JAM TRACK – D Power Cord Rock   D5-F5-G5   100 BPM  Key of D   2:49 min 

This is a rock jam using power 5th chords. We are in the key of D, and the chords 

in this jam are a I–b3–IV or D-F-G. So we have a fairly wide-open jam with a few avenues to try. In this jam 

there still is not that much time on each chord so you will probably be playing more of what relates to all 

than soloing over the chords independently.  

*What Relates to all the chords: 

-Try D Minor Pentatonic & Blues over all the chords. Minor pentatonic sounds awesome over rock jams. This is 

not a real major sounding or a ballad jam so Minor Pentatonic & Blues works well. 

-Try D Dorian over all the chords. Dorian would be the mode that applies to all chords here and Dorian is the 2nd 

mode of the major scale. D Dorian is the same as C Major. So play all your C major scales but start and 

emphasize the D notes and you have D Dorian. The tip off to why use Dorian here is that we have a IV major 

chord in the progression. And when soloing over all the chords in these minor modes like Dorian or Aeolian when 

there is a IV major chord in the progression or a II minor chord you want to use Dorian instead of Aeolian, (this is 

explained in detail below in solo theory on page 19-21. 

-Try mixing both D Dorian and D Minor Pentatonic & Blues over all the chords for some killer sounds. 

*Treat each chord like a separate event: In this jam you don’t have much time on each chord. So there is not 

much time to solo independently over each chord. You are probably going to solo more with what relates to all as 

explained above. You have the most time on the D5 and G5 chords.  

-Try D Aeolian (=F major), or D Dorian (=C major), over the D5 chord or some Dm arpeggios over the D5 chord. 

Minor arpeggios will sound dark and cool like Dm, Dm7, or Dm9 arpeggios over the D5 chord. 

-Blast a G major arpeggio or G major lick over the G5 chord – give that a try.

Note: this is one of the jam tracks featured on our ROCK JAM TRACKS PLUS package. To get more info on

this package click the below link:

 http://www.nextlevelguitar.com/pages/rock_jam_pack/ 

Jam Track – Video Jam Track – minor 2-5-1 progression in Cm – try HARMONIC MINOR SCALE – 4:29 min

IN this video jam track we have a minor 2-5-1 progression in the key of Cm. The progression is Dm7b5-isation G7-Cm7. This track is a lot of fun and there is a lot you can do solo and improvisation wise over the chords. The key is C minor so you can try C minor pentatonic and blues over all the changes. USe the box and expanded scales up and down the neck.Also try the C harmonic minor scale over the chords as it can really spice things up!

WATCH THE VIDEO LESSON ON THIS 2-5-1 PROGRESSION IN THE INTERMEDIATE RHYTHM SECTION OF THE SITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRESSION AND HARMONIC MINOR SCALE

Jam Track – Video Jam Track JAZZY Dm7 – Gm7 – use with octave lesson – 4:06 min

Here we have a jazzy jam track using the progression Dm7 – Gm7. One of the things you can practice with this jam track is using octaves as per the octave lesson by Marty in the Intermediate Lead lessons section of the site. Marty gave that lesson using this jam track. Some things to try lead guitar wise are just the D minor pentatonic and blues scales as well as practice and use the expanded D minor pentatonic and blues , D Aeolian or D natural minor scales – later get into modal playing over each chord.

Video jam track – SLOW MINOR BLUES 12 Bar in Cm – 9:30 minutes

Here is a slow blues video jam track in C minor. Its a I – IV – V 12 bar slow blues and will be a great way for you to practice your lead playing and improvisational skills. The chords are Cm7 – Fm7 – Gm7 and I use a G7#9 for the turnaround. Lots of choices available for both what relates to all and treating each chord as a separate event – as laid out in the video. Rock it out!

Video jam track – slow ballad in G – melodic soloing needed – 4:08 min

This is a slow ballad type video jam track in the key of G major. The progression is G – D – Em – C. You want to really work your lick and phrase melodically over these chords. Try all your G major scales up and down the neck over all the chords. Then try to solo over each chord as outlined in the video. Rock oN!

VIDEO JAM TRACK – video jam track – A ROCKER! – 3:44 minutes

Here we have a video jam track in the key of A. This is a real rocker. The progression is A – C – D. And it rocks so try using A Minor pentatonic and Blues scales up and down the neck and also try A Dorian. A Dorian is the same as G major, just focus on the A notes. Tear it up!

