Music for practicing scales
Are you trying to learn scales and patterns, but finding it hard to make yourself practice? Do yourself a favor, and practice over actual music. A student asked me to make him a playlist of harmonically static music that's good for practicing over. I thought I would share it with everyone.
The music in this post is perfect for working out scales. Each track stays in a particular key or mode for long stretches of time, and has a slow or medium tempo. You can dig deep into the scales associated with each one without needing to worry about form or rapid chord changes. Click the links to load the aQWERTYon set to the appropriate key and scale.
The Temptations
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" - B-flat Dorian or blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eKA15PGadI
Miles Davis
"Shhh Peaceful" - D Mixolydian (or blues, or major, or really anything) "In A Silent Way/It's About That Time" - slow part is E major (or Lydian, or blues), funky part is F Mixolydian (or blues, or Dorian)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQKt7DTKyJU
"He Loved Him Madly" - C Phrygian (or blues, or natural minor, or any minor scale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fc_-VZlkcM
John Coltrane
"India" - G Mixolydian (or blues, or major, or really anything)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIgP6-HqKhs
"Spiritual" - C natural minor (or blues, or Dorian, or any minor scale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7m5joZPP0U
Fela Kuti
"Overtake Don Overtake" - G Dorian (or blues, or any minor scale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2aArlIHnOU
"Beasts of No Nation" - G natural minor (or blues, or any minor scale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCpua4dvUXs
Thelonious Monk
"Green Chimneys" - A-flat Dorian, goes to B major on the bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S155sBJE278
Herbie Hancock
"Fat Albert Rotunda" - F Dorian (or blues)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42wNF5kjWAU
"Chameleon" - B-flat Dorian (or blues) - skip the strange chromatic parts toward the end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbkqE4fpvdI
Michael Jackson
"Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" - B Mixolydian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo
John Lee Hooker
"Bad Like Jesse James" - E blues (or Dorian, or natural minor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ZVrR6lD4s
Brian Eno
"Music for Airports" - piano section is D major, voice section is F minor, brass part is sort of in B-flat major but is too out of tune to be worth playing over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNwYtllyt3Q
Various artists
Hip-hop instrumentals - You can figure out the key centers for these by trial and error easily enough, it's a good exercise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_4QVidbKkg&list=PL5nAJ7LBxyd8CEOBWKclv4BoWbWavlN29
Please make more suggestions in the comments!