Playing over chord changes - Lessonface



Playing over chord changes

The chord naming conventions we use in music education often creates unintentional ambiguity. So, let’s begin to deal with this matter of finding the correct chord tones to play over certain chord structures or progressions.

A triad or seventh chord doesn't tell much of the harmonic story when played by itself - other than which intervals are Major or minor - and when played by itself, it doesn’t truly tell a musical story. In short, it is merely an exercise in order to acquire muscle memory. However, by using a chord progression, the musician can easily resolve this ambiguity by looking at the surrounding figure and learn which modes are possible within the harmonic context provided. Remember, it is easier to simply learn the lesson that is in front of you, than to try to consider “all of music” when learning simple chord progressions!

Let’s begin by looking at a minor 7th (m7) chord. A Dm7 chord that is built on the ii (Dorian facet) of a scale is not the same as a Dm7 chord built on the iii (Phrygian) or vi (Aeolian) of the same scale. Let’s look at the “seven chords” of the C Major scale:

I - C Maj7

ii - Dm7

iii - Em7

IV - F Maj7

V - G7

vi - Am7

vii - B half diminished

(m7b5)

Although it isn’t apparent from the chord names listed here, the ii, iii, and vi chords each posses a different extension - in the same way the I and IV chords (Ionian and Lydian respectively) posses in the same key. For instance, the ii chord (Dorian), extensions are the 2, 4, and 6. While the iii chord (Phrygian) has a b2, 4 and a b6! Moving forward, we see that the vi chord (Aeolian) has a 2, 4, and b6. However, in these m7 chords, the 1, b3, 5, and b7 intervals are common to all three chords!

Looking once again at the chords of the C Major scale, you may notice that all m7 chords are not necessarily created equal - neither are all Maj7 chords, for that matter!

More about Maj7 chords momentarily…

I - C Maj7 (2, 4, and 6)

ii - Dm7 (2, 4, and 6)

iii - Em7 (b2, 4 and b6)

IV - F Maj7 (2, #4, and 6) #4 is called a “raised 4th”

V - G7 (2, 4, and 6)

vi - Am7 (2, 4, and b6)

vii - B half diminished (has b2, 4, b6)

Conventional monikers like "m7" and "Maj7" can be confusing (especially at first), as each is used to represent more than a single chord. We’re speaking more of “chord types” here. However, if we account for interval extensions like “2, 4 and 6” in each chord name we can resolve the general ambiguity. We also manage to identify a chord name that speaks to the largest chord possible on any given tone of a scale - one that contains each note of the Key/Scale/Chord we’re talking about, or trying to identify in intervallic terms (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7). Therefore, any chord built from the C Major scale, or any of its Modes, will be comprised of the notes C,D,E,F,G,A and B.

This is the basis of Chord/Scale Theory. A chord within a key is built upon degrees of the scale that identifies the mode itself. “D Dorian/C Major” consists of D,E,F,G,A,B and C. While “E Phrygian/C Major” consists of E,F,G,A,B, C and D. “A Aeolian/C Major” consists of A,B,C ,D,E,F and G.

So, employing the C Major scale as an example, the

chords of the scale are:

I - C,D,E,F,G,A,B (Ionian)

ii - D,E,F,G,A,B,C (Dorian)

iii - E,F,G,A,B,C,D (Phrygian)

IV - F,G,A,B,C,D,E (Lydian)

V - G,A,B,C,D,E,F (Mix Lydian)

vi - A,B,C,D,E,F,G (Aeolian)

vii - B,C,D,E,F,G,A (Locrian)

I - C,D,E,F,G,A,B = C Maj7

ii- D,E,F,G,A,B,C = Dm7

iii - E,F,G,A,B,C,D = E sus(b9)

IV - F,G,A,B,C,D,E = F Maj7(#4)

V- G,A,B,C,D,E,F = G7

VII - A,B,C,D,E,F,G = Am7(b6)

VIII - B,C,D,E,F,G,A = B half diminished

NOTE: The 4th degree of any chord would generally be an “avoid note” - as it causes a chordal dissonance, in both Major and minor chords.