How to effectively use jam tracks and which ones are best for learning – 10:28 minutes

Jam tracks are an invaluable tool for the practicing guitarist and we want you to take full advantage of them. Each jam track has a written lesson designed to go along with the track. So you want to utilize the corresponding written lessons in conjunction with the jam tracks to get the full potential out of the jam tracks. Watch this lesson to learn the best way to utilize the tracks to get your playing to the next level in the fastest and most efficient manner. Jam tracks are a lot of fun, so make sure you are applying to what you are learning and maximizing your practice time.

So watch the video lessons and print out the written lessons that coincide with each jam track. In the written lessons for each track we discuss the chord changes and things to try as far as applying what you are learning lead playing and improvisational wise. There is so much you can do over each track, we want you to have an arsenal of weapons at your disposal that you can utilize when playing guitar, not just one!. So dont limit yourself. Be creative, try new things, and constantly push yourself to new levels on the guitar.

Here you have a real cool jam progression going from A – G – D. As always in order to solo and improvise you want to take a second and analyze the chords as the CHORDS will give you the road map to what you can utilize lead playing and improvisational wise. Just don’t look at the key as that will only tell you a few things.

You have to systematically and methodically analyze the cluster of chords that you are playing over to really get the big picture of what you can utilize. And you can do a lot over this progression as explained below, so just don’t limit yourself to only one option. The progression is all major chords and is basically a I-IV progression with G just utilized as a passing chord. So we are in the key of A major. Listen to the track as A really feels like home base – all the chordal movement resolves to the A.

The chords are moving pretty quickly so you will probably want to solo over all the chords or play what “relates to all” as you don’t have a lot of time on each chord to treat each chord like a separate event and play over each one individually. So lets analyze the chord structure of the jam and decide on a few solo options to get you started jamming over this track.

So from our lessons we know that one thing we can use over this track is A MAJOR PENTATONIC since we are playing in the key of A major. Remember that major pentatonic takes 5 notes from the major scale (1,2,3,5,6) and it works over major chords. That will give us the real sweet major sound.

Another option is we can utilize A MINOR PENTATONIC AND BLUES for that bluesy sound. Since this progression is basically a major chord I-IV with that bluesy jam feel we know that minor pent will work well over the chords and give us that bluesy sound. That is kind of what the blues is all about – playing those minor notes over the major chords. Remember that minor pentatonic takes 5 notes from the natural minor scale (1,b3,4,5,b7) or Aeolian Mode. This will give us that real bluesy sound – add that blue note also – the b5th – making it the six-note minor pentatonic blues scale (1,b3,4,b5,5,b7)

Another option I like is to play over this jam is the A DORIAN MODE. Dorian is the second mode in any major key and it is considered a minor mode. However, you can use it in some major key situations like when you are playing over a major key I-IV-V blues, swing, or shuffle – it works real well. Dorian works well because it combines the intervals of minor pentatonic AND major pentatonic. Dorian is 1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7 – so when you examine those intervals it has the strong major notes that are in major pentatonic – the 2nd and the 6th – but also has the strong notes also in minor pentatonic – the b3rd and the b7th. So it has elements of both so I use it whenever I know that both major and minor pentatonic will work – so I play Dorian! A Dorian is the same as G major – so play all your G major scales up and down the neck BUT FOCUS AND EMPHASIZE THE A notes and you will be playing in A Dorian. This gives you a seven note scale to play over this progression so it will really open the fret board. Dorian gives you a more minor sound but it does have those major elements in it also – remember to emphasize those A notes – that is so critical!

Another option that is fun is to play over this progression is the A MIXOLYDIAN MODE. Mixolydian is the 5th mode in any major key and is a major mode. It is pretty much the same as a major scale except has the b7th interval. So the mode is 1,2,3,4,5,6,b7. It is a fantastic mode to play over 7th and 9th chords as those chords have that b7th in them. But I also like to use it when playing over some major progressions to give that cool b7th edge. So playing this mode over this progression will sound very sweet and major, but throws in the b7th – so its hip and cool. Give it a try. A Mixolydian is the same as D major. So play all of your D major scales up and down the neck in all positions BUT SHIFT TO AND EMPHASIZE the A notes. Remember to properly play in the modes and get the right sound you have to shift to and emphasize the root of the mode – so to play A mixolydian you have to play your D major scales but emphasize the A notes!

To hear me playing over this jam track and explain as I am going through it watch the end of the FRANKLINS TOWER video song lesson in the video song lessons section of the website.

