Solar (Miles Davis) – Melody & Improvisation

Solar is a classic jazz standard, often associated with Miles Davis, although the song was originally composed by jazz guitarist Chuck Wayne in 1946 under the title Sonny.

In this jazz guitar lesson, you will learn how to:

• Play the melody of Solar
• Understand the harmony and scale options
• Play a solo study over the chord changes of Solar

These studies are designed to expand your jazz vocabulary. Work through them slowly, use a metronome, and play along with the backing track. Take the time to make the lines your own and apply the concepts in your own solos.

Here’s Chuck Wayne’s original 1946 recording of Solar:

 

 

 

Video

 

Solar – Melody

Here’s the lead sheet and the guitar tabs for the melody of Solar.

Use this to learn the phrasing and note placement. Play it slowly at first to lock in the timing and articulation. Once you’re comfortable, try it with the backing track.

 

Backing Track (no piano)

Listen & Play Along

 

Solar Backing Track

Here is the backing track you can use to practice improvising over Solar and applying the concepts of this lesson.

 

 

Solar – Harmonic Analysis

Form: 12 bars long
Key: C minor

While the chords of Solar are relatively straightforward (mostly ii-V-I chord progressions), the modulations in the form make improvising challenging for beginners.

There are 3 modulations in the chord changes:

• Solar starts in C minor
• ➜ modulates to F major
• ➜ modulates to Eb major
• ➜ modulates to Db major
• ➜ back to C minor

 

 

Bars 1-2 | C Minor

The first two bars of Solar are in C minor, and the melody outlines the C melodic minor scale.

That same scale is an excellent choice for improvisation here.

 

 

Another option is C Dorian, the second of the guitar modes.

 

 

Bars 3-6 | F Major

In the next four bars, the harmony modulates to F major with a ii-V-I chord progression.

The scale of choice here is the F major scale.

 

 

To create some variation, you can play the C altered scale over C7.

 

 

Bars 7-9 | Eb Major

The progression in bars 7 to 9 is a ii-V-I in Eb major.

Use the Eb major scale over this chord progression.

 

 

Bars 10-11 | Db Major

The next two bars feature a short ii-V-I progression, this time in Db major.

Use the Db major scale here.

 

 

Bar 12 | C Minor

Bar 12 features a short minor ii-V back to the tonic minor.

Here, the scale of choice is the C harmonic minor scale or the C altered scale.

 

 

Solar – Soloing Study

Here’s a jazz guitar solo you can learn and apply to your own solos.

The solo is built from a series of classic licks, combined with scale and arpeggio ideas that outline the changes.

 

Backing Track (no piano)

Listen & Play Along

 

 

More Miles Davis Lessons:

• Nardis
• Four
• So What
• Miles Davis for Guitar