NOTE: When identifying a minor tonality (note or chord) we use lower case letters - m, min, m7, etc. When we identify Major tonality we use upper case letters - Maj, M, Maj7, etc.

That said, there is a chord name for each mode, and each chord is comprised of an arpeggio which eliminates any ambiguity altogether. Any given chord is actually the entire scale - usually broken down in arpeggio form. We often omit the upper voices when playing chords, those intervals certainly exist in the lower intervals. Even when employing upper partial voicing to a given chord the chord names often remain simplistic. For instance, it is clear that all “m7 chords” are not created equal, as explained a moment ago, nor are all Maj7 chords, as I said. So how do we name chords so we can tell which Maj7 or m7 we're talking about?! Well… that’s why we use modal names for the given chord we’re describing. Let’s briefly look at this naming system. All musicians should learn this table, as it speeds along musical communication - so we

can stop talking and start playing!

The name of each chord becomes synonymous with the given scale. For instance, we can simply use names like “Dorian chord“, or “Phrygian chord“. Or in reverse, “m7 scale” or the “sus(b9) scale“. See…? The idea is to eliminate confusion and clearly identify the interval/mode of the scale we‘re talking about! Notice names like “Maj7, “m7“, “7 chord”, and/or “half dim“ are still used… But, we are now talking about the intervals (2, 4, and 6) that are not flattened or sharpened. When the extensions/intervals are modified in some way, the name reflects that modification - which eliminates the general confusion. The extensions are implied, not omitted. We have new unique and wholly descriptive names for the 'duplicate' names.

Chord Progressions and Changes

Playing over chord changes is something that often intimidates all musicians. But, it’s not really that difficult to do - with a little practice and a few tools for the job. We’ll need to understand a little bit of basic music theory, at least a few shapes for basic chords, and a general knowledge of where the intervals are on the fingerboard.

The first thing you need to get to know is the theory part… Here we are talking about knowing what scale you can play over what chord. So, since we have at least a rough understanding of what's contained in a given chord (intervals) and what we can add to those chords as extensions. In terms of where the intervals are, there are certain fingerboard rules to remember. For example:

The 5th is always one string below a root (same fret, one string lower)

The Major 3rd is always up one string and down one fret

NOTE: Guitarists should be mindful of the difference in tuning between the B and G strings.

For many players thinking of chord tones as a skeleton, and added notes as muscle and tissue, is a fun idea. Which notes we fill-in between the chord tones, depends on which notes can be added to the chord. For example, adding a 4th (also known as an 11th) as part of a solo over a dominant (7) chord, produces the same sound as playing a dominant 11th chord! Adding a few of these extended notes identifies the scale and helps broaden any given chord.

So let's take a look at the sorts of scale choices we can play over the three main families of chords.

Major Ionian (Major scale)

Lydian (Major scale with Raised 4)

Major Pentatonic

minor

Dorian (minor scale with Major 6th)

Aeolian (minor scale with b6th)

minor pentatonic

Dominant

Mix Lydian (Major scale with b7)

Dorian

Aeolian

minor pentatonic (“the blues scale“)

Major Pentatonic

C,D,E,F,G,A,B = C Maj7

D,E,F,G,A,B,C = Dm7

E,F,G,A,B,C,D = E sus(b9)

F,G,A,B,C,D,E = F Maj7(#4)

G,A,B,C,D,E,F = G7

A,B,C,D,E,F,G = Am7(b6)

B,C,D,E,F,G,A = B half diminished

Here is a decent beginner’s chord reference chart I‘ve been using throughout this

lesson:

I - C Maj7 (2, 4, and 6)

ii - Dm7 (2, 4, and 6)

iii - Em7 (b2, 4 and b6)

IV - F Maj7 (2, #4, and 6) #4 is called a “raised 4th”