REVIEW WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THIS LESSON AND WHAT TO TRY OVER THIS JAM TRACK

-MAJOR PENTATONIC – (1,2,3,5,6)

-MINOR PENTATONIC – (1,b3,4,5,b7)

-DORIAN MODE – (1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7) – 2nd mode in any major key – its more of a minor mode, but can be used over all chords in some major key situations like a major key I-IV-V blues, swings, or shuffles

-MIXOLYDIAN MODE – (1,2,3,4,5,6,b7) – 5th mode in any major key – its a major mode that sounds great especially over 7th and 9th chords and can be utilized over some major chord progressions

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER FOR SOLOING AND IMPROVISATION:

When soloing and improvising it is absolutely critical to thoroughly examine and analyze the chords and chord changes that you are playing over. Many guitarists make the mistake of just looking solely at the key – that won’t give you enough information. The chords will provide the “road map” for what lines, scales, modes, and arpeggios you will want to utilize as well as point to the strong notes to land on and emphasize. Too many guitarists don’t take the time to examine the chords and the chord changes – they just look at the key – big mistake. Without examining the cluster of chords you wont have all the needed information to know what you can fully utilize lead playing and improvisational wise.

There is a reason why certain notes and certain scales sound great over certain progressions and certain chord changes. Over time your ear will develop and eventually guide you to all the right notes and you will be doing it on the fly. But that takes time and practice, so you have to work on it – what do I always say and will keep stating as I feel it is one of the most important things to do as a guitarist – DEVELOP YOUR EAR, this is one of the reasons why. So write the notes out of each chord in a progression that you are playing over and then try to land on one of those notes when you change to that chord – try landing on those strong chord tomes like roots, 3rds, fifths, b7ths – make a real strong solo statement.

Remember when you are soloing or improvising, you have two choices:

1. Play the same scales or mode over all the chords – that is called “what relates to all” – no matter what chord you are playing over you use the same thing over each chord – you are playing what works over ALL the changes.
OR YOU CAN
2. Treat each chord change like a separate event and solo with a different scale, mode, or arpeggio over each chord. So you are changing your scale, mode, and arpeggio with each chord change. This gives you a more sophisticated sound and is much harder to apply, takes a little work getting used to – but you can do it – stick with it and it will get easier with time and application.

So first get proficient at the first choice – using the same scale, mode, or arpeggios over all the changes – playing what relates to all. Do this first to get good at analyzing the chords and playing scales, and modes over all the changes. Then move onto treating each chord like a separate event and playing over each chord independently.

Have fun with this jam – remember to practice the right things, develop your ear, and constantly try to hone your craft and refine your art!

Here you have a real cool jazzy progression in the key of G major. The progression is a Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Am7.
Download the jam track by clicking on the orange link above and then print out the written lesson below to use as a handy-dandy reference guide.

As always, you must analyze the chords and the progression to get the full picture on what you can utilize for soling and improvisational purposes. This progression in the key of G major – listen to the chordal movements as G really fells like home base. All the chords are common to the key of G major so you can utilize G major scales over the whole progression as G major relates to all the chords. So practice all six major scales and the connecting links in the key of G over all the chords in this jam track. See the video lessons in the intermediate section to learn the major scales up and down the neck and how to connect them through connecting links. You can also print out the scale shapes and see them on paper by going to the “written lessons” section of the site and download that PDF file.  
Playing what relates to all is one road to take and you want to explore all your solo and improvisational options. There are many things you can do over this jam track so just don’t limit yourself to only one avenue. Another road is to play over each chord individually with a different scale or arpeggio as it relates to that one individual chord. This is what I call treating each chord like a “separate event” and will give you a much more sophisticted sound than playing what relates to all the chords. It is a lot more challenging and takes some work as you have to know what chord you are soloing over so you don’t get caught playing the wrong scale, mode, or arpeggio over the wrong chord. Plus you have to phrase all your different musical ideas together so your playing does not sound disjointed or fragmented as you change over each chord.

Listed below in the written lesson are some suggestions of a few scales, modes, and arpeggios that work over the given chords to get you started. There is a myriad of options and I list a few to get you started, so get creative. Remember to listen carefully for the chord changes and try to end your phrases on strong chord tones. Mix things up – play through the changes at first with a scale that relates to all and then switch and practice playing over each chord. Practice with the jam track and first work on what relates to all, G major, then work on treating each chord like a separate event.
1-Over this jam first practice what relates to all the chords and play G major scales up and down the neck in all positions over all the chords. Really emphasize the G notes and try and connect the scales together and phrase them in ways that make good musical sense. Try not to think of all the scales as six individual boxes – but rather try to start to see how they connect and see the neck as ONE BIG INTERCONNECTED SCALE. Remember G major is G, A, B, C, D, E, F#. Always know what notes you are playing – just don’t memorize the shapes.
2-Then try to play a different scale, mode or arpeggio over each chord. Here are some things you can try when treating each chord like a separate event. Have fun and get creative as there are so many things to explore and work up! If you are new to playing over each chord individually then try something basic at first like try playing A minor pentatonic and blues over the Am7 chord, and then switch to B minor pentatonic and blues over the Bm7 chord.

