Matching Scales and Chords in Jazz Improvisation

[@johnsidick7545]

Excellent presentation, you made quite clear what I thought would be complex. This lesson is precisely what I have been looking for. thank you

[@avokyu]

The way you show this is so simple yet so very illuminating. To start with the scale and figure out which harmonies can fit... is already giving me ideas to experiment with.

[@marinduque-theheartoftheph]

This lesson and the way it was presented - a mixture of theory and its practical applications, certainly cleared a bunch of grey areas in modal scales and chord relationships for me. Much appreciated, Sir!

[@Markpianist1]

Knowing how to use different scales over other chords is good to know, but in the end I find the most useful knowledge of this is on a Dominant seventh chord for the beginner. All the other ones, I hear them as scales in the key with approach notes when I improvise. I don't really hear all of them as a different chord scales superimposed over a Chord. For a beginner, you need to start using step wise improvisation only and be able to sing improvisations like that. Also, learn to sing less complex solos via Wynton Kelly and Red Garland to name a few, in order to help your imagination make better melodies. Sing= Improvising on your instrument.

[@Markpianist1]

LOL. If your not a beginner you already know this stuff!

[@Yourbosskid]

Thanks a lot for this video! It really cleared up a few questions I had.

[@alanroche5235]

Good stuff! What I do is this: I hear the music and play notes that fit, without thinking about scales. For I hear the music (ya know - the chords etc) then play a scale to see if it fits. Just a major scale, ya know? Cos all the notes have names but numbers are better, I think. Then I forget all that put the horn in my mouth and blow and listen to the music. Then someone will tell me what key it's in - which is just a pain cos they deal in concert pitch and I got a saxophone so I got then to fiddle around transposing down a first or a third or what have you. To me improvising is about hearing and feeling the music and responding with your own feelings and instincts and knowing where to put your fingers on your instrument to get the sound you hear in your mind that harmonises with the music you hear. That's called improvisation. I can't be working stuff out. I don't know anyone who can say: right, then - that chord is blah blah so I gotta play blah blah. Without working it out first on paper, by writing down the chord and sussing out the notes. Best thing is: listen to the music and play your instrument. Yes - you'll make 'mistakes' wrong notes that clash. (So what - who's gonna kill you for it) You keep doing it though and it'll work. Anyhoo that's what I do.

[@sidneyrichard5319]

This, for me, is an overly complex approach. Bebop and non-Western scales aside, there are really only six scales: major, melodic minor, harmonic major and minor, whole tone and diminished. Start with the major, as it's used most often. Harmonised, there are three major chords, three minor chords and three pentatonics associated with this scale. Understanding each of the 7 modes provides a foundation for repeating the process with the other scales. This holds true from George Russell to Allan Holdsworth. Though they each add their own twists. So, for example, you might introduce the melodic minor by pointing out it has TWO dom7 chords in its harmonies, on the IV and V. That gives you an easy way to label them as dom#11 and dom b13 respectively, if the original mixolydian Plus, building the chord PRESUPPOSES the scale. If you extend Dm to Dm7 you're already excluding the jazz minor, or at least relegating its importance. Plus, that dorian b9 mode has got some great sounds - the first changes of Meditation by Jobim give a great opportunity to use A jazz minor*/B dorian b9 over the Bsus4. This completely misses the point that scales and harmony determine each other.** In some ways I wish I'd learned bebop major right alongside the basic major scale. Even the harmonised scale, there's some really cool stuff in there. I think there's a case to be made for introducing the bebop variant right alongside the mixo and dorian modes, too. GAAAH! At 12.00, we get the conclusion that the best scale over a G13 is G mixo. THIS IS NOT JAZZ. Jazz involves CHOOSING whether you have a natural 11th or sharp 11th. Lots of 13#11 chords in jazz - as played, not as written. Therefore requiring D jazz minor/G mixo #4. So then we go to a different key, in a really user-unfriendly way, to explain about dom#11 chords. And it's never related as the jazz alternative to straight mixo. If anyone's read this far, frankly, I recommend the Rick Beato channel. He's pretty thorough. * I call it that because it's less clunky than ascending melodic minor and treating that scale modally came out of jazz. And quite a few other people do too. **except when they don't. But most of the time they do.