V - G7 (2, 4, and 6)

vi - Am7 (2, 4, and b6)

vii - B half diminished (has b2, 4, b6)

Though there are other scales that can be played with these chords (particularly the dominant/Mixolydian) than listed here, this is a good starting point for beginner and intermediate players. Once we can use these scales and chords with ease, we can simply add in some more scales at a later time. It is important to visualize and understand the chord tones instantly within any mode or scale, and developing that skill is vitally important for all practicing musicians. For example, Mixolydian can be played over an altered dominant chord like C7(#5), if the player remembers to raise the 5th - which is easy once we learn to see the chord tones in each scale. From that point, seeing the rest of the chromatic information is relatively easy! The next part of the lesson is learning to choose and play the appropriate scale for each chord in a given progression, and then within that scale concentrating on the chord tones as the appropriate target notes.

Cm7 Fm7 GMaj7 Abm7 BMaj7

C (ii) F (ii) G (IV) A (VI) B (I)

I = Ionian (Major scale)

ii = Dorian (minor scale with Maj6)

IV = Lydian (Major scale with #4)

VI = Aeolian scale (minor scale with b6)

The importance of seeing (and hearing) the chord tones within these scales goes without saying. All chord tones must be understood and viewed as the target notes within the scale, and the framework within it - as scales are the building blocks of all chords.

In the chord progression listed above, you might play a Dorian arpeggio over the Cm7 chord and sustain it over the whole chord. However, it is very important that we think in advance to be certain this is the correct arpeggio to play with this chord. That is, instead of an Aeolian arpeggio, or a Phrygian arpeggio. This is an important aspect of learning to match modal and chordal information.

Connecting Modes to Chords/Arpeggios

Jazz, country and some progressive rock musicians often build arpeggio information “one chord at a time” - employing the appropriate scale for each chord in a chord progression. Whereas the genres funk, R&B, rock, blues players are more prone to utilize a single scale that fits an entire chord progression. Be that as it may, it is important to have a thorough understanding of which chord types

can be constructed from each of the seven Major scale modes. Here is a chart of the most common chords available:

Mode

Ionian

Dorian

Phrygian

Lydian

Mixolydian

Aeolian

Locrian

I chord is Major 7

ii chord is minor 7

iii chord is minor7

IV chord is Major7

V chord is Dominant 7

vi chord is minor7

vii chord is minor 7 with a b5

With this chart in mind, let’s play through a series of common chord progressions:

I - IV - V - I

ii - iii - IV - I - ii

iii - ii - vi - IV - iii

IV - vi -V - iii - IV

V - IV - I - V

vi - V - IV - V - vi

You may have noticed that I’ve avoided the vii chord in these chord progressions. The

reason for this is because the vii (m7b5) is almost impossible to resolve! But, think

about the intro to Jimi Hendrix’ “Purple Haze” and you will hear a really cool usage of the diminished sound. Let’s look at a couple different chord progressions:

I - IV - V - I progression starting with C would be:

CMaj - FMaj - GMaj - CMaj

If a given progression resolves to the I chord, the best mode to use is Ionian from the same root as the I chord. If the progression resolves to I, and the I chord is C Major.

Therefore, the best mode would be C Ionian.

iii - ii - vi - IV - iii progression starting with C, would be:

Cm - Bbm - Fm - DbMaj - Cm

In this instance, the progression resolves to the iii chord, and the iii chord is Cm. So the best mode to use is C Phrygian.

A repeating pattern like “CMaj / BbMaj / CMaj” is something players often encounter as a “solo spot“ within a tune. Let’s look at something like this and see if we can find something cool to play…

Well… by virtue of this particular repetition, it's probable that C Major is the chord of resolution. The only thing left is to figure out which scale to use.

There's only one place within the chord scale that has consecutive major chords, and those two chords just happen to be a whole step apart. So, if the C Major chord is a V chord, and the Bb Major chord is IV chord... So, if the C Major chord is “home base“, and it's functioning as a V chord… the best scale choice is C Mixolydian. (V chord equals the 5th Mode)!!