Over the Gmaj7 chord try playing:
1. G major scales as explained above – G major relates to all – as does G major Pentatonic – which is just 5 of the notes from the major scale (1,2,3,5,6) – if you know the major scale works then the major pentatonic will work for sure!
2. G Lydian mode – I like the sound of the Lydian mode over Major 7th chords – sounds more interesting and hip to me as with Lydian you get the #4 note. I like that note over the major 7th chord more that the natural 4th of the major scale. Lydian is the 4th mode in any major key so G Lydian is the same as D major. So over the G major7th chord try playing a D major scale or D major licks but emphasize the G notes.
3. G major 7th arpeggio – no surprises here that a major 7th arpeggio works over the major 7th chord – but it sounds great. You have that great sounding major 7th note and it really adds color. You can play your stock G major arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th), but the major 7th arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) has much more color as it adds that major 7th note.
4. Triads off the I-IV-V – In the key of G major the IV is the C and the V is the D. So try playing a triad lick or major arpeggio in C and in D over the G major 7th chord. The C major arpeggio or triad is the notes C, E, and G and a D major arpeggio or triad is the notes D, A, and F#. Notice all those triad notes for C and D are all in the key of G major (G,A,B,C,D,E,F#) – so they sound really good played over the G maj7 chord or any chord of this progression for that matter.
5. Three major Pentatonic Scales off the I-IV-IV – along with the triads above off the I-IV-V you can also play the three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-IV. When mixed together all three give you the notes of the major scale. Its a cool sound as you can play the same licks in the different positions. The three major pentatonic scales are the one off the root, in this example G major pentatonic. The next is the off the IV or C major pentatonic, and the one off the V which in this example is D major pentatonic. Now look at all those notes:
G major pentatonic = G, A, B, D, E (same as E minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
C major pentatonic = C, D, E, G, A (same as A minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
D major pentatonic = D, E, F#, A, B (same as B minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
out of the 15 notes there are seven actual notes G, A, B, C, D, E, F# – which in this jam is a G major scale – so playing all three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-V actually gives you the major scale in that key – pretty cool!
6. Major Scale up a whole step – For e real “outside” sound over the Gmaj7 chord try playing the major scale a whole step up or A major. The notes of an A major scale are A, B, C#, D, E, F#, Ab. Compare that to the notes of the G major scale and you have 2 different notes – C# and Ab – so playing the major scale a whole step up from a major 7th chord adds the #4 and a b9 – so you are really getting an outside sound which is very cool. Give it a try!

Over the Amin7 chord try playing:
1. A minor Pentatonic – remember that minor pentatonic will work over minor chords and the blue note adds color so make it the minor pentatonic and blues scale. Then add the 9th for even more color.
2. A Aeolian Mode – Aeolian mode works great over minor chords. Aeolian is the sixth mode of any major key and A Aeolian is the same as C major, so play all your C major scales over this chord but emphasize the A notes.
3. A Dorian Mode – Dorian mode also works well over minor chords. Dorian is the second mode of any major key and A Dorian is the same as G major – so play all of your G major scales over the Am7 chord but shift to and focus on the A notes.
4. Three minor Pentatonic scales – For a real Dorian sound you can play three minor pentatonic scales over a minor type chord. Most players would just choose the minor pentatonic scale off the root. In this case they would focus on A m pentatonic over the Am7 chord. But you can actually play three – the one off the root, A minor pentatonic. The one up a whole step, B minor pentatonic. And the one up a fifth, E minor pentatonic. All those notes together give you the A dorian mode – so it works great! Try mixing these three together or playing the same riffs just in different positions and you get some real cool sounds.
5. Arpeggios – A minor, A minor 7th, A minor 9th – try mixing in these arpeggios over the Am7 chord. Remember good arpeggio playing mixes your arpeggios in with riffs, scales, and modes. You just dont want to play arpeggios up and back all the time – just like you wouldnt play your scales that way either – starigh up and back will sound a bit too sterile and stiff. So commingle your musical ideas together for a more sophisticated and harmonically rich sound.
Over the Bmin7 chord try playing:
-same as everything listed above except switch all things to the key of B