[@gunorijssel7987]

" Sidney Richard 8 maanden geleden "This, for me, is an overly complex approach. Bebop and non-Western scales aside, there are really only six scales: major, melodic minor, harmonic major and minor, whole tone and diminished."...........Sidney you've written this down I see ablut 8 months ago...So I really don't know if you're still traveling in that same hemisphere.....But if you are, I would seriously suggest you to so to speak dive into the 'THE THEORY OF MODES'. Especially the Dorian(for minor chords); the Lydian ( for major chords) and the Myxolidian (for dominant 7 chords). There are plenty of very well structured videos on the internet....Without knowledge of Modes.......I agree.........this video may turn out to be a little complex.......However, If after you've studied the modes to a certain level, you'll have to come to the conclusion that this video belongs , so to speak to the LEVEL A CLASS ....no doubt about that !!!!

[@austinjamesweimer3388]

Good stuff, thanks for this explanation!

[@jml19221]

Yes!!! Very good explanation.

[@gorbzzz]

About the "interesting trick" in the last part of the video (min 17 onwards): as a person with classical background I always fail to understand why this is not trivial. A II-V-I progression (say in a major scale but it works for minor too) is by definition based on the I degree scale. Playing the C major scale notes over Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 for example to me is the most natural thing to do and there is no need, as far as I am concerned to think of it as playing D dorian then G mixolydian and then C ionian. I do not understand why one would think in modal terms for something as simple.

[@schirabrew]

giominor88 I agree with you when it comes to hearing all of the notes simply belonging to the same key signature (a ii7 V7 IMaj7 progression in C major in your example); But it can be helpful to hear each individual chords function and essentially start fresh with each new chord being played within the progression. The reason this approach has helped me is because when I would just view everything as just "playing in the key of ___" I would disregard the chord changes along with the intervals I would be surrounding the new chord with. It would just sound like one long C major scale instead of really enforcing the sound of the specific chord being played at that moment. I changed to this approach once I started playing jazz. With the amount of key changes a person will encounter within a single song, your brain would constantly be thinking of what new key signature you're in :)

[@terrymiller111]

You are 100% correct, from a performance point of view. But for teaching purposes, it would be good to start someone thinking this way as early as possible.

[@Zenzodiene]

I think some people think this way so they play the chord tones of the current chord. If you just play the C major scale you can just noodle and surf over the chord while if you think D dorian, G mixo and C ionian you are thinking about the chord tones. This way it sounds more like you are following the changes and therefore more melodic (IMHO). That out of the way, I agree with you. The best thing would be to think C major scale but be really aware of the chord tones of the underlying harmony. Thinking D dorian, G mixo and C ionian is not really the use of modes IMO. A ii-V-I is a functional chord progression not a modal one. I am just a music theory newb so if somebody knows the real/another reason please let me know!

[@cortx2lh]

Thx god! Someone said it!!!

[@noahallen5046]

I see what you're saying and have thought the same thing myself. However, I think that this example can be explained that way because it is diatonic, which is not always the case in classical, let alone jazz. For example, what if I have D7 > G7 > C∆7 (V7/V > V7 > I7 for the classical in you ;) ). Then I think it becomes more obviously useful to think of it as D mixolydian for the D7 chord (or C Lydian).

[@meruniverse5571]

What a information..!!! Thanks for your efforts, this is very, very helpful...!!! Hugs

[@Marius1988Roma]

what DFAC# !!! That was a great man :D

[@daltonpage240]

Looks like a Dmin7th chord

[@anandgodane8022]

Thank you so much sir

[@kwixotic]

How about the Lydian Dominant scale.

[@KillerSkullX]

I thought for 11th and 13th chords you only add the 11th or the 13th. So essentially is D13 played with the 11th as well?

[@actmaniac2995]

Respect!!!

[@TheMusicmak3r]

nice

[@jamesrobinson529]

Can we call a Dm #7, a Dm/Maj7?

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

The correct way to define that seventh is a Major 7. there is no such thing as a #7.

[@jamesrobinson529]

+TheCompleteGuitarist I was referring to 12:27 in the video. Instead of calling the chord a Dm/Maj7, the author of the video called it a Dm #7. I understand that the author is stating that the b7 becomes a major 7 as well.

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

James, yes I know what you were referring to. I wasn't criticising you. The author is wrong to call it a sharp seven. The seventh should be referred to as either Maj, Min or Diminished. It might sound pedantic but the author confuses by saying sharp relative to it's ''Normal'' status. All intervals have a name to refer to their position relative to the root and they should be used for clarity.

[@jamesrobinson529]

That's what I get for being a passive agressive, yt troll...lol

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

+James Robinson dont sweat it. Its not easy to say anything these days without someone jumping down your throat. Personally I just thought it weird that the author was being so specific about chord scale relationships and yet wasnt very clear about intervals.

[@clarivoile]

thanks

[@konstantindavid9124]

the greatest success that ive had was by using the Takiras Music Method (just google it) definately the most useful method that I have ever tried.