With that in mind, let’s change the C Major to C minor, and see what happens.

“Cm / Bb Maj / Cm”

Now we have a progression that could fit into two places within a chord scale that reads:

ii - I - ii or vi - V - vi

Which means we could use a C Dorian (2nd mode), C Aeolian (6th mode), or either! The choice is yours to make, but you would do well to consider which combination sounds most appropriate for this particular situation. You might find that the bassist and/or the pianist are using Dorian for fills and/or chord extensions underneath your solo. So, playing Aeolian might prove musically devastating in this case! *YIKES!* The only honest rule of thumb is to simply use your ears!! It’s far more important to learn what to hear than what one should play in these situations.

So, if we were playing through the key of A Major the chords would be

A Maj7 - Bm7 - C#m7 - D Maj7 - E7 - F#m7 - G#m7b5

now, these chords coincide with the respective modes

1st mode: Ionian - Major / I Chord

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

2nd mode: Dorian - minor / ii Chord

1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7

3rd mode: Phrygian - minor / iii Chord

1-b2-b3-4-5-b6-b7

4th mode: Lydian -Major (Raised 4th)

1-2-3-#4-5-6-7

5th mode: Mix Lydian - Dominant / V Chord

1-2-3-4-5-6-b7

6th mode: Aeolian - Natural minor scale (Relative minor of key) VI Chord

1-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7

7th mode: Locrian - minor 7 with a b5 / VII Chord

1-b2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7

NOTE: Locrian IS NOT a “7th” chord because of its name. It is listed as the seventh mode!

Therefore, in a given key, let’s say A Major, and a given the progression

Bm7 / A Maj / E7 / F#m

We can use our modal knowledge to figure out which mode/arpeggio would best fit the given progression.

Bm7 = B Dorian / A Major

A Maj = A Ionian / A Major

E7 = E Mixolydian / A Major

F#m = F# Aeolian / A Major

From this point, it is simply a matter of spelling the chord/mode/arpeggio to see the correct notes that should be played! Let’s list the A Major Scale here:

A,B,C#,D,E,F#,G#

Now, let’s expand our chord progression a little more to further prove the point:

A Maj7 - Bm7 - C#m7 - D Maj7 - E7 - F# m7 - Gm7b5

A Maj7 = A Ionian / A Major

arpeggio A C# E G

Bm7 = B Dorian / A Major

arpeggio B D F# A

C#m = C# Phrygian / A Major

arpeggio C# E G# B

D Maj = D Lydian / A Major

arpeggio D F# A C#

E7 = E Mix Lydian / A Major

arpeggio E G# B D

F#m = F# Aeolian / A Major

arpeggio F# A C# E

G#m7b5 = G# Locrian / A Major

arpeggio G# B D F#

Major : 1,3,5

Minor : 1,b3,5

Diminished : 1,b3,dim5

Augmented : 1,3,aug5

Minor 7th : 1,b3,5,b7

Major 7th : 1,3,5,7

Dominant 7th : 1,3,5,b7

Sixth : 1,3,5,6

Minor 9 : 1,b3,5,b7,9

Minor 11 : 1,b3,5,b7,9,11

Minor 13 : 1,b3,5,b7,9,11,13

Static Pitch Scenario:

Remember that these “upper partials” of the chord are merely octaves of notes we’ve played in the first required seven notes of any given scale. So, when we’re playing notes of a Bb Maj7 that is relative to the root note C, we are playing the b7, 9, 11, and 13. When we play a Cm7 we are playing the b3, 5, and b7. Using the root note of C, we can look at other chords and derive the upper partials and chord information in an interesting way! Use a Cm7 chord and look at such arpeggios as Dm7, EbMaj7, F7, Gm7, and Am7b5...

Dm7 - 9,11,13

EbMaj7 - b3,5,b7,9

F7 - 11,13, b3

Gm7 - 5, b7, 9, 11

Am7b5 - 13,b3, 5

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