied your instructional video, and understand your basic philosophy). But I
was wondering how you might approach playing over a G minor chord vamp. (i.e. Devil take the
hindmost). It appears that you might choose to play any of the "top ten" scales as mentioned in
your video. Would you choose any scale that had the G minor chord as part of the scale? (i.e.
play an F major scale over G minor....because the G minor chord is found inside of that
particular scale) or do you ever approach it like John Coltrane....Meaning, superimposing chord
progressions that aren't there. For instance, in the G minor Vamp, playing or implying
D7#( scale: D7 altered, the same as E flat Melodic Minor) over the G minor chord. Or playing
the Giant Step changes over a chord, regardless of what the rhythm section is playing? Or is it a
combination of both, plus....??? Any clues that you could share??
ALLAN: You could play the scale you suggested: the E flat minor major 7 scale, also a B flat
harmonic major scale, a C minor raised 4 scale, E flat minor major 7 raised 4 scale, or a G
minor flat 6 scale. But when you get into superimposition and scales that don't complete
themselves in one octave or drop note scales (scales that have 8 or 9 notes, but the notes that
give the scale its obvious tonality are dropped), you will end up with a ridiculous array of
possibilities. However, playing over one chord is pretty boring. Each musician has their own
harmonic sensibility. I would definitely not play anything disregarding the rhythm section. In fact,
they're probably going to be pointing the way.