The Augmented Scale in Jazz: Book

Most augmented scale books treat the concept as an isolated technical exercise, but this one integrates it into real solo contexts across 12 fully realized changes. The graduated difficulty and sheer volume of material (60 pages of exercises and solos) means students aren't left guessing how to apply what they've learned; they see it working in both straightforward and unexpected harmonic settings. That thoroughness is rare and genuinely useful.

The augmented scale has a bright, slightly unsettled quality that feels neither fully major nor fully minor. In these solos, you'll hear it used to add tension, color, and sophisticated harmonic awareness; it's the sound of players who've moved beyond patterns into genuine vocabulary.

This book is essential for intermediate and advanced improvisers who want to move beyond diatonic and pentatonic thinking. It's equally valuable for saxophonists, trumpet players, trombonists, and any melodic improviser working toward a contemporary jazz voice.

• Start with the foundational exercises before jumping to the solos. The progression is intentional; each exercise layer builds the muscle memory and ear training you'll need for fluid application over changes.
• Listen to modern jazz players using augmented scales as reference points. Hear how the sound sits against the underlying harmony before you try to replicate it; context is everything with this scale.
• Work one solo at a time rather than sampling them all. Slow it down, isolate the augmented scale passages, and understand why Weiskopf chose that sound for that moment in the progression.
• Transpose the exercises and solos to different keys as you gain confidence. The book's pedagogy is designed to be portable; your fluency increases exponentially when you shift tonalities.

Assign this to students preparing for jazz combos or all-state auditions who need to demonstrate harmonic sophistication and soloing depth. It also works as a fall study for an improvisational ensemble interested in expanding their collective harmonic palette before tackling more demanding repertoire.

• Identifying and executing augmented scale passages over chord changes
• Understanding when augmented scale usage creates harmonic tension and resolution
• Building fluency in applying extended scales across multiple keys
• Transcribing and internalizing modern jazz vocabulary through detailed solos
• Translating theoretical concepts into coherent melodic improvisation