Modes and Scales to try:
Ionian mode – (first mode – same as major) – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 – same as the major scale – doe, re,me, fa, so, la, te
Dorian mode – (second mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7 – minor mode, but can be used in some major key jams
Lydian mode – (fourth mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7 – major mode – same as a major scale but has the very hip and cool #4th note – sounds great over major 7th chords
Aeolian mode – (sixth mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7 – minor mode, also called relative minor, natural minor, or pure minor
Major Pentatonic – (1,2,3,5,6)
Minor Pentatonic – (1,b3,4,5,b7)

SOLO AND IMPROVISATION KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:
When soloing and improvising it is absolutely critical to thoroughly examine and analyze the chords and chord changes that you are playing over. Many guitarists make the mistake of just looking solely at the key – that won’t give you enough information. The chords will provide the “road map” for what lines, scales, modes, and arpeggios you will want to utilize as well as point to the strong notes to land on and emphasize. Too many guitarists don’t take the time to examine the chords and the chord changes – they just look at the key – big mistake. Without examining the cluster of chords you wont have all the needed information to know what you can fully utilize lead playing and improvisational wise.

There is a reason why certain notes and certain scales sound great over certain progressions and certain chord changes. Over time your ear will develop and eventually guide you to all the right notes and you will be doing it on the fly. But that takes time and practice, so you have to work on it – what do I always say and will keep stating as I feel it is one of the most important things to do as a guitarist – DEVELOP YOUR EAR, this is one of the reasons why. So write the notes out of each chord in a progression that you are playing over and then try to land on one of those notes when you change to that chord – try landing on those strong chord tomes like roots, 3rds, fifths, b7ths – make a real strong solo statement.

Remember when you are soloing or improvising, you have two choices:
1. Play the same scales or mode over all the chords – that is called “what relates to all” – no matter what chord you are playing over you use the same thing over each chord – you are playing what works over ALL the changes – in this jam track G major relates to all
OR YOU CAN
2. Treat each chord change like a separate event and solo with a different scale, mode, or arpeggio over each chord. So you are changing your scale, mode, and arpeggio with each chord change. This gives you a more sophisticated sound and is much harder to apply, takes a little work getting used to – but stick with it and you will get it.

So first get proficient at the first choice – using the same scale, mode, or arpeggios over all the changes – playing what relates to all. Do this first to get good at analyzing the chords and playing scales, and modes over all the changes. Then move onto treating each chord like a separate event and playing over each chord independently.

Have fun and rip it up and remember to practice the right things, develop your ear, and constantly try and hone your craft and refine your art.
-David Taub

Here you have a progression in the key of B minor – the progression is Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7 – Gmaj7 – C#m7b5 – F#7 – Bm. It is all the chords in the key of B minor. There is so much you can do over this progression solo and improvisational wise as you have two measure on each chord to get creative and treat each chord like a separate event. I have a written lesson with the chord diagrams and arpeggio fingerings and shapes for this progression in the written lessons section of the website – print that lesson out and use it as a tool along with this jam track and the written lesson above.

As always, you must analyze the chords and the progression to get the full picture on what you can utilize for soling and improvisational purposes. Start by figuring out what key the progression is in. This progression in the key of B minor – listen to the chordal movements as there are seven chords, all the chords in the key of B minor, and B minor really fells like home base.

Remember that the key that you are in is NOT always represented by the first chord played in a progression. As shown here the B minor chord does not come up till dead last in the progression.

1. Analyze the chords to determine what key the progression is in – in this jam we are in B minor

Now that we know the key we are in further analyze all the chords and see what “relates to all” – to see what we can play over ALL the chords. Then start to look at each chord individually to discover what we can play over each chord as a separate event. In many instances you can play a mode over all the chords and I usually look for that first off after the pentatonics.
So since we are in a minor key we can utilize B minor pentatonic and blues. Remember that you can use minor pentatonic pretty much anytime you have a progression in minor key, (a song with a I minor chord), or over any minor type chord. So in this B minor jam we can utilize B minor pentatonic and blues over all the chords. From our lessons on solo theory from minor key, (find in the written lessons section of the site), we also know that we can use B Aeolian mode over all the chords in this jam as B Aeolian relates to all. We have a minor key progression where the IV chord is minor so we can utilize B Aeolian mode over all the chords

2. Analyzing the chords to determine what relates to all – usually you can find a pentatonic scale and a mode that relates to all – in this jam we can use B minor pentatonic and B Aeolian mode over all the chords.

Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of any major key. So B Aeolian is the same as D major – the sixth note in a D major scale is B – or as some of you may know B minor is the relative minor of D major. So play all of your D major scales up and down the neck over all the chords but shift to and emphasize the B notes and you are playing in B Aeolian. Practice all six major scales and the connecting links over all the chords in this jam track. See the video lessons in the intermediate section to learn the major scales up and down the neck and how to connect them through connecting links. You can also print out the scale shapes and see them on paper by going to the “written lessons” section of the site and download that PDF file.

Playing what relates to all is one road to take and you want to explore all your solo and improvisational options. There are many things you can do over this jam track so just don’t limit yourself to only one avenue. Another road is to play over each chord individually with a different scale or arpeggio as it relates to that one individual chord. This is what I call treating each chord like a “separate event” and will give you a much more sophisticted sound than playing what relates to all the chords. It is a lot more challenging and takes some work as you have to know what chord you are soloing over so you don’t get caught playing the wrong scale, mode, or arpeggio over the wrong chord. Plus you have to phrase all your different musical ideas together so your playing does not sound disjointed or fragmented as you change over each chord.

Listed below in the written lesson are some suggestions of a few scales, modes, and arpeggios that work over the given chords to get you started. There is a myriad of options and I list a few to get you started, so get creative. Remember to listen carefully for the chord changes and try to end your phrases on strong chord tones. Mix things up – play through the changes at first with a scale that relates to all and then switch and practice playing over each chord. Practice with the jam track and first work on what relates to all, G major, then work on treating each chord like a separate event.

1-Over this jam first practice what relates to all the chords and play B minor pentatonic and blues and B Aeolian up and down the neck in all positions over all the chords. Really emphasize the B notes and try and connect the scales together and phrase them in ways that make good musical sense. Try not to think of all the major and pentatonic scales as individual boxes – but rather try to start to see how they connect and see the neck as ONE BIG INTERCONNECTED SCALE. Remember B minor is B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A. Always know what notes you are playing – just don’t memorize the shapes.

2-Then try to play a different scale, mode or arpeggio over each chord. Here are some things you can try when treating each chord like a separate event. Have fun and get creative as there are so many things to explore and work up! If you are new to playing over each chord individually then try something basic at first like try playing pentatonic scales over each chord then move on to modal playing and arpeggios over each chord.

The jam progression is Em7-A7-Dmaj7-Gmaj7-C#m7b5-F#7-Bm

Over the Emin7 chord try playing:

1. E minor Pentatonic – remember that minor pentatonic will work over minor chords and the blue note adds color so make it the minor pentatonic and blues scale. Then add the 9th for even more color.

2. E Aeolian Mode – Aeolian mode works great over minor chords. Aeolian is the sixth mode of any major key and E Aeolian is the same as G major, so play all your G major scales over this chord but emphasize the E notes.

3. E Dorian Mode – Dorian mode also works well over minor chords. Dorian is the second mode of any major key and E Dorian is the same as D major – so play all of your D major scales over the Em7 chord but shift to and focus to the E notes.

4. Three minor Pentatonic scales – For a real Dorian sound you can play three minor pentatonic scales over a minor type chord. Most players would just choose the minor pentatonic scale off the root. In this case they would focus on E minor pentatonic over the Em7 chord. But you can actually play three – the one off the root, E minor pentatonic. The one up a whole step, F# minor pentatonic. And the one up a fifth, B minor pentatonic. All those notes together give you the E Dorian mode – so it works great! Try mixing these three together or playing the same riffs just in different positions and you get some real cool sounds.

5. Arpeggios – E minor, E minor 7th, E minor 9th – try mixing in these arpeggios over the Em7 chord. Remember good arpeggio playing mixes your arpeggios in with riffs, scales, and modes. You just don’t want to play arpeggios up and back all the time – just like you wouldn’t play your scales that way either – straight up and straight back will sound a bit too sterile and stiff. So commingle your musical ideas together for a more sophisticated and harmonically rich sound.

Over the A7 chord try playing:

1. A major pentatonic – much like how you can use minor pentatonic over a minor chord you can use major pentatonic over a major chord.

2. A Mixolydian mode – mixolydian is the mode of choice over 7th and 9th chords as its formula is 1,2,3,4,5,6,b7 – so it has that flat 7th to coincide with the b7th of a seventh or 9th chord. Mixolydian is the fifth mode of any majoy key. So A mixolydian is the same as D major. The fifth note in a D major scale is A – so play all your D major scales over the A7 chord but shift to and emphasize the A notes. This mode has that real sweet major sound.

