Bebop is above all a musical language, just like Blues and Flamenco....music that was created on the streets w/its own set of rules and theories. Unless you grew up listening too and surrounded by a lot of jazz, bebop can take a long time to comprehend and play authentically.
Bebop is not about playing major scales over top of chord progressions, but approaching each chord as its own identity and utilizing all 12 tones in a manner that makes sense theoretically and to the ear. Add to that break neck tempos that don't exist on most metronomes, extended phrasing and syncopation, and you start to get the basic concept (musical olympics). It is hard to master in one lifetime, but having a basic ability of the genre will free up your playing tremendously.
