The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    About a year ago I posted a chord progression to get some ideas for soloing over, and today I've got another. Kind of a jazzy-bluesy feel. Soloing over the first part of the Verse is not difficult, but the Chorus is a bit tricky.

    Verse:
    | Dm7 | | Em7 | A7 | (3x)
    | Dm7 | | Cm7 | F11 |

    Chorus:
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | A7#5 |

    Format of backing track: ||: Verse, Chorus :|| Chorus...

    The BbMaj7 is easy. Then I guess you can play Altered Scale (7th mode of Melodic Minor), over the A7#5; or Whole Tone Scale could also work. Then over the Ab13 chord, obviously the Dominant Scale (=Mixolydian), and same scale for the G7. But probably some more interesting things could work.
    Like last time, it would be cool if some of you tried playing along with it to see what you come up with. I'm interested in lines/melodies that work over the chords, but that also connect/flow smoothly/naturally. Thanks!



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    Last edited by DavesGuitarPlanet; 05-21-2021 at 12:20 PM.

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  3. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by DavesGuitarPlanet
    About a year ago I posted a chord progression to get some ideas for soloing over, and today I've got another. Kind of a jazzy-bluesy feel. Soloing over the first part of the Verse is not difficult, but the Chorus is a bit tricky.


    Verse:
    | Dm7 | | Em7 | A7 | (3x)
    | Dm7 | | Cm7 | F11 |


    Chorus:
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | A7#5 |


    Format of backing track: ||: Verse, Chorus :|| Chorus...


    The BbMaj7 is easy. Then I guess you can play Altered Scale (7th mode of Melodic Minor), over the A7#5; or Whole Tone Scale could also work. Then over the Ab13 chord, obviously the Dominant Scale (=Mixolydian), and same scale for the G7. But probably some more interesting things could work.
    Like last time, it would be cool if some of you tried playing along with it to see what you come up with. I'm interested in lines/melodies that work over the chords, but that also connect/flow smoothly/naturally. Thanks!



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    I'll have a go at this later. Super strong voice leading in the chord progression, so I imagine I'll be able to create a bunch of good melodic stuff over it. Nice tune.

  4. #3

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    I like that track.

  5. #4

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    Verse:
    | Dm7 | | Em7 | A7 | (3x)
    | Dm7 | | Cm7 | F11 |


    Chorus:
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | A7#5 |

    The change from G7 to A7#5 at the end of the chorus sounds abrupt to me, so that is the tricky part to my ear. If me, I might explore more paths back to Dm7...

    Chorus:
    | BbMaj7 | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | Gb(9b5) | F7#5 -> A7#5 |
    This way provides support for wholetone or other angular funky fusion lines through the F->A quick shift
    or
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | Gb(13/E) | Faug7/Eb |
    This way is very smooth by sneaking into Dm by using E and Eb non-root momentary Bossa Nova bottoms
    Voiced like [x 7 8 8 7 x] to [x 6 7 6 6 x]
    or
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | Cm7 | F9 | BbMaj7 | A7#5 |
    This way sounds very straight by using harmonic echos: the C->F echoes the end of the verse and the Bb->A echos the beginning of the chorus... so it has a very "all tied up nice and neat" sound
    or
    | BbMaj7 | | A7#5 | |Ab13 | G7 | Gb(13)...
    When you have a chromatic descending series of harmonies that appeal to the ear like this, sometimes it suggests pausing on a new resting place sound for a bit... after four bars of exploring Gb(13), the shift to Dm7 can work fine. Might do this just once or twice within the whole tune as a special chorus or pseudo-bridge interlude to retain its surprise

    As far as melodic line ideas, with this original progression chorus the prominent things are the #5 and 7th (includes 13th) forms. A simple approach would be to use ideas or even motifs alternating through the chords. Seventh chords can always take elements of Lydian Dominant well. Sharp five chords are well suited for more angular lines. The challenge is to select and construct in such a way that the overall expression has momentum and purpose - has something to say.

    By angular, for example, I mean things like this:
    For A7#5
    From the high C at the 8th fret
    descend
    C A F Db
    then from Eb on the B string
    descend
    Eb C G Db

    By momentum and purpose, notice both phrases go to Db, which is the major third. If you follow this with Lydian Dominant on the Ab(13) its major third is C, and if you repeat the angular motif for G7 (which is really G7#5 here) its two phrases both go to its major third B...
    so inside all this you may push to emphasize a strong parallel Db->C->B movement of thirds.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by pauln
    Verse:
    ...The change from G7 to A7#5 at the end of the chorus sounds abrupt to me, so that is the tricky part to my ear. If me, I might explore more paths back to Dm7...
    Thanks a lot for your suggestions. It's late here (Bangkok), but I'll look at them closer tomorrow.

    FYI, I did come up with a one-chorus solo that I put in one of my fun videos:

  7. #6

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    Finally played through your ideas tonight to see what they sound like. The only progression idea that connected with me was the third one...but it actually sounded a bit predictable to me. So I guess I'll stick with my progression as is.
    The melodic line ideas, both of which end on Db, were interesting. But I'd really like to hear someone try soloing over it.
    Anyhow, I guess I'm done playing around with this. But if anyone else would like to try soloing over it, it might be cool to hear. Thanks.