3. A7 arpeggio and A major arpeggio – I prefer the A7 arpeggio as it will have more color with the b7, but the A major arpeggio will work also.

4. Three major Pentatonic Scales off the I-IV-IV – Just like how we can play three minor pentatonic scales over the above m7 chord we can play three major pentatonic scales over the 7th chord. Remember we have to play the three off the major so A7 is the V chord in D major so you can also play the three major pentatonic scales of the D major, the I-IV-IV. So play D major pentatonic, G major pentatonic and A major pentatonic over the A7 chord – it will sound way cool!

Over the Dmaj7 chord try playing:

1. D major pentatonic

2. D Lydian mode – I like the sound of the Lydian mode over Major 7th chords – sounds more interesting and hip to me as with Lydian you get the #4 note. I like that note over the major 7th chord more that the natural 4th of the major scale. Lydian is the 4th mode in any major key so D Lydian is the same as A major. So over the Dmaj7 chord try playing an A major scale or A major licks but emphasize the D notes.

3. D major 7th arpeggio – no surprises here that a major 7th arpeggio works over the major 7th chord – but it sounds great. You have that great sounding major 7th note and it really adds color. You can play your stock D major arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th), but the major 7th arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) has much more color as it adds that major 7th note.

4. Triads off the I-IV-V – In the key of D major the IV is the G and the V is the A. So try playing a triad lick or major arpeggio in G and in A as well as in D over the D major 7th chord.

5. Three major Pentatonic Scales off the I-IV-IV – along with the triads above off the I-IV-V you can also play the three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-IV. When mixed together all three give you the notes of the major scale. Its a cool sound as you can play the same licks in the different positions. The three major pentatonic scales are the one off the root, in this example D major pentatonic. The next is the off the IV or G major pentatonic, and the one off the V which in this example is A major pentatonic. Now look at all those notes:

D major pentatonic = D, E, F#, A, B (same as B minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
G major pentatonic = G, A, B, D, E (same as E minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
A major pentatonic = A, B, C#, E, F# (same as F# minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
out of the 15 notes above there are seven actual notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, C# – which in is a D major scale – so playing all three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-V actually gives you the major scale in that key – pretty cool!

6. Major Scale up a whole step – For e real “outside” sound over the Dmaj7 chord try playing the major scale a whole step up or E major. The notes of an E major scale are E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, Eb. Compare that to the notes of the D major scale and you have 2 different notes – G# and Eb – so playing the major scale a whole step up from a major 7th chord adds the #4 and a b9 – so you are really getting an outside sound which is very cool. Give it a try!

Over the Gmaj7 chord try playing:

1. G major pentatonic – 5 of the notes from the major scale (1,2,3,5,6)

2. G Lydian mode – I like the sound of the Lydian mode over Major 7th chords – sounds more interesting and hip to me as with Lydian you get the #4 note. I like that note over the major 7th chord more that the natural 4th of the major scale. Lydian is the 4th mode in any major key so G Lydian is the same as D major. So over the G major7th chord try playing a D major scale or D major licks but emphasize the G notes.

3. G major 7th arpeggio – no surprises here that a major 7th arpeggio works over the major 7th chord – but it sounds great. You have that great sounding major 7th note and it really adds color. You can play your stock G major arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th), but the major 7th arpeggio, (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) has much more color as it adds that major 7th note.

4. Triads off the I-IV-V – In the key of G major the IV is the C and the V is the D. So try playing a triad lick or major arpeggio in C and in D over the G major 7th chord. The C major arpeggio or triad is the notes C, E, and G and a D major arpeggio or triad is the notes D, A, and F#. Notice all those triad notes for C and D are all in the key of G major (G,A,B,C,D,E,F#) – so they sound really good played over the G maj7 chord or any chord of this progression for that matter.

5. Three major Pentatonic Scales off the I-IV-IV – along with the triads above off the I-IV-V you can also play the three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-IV. When mixed together all three give you the notes of the major scale. Its a cool sound as you can play the same licks in the different positions. The three major pentatonic scales are the one off the root, in this example G major pentatonic. The next is the off the IV or C major pentatonic, and the one off the V which in this example is D major pentatonic. Now look at all those notes:
G major pentatonic = G, A, B, D, E (same as E minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
C major pentatonic = C, D, E, G, A (same as A minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
D major pentatonic = D, E, F#, A, B (same as B minor pentatonic if you think of your pentatonics more in a minor sense)
out of the 15 notes there are seven actual notes G, A, B, C, D, E, F# – which in this jam is a G major scale – so playing all three major pentatonic scales off the I-IV-V actually gives you the major scale in that key – pretty cool!

