Jazz Soloing


Rat520
Senior Member
Joined: 06/26/00
Posts: 104
Rat520
Senior Member
Joined: 06/26/00
Posts: 104
10/20/2000 5:32 am
I was wondering if some one could help me with jazz soloing over chords, not just finding the key and playing the scales, as far as i know the chords go something like this.

Ionian: Maj Pure
Dorian: Min #13
Phrygian: Min flat9
Lydian: Maj #11
Mixolydian: Dominant 7
Aeolian: Min Pure
Lorician: Half Diminished

Here is my querie, does the above mean that if i see one of those extensions in a chord that i'm soloing over i should play that scale, and what should i do with key changes?
"You know, we do more than just sing and dance. We've got a brain, too."
Backstreet Boys
# 1
LuigiCabrini
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Joined: 06/23/00
Posts: 207
LuigiCabrini
Senior Member
Joined: 06/23/00
Posts: 207
10/21/2000 2:59 am
Well, in my opinion you're sort of going about it the wrong way. Linking scales with chords is one way, but instead I'd think of it this way:
Every note in the chromatic scale is a possible choice
Chord tones (notes from the chord) will sound the strongest and most "inside"
Non chord scale tones will have a less strong sound, they should usually be accented less
Non scale tones have a very "out" sound, and can be used, but are best used as passing tones, played on the weak beats.
My approach is usually to think more about arpeggios than scales, and fill in arpeggios with scale notes. Also, thinking about each chord seperately can lead to choppy, cut up sounding soloing. The goal (and this is very hard, I'd like to think I'm here yet, but I'm not) is to weave lines that work through the chords, to develop musical ideas that doesn't start and stop at each bar line. This can be done by connecting chord tones. In ii V I progressions, it sounds good if you go from the seventh of one chord to the third of the next (from the seventh of the ii to the third of the V, from the seventh of the V to the third of the I, and land on the third at the beginning of the bar lines.)
Sorry if this is a lot of info to digest at once, but if you stick with this, then you'll have nicer, more musical sounding results than
mixo goes with 7 chords
locrian goes with half dim chords
ionian goes with maj chords
etc.

# 2
Rat520
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Joined: 06/26/00
Posts: 104
Rat520
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Joined: 06/26/00
Posts: 104
10/21/2000 7:54 am
Okay i sort of get what your saying but do you use the scales of the key, or of the chord,
e.g. Am, Bm, Em, would you use the scales in the key of G or play each seperately.

I would like to know how to get that fusion/solo jazz guitar sound, and the big band swing soloing effect.
"You know, we do more than just sing and dance. We've got a brain, too."
Backstreet Boys
# 3
LuigiCabrini
Senior Member
Joined: 06/23/00
Posts: 207
LuigiCabrini
Senior Member
Joined: 06/23/00
Posts: 207
10/21/2000 9:21 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Rat520:
Okay i sort of get what your saying but do you use the scales of the key, or of the chord,
e.g. Am, Bm, Em, would you use the scales in the key of G or play each seperately.




Well you could just solo in the key of G major, and if you could create melodic ideas well that would be great, but you'd also be sort of ignoring the chord changes. Me, I'd try and emphasize the chord tones of each chord, think about Am, Bm, and Em arpeggios and fill in with more scalar ideas.


# 4

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