How to improv over these changes?

[dlguitarmaster7]

Hey guys, just curious as to how you would approach these changes in your own improvisation. i tried to mark the bar lines so that you could see when the chords change

|Gmaj7| |Cm7 F7| |Gmaj7| |Cm7 F7| |Bbmaj7| |Amin7b5 D7b9| |Gmaj7| |Amin7 D13|


Thanks!

[JakeAcci]

These are standard changes. "Backdoor ii V" or "backdoor cadence" is a term for a ii V that would resolve to the bIII but resolves to the I...you could write it as iv7 bVII7. It's very common, as is the temporarily modulation to bIII in the fifth bar, as is the minor ii V (iim7b5 V7b9) that resolves to a major seventh in bars six and seven.

In this specific case it's a mix of key centers - G and Bb, G minor being the relative minor of Bb major.

It's hard to answer the question of how I'd approach these changes, as they are so typical. It depends on the melody, the style of the tune, who I'm playing with, what the tempo is, etc.

People are probably going to say "G major | C dorian, F mixolydian " etc or maybe "G major | Bb major " etc, and that's apt too, but if we're talking about jazz as I understand the term, it's sensible to have ii V I vocabulary and know how to use it, or at least see the guide tones in this progression.

[marcwhy]

Play a nice sounding melody.

[nion]

JakeAcci got it right.

Backdoor cadence:
|Cm7 F7| |Gmaj7|

some guide tone lines: Bb A |B
Bb Eb|D
Eb A |D

Connect this notes with scale tones, passing tones, chromatic passing tones, arpeggiated tones, and you're good to go.

You can also use C Melodic Minor harmony for that bar, which is F Lydian Dominant for the F7.
Try to play Cm7 then B7 then Bmin7 for the GMaj7.

[bluewaterpig]

This should work pretty easily for you.

G major scale over Gmaj7, and then G minor scale over Cm7-F7, since G minor is relative to Bb major.

Just switching between G major and G minor is pretty easy to manage.

[lkmuller]

I'd replace the Cm7 F7 in the second bar with an F13 and play a C jazz minor over that. When the Cm7 F7 comes up again in the 4th bar I'd do a II V into Bb. Eb jazz minor in bar 6 kinda implying a minor II V into the relative minor but resolve it to the Gmaj7 then do a II V into G again. Just off the top of my head but it should work.

[freejazzlessons.com]

Originally Posted by JakeAcci

People are probably going to say "G major | C dorian, F mixolydian " etc or maybe "G major | Bb major " etc, and that's apt too, but if we're talking about jazz as I understand the term, it's sensible to have ii V I vocabulary and know how to use it, or at least see the guide tones in this progression.

+1. I agree completely.

1. A good first step is be able to create a solo using just chord tones.

2. Once you get comfortable doing that practice voiceleading your lines.