6. Major Scale up a whole step – For e real “outside” sound over the Gmaj7 chord try playing the major scale a whole step up or A major. The notes of an A major scale are A, B, C#, D, E, F#, Ab. Compare that to the notes of the G major scale and you have 2 different notes – C# and Ab – so playing the major scale a whole step up from a major 7th chord adds the #4 and a b9 – so you are really getting an outside sound which is very cool. Give it a try!

Over the C#m7b5 chord try playing:

First some info on the m7b5 chord if you are not familiar with that chord. The m7b5 chord is also known as a half-diminished chord. A half diminished seventh chord is a seventh chord built from the seventh degree of the major scale. Its considered half diminished because a true diminished seventh has a double flatted seventh, making it the same as a major sixth. The half diminished seventh chord uses a minor seventh over a diminished triad. It consists of the root, minor third, flatted fifth, and a dominant seventh. The minor seventh flat five chord is found at the seventh degree of the major scale, and the second degree of the minor scale.

1. C# Locrian mode – Locrian mode is a minor mode. It is the seventh mode of the major scale and is a great sounding mode to play over a m7b5 chord. It is a very dissonant mode made up of the intervals 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7 – 5 flats in the mode so its very dissonant and mainly used in jazz applications. In this example C# Locrian is the same as D major. So play all of your D major scales over the C#m7b5 chord, but emphasize the C# notes.

2. C#m7b5 arpeggio – sounds hip and cool

3. C# minor pentatonic and blues scales

Over the F#7 chord try playing:he key to F#
-all listed as above for the A& chord – just change t

Over the Bmin chord try playing:
-all listed above for the Em7 chord – just change the key to Bm

Modes and Scales to try in this jam:
Dorian mode – (second mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7 – minor mode – same as Aeolian mode but has a major 6th instead of the b6th
Lydian mode – (fourth mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7 – major mode – same as a major scale but has the very hip and cool #4th note – sounds great over major 7th chords
Aeolian mode – (sixth mode of the major scale) – 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7 – minor mode – also called relative minor, natural minor, or pure minor
Mixolydian mode – (fifth mode of the major scale – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7 – major mode – same as a major scale or Ionian mode but has the b7th
Locrian mode – (seventh mode of the major scale) – 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, b7 – minor mode – and the most dissonant mode of the major scale
Major Pentatonic – (1,2,3,5,6)
Minor Pentatonic – (1,b3,4,5,b7)

SOLO AND IMPROVISATION KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:
When soloing and improvising it is absolutely critical to thoroughly examine and analyze the chords and chord changes that you are playing over. Many guitarists make the mistake of just looking solely at the key – that won’t give you enough information. The chords will provide the “road map” for what lines, scales, modes, and arpeggios you will want to utilize as well as point to the strong notes to land on and emphasize. Too many guitarists don’t take the time to examine the chords and the chord changes – they just look at the key – big mistake. Without examining the cluster of chords you wont have all the needed information to know what you can fully utilize lead playing and improvisational wise.

There is a reason why certain notes and certain scales sound great over certain progressions and certain chord changes. Over time your ear will develop and eventually guide you to all the right notes and you will be doing it on the fly. But that takes time and practice, so you have to work on it – what do I always say and will keep stating as I feel it is one of the most important things to do as a guitarist – DEVELOP YOUR EAR, this is one of the reasons why. So write the notes out of each chord in a progression that you are playing over and then try to land on one of those notes when you change to that chord – try landing on those strong chord tomes like roots, 3rds, fifths, b7ths – make a real strong solo statement.

Remember when you are soloing or improvising, you have two choices:

1. Play the same scales or mode over all the chords – that is called “what relates to all” – no matter what chord you are playing over you use the same thing over each chord – you are playing what works over ALL the changes – in this jam track B minor pentatonic and B Aeolian relates to all

OR YOU CAN

2. Treat each chord change like a separate event and solo with a different scale, mode, or arpeggio over each chord. So you are changing your scale, mode, and arpeggio with each chord change. This gives you a more sophisticated sound and is much harder to apply, takes a little work getting used to. We will work on this technique extensively in coming lesson modules.

So first get proficient at the first choice – using the same scale, mode, or arpeggios over all the changes – playing what relates to all. Do this first to get good at analyzing the chords and playing scales, and modes over all the changes. Then move onto treating each chord like a separate event and playing over each chord independently.