There are 2 different approaches to improving on scales and modes.
You can choose scale/mode that fits within the entire song (based on the key of the song) or you can play different scales and modes for each chord inthe song.
Fitting scales to a song’s key:
First approach is te easiest as you only have to worry about a single scale (unless the song changes key somewhere in the middle).
It’s quite simple: identify the key of the song and play the major or minor scale to the key
For eg. if you are playing a song in F major, you base your solo on the F major scale.
this scale works with all diatonic chords.
I IV V7 progression
You can play the notes of the F major scale agaist the F, Bb and C7 chords.
Even if the song has a more complex chord progression:
I vi ii V7 — the F major scale still works.
The same technique applies if a song is in a mionr key.
You will know its’ minor by the chord changes.
For eg. if key signature is F — but the chords: Dm Gm Am — the song is actually in the key of Dm.
Play a solo based ont he Dm scale and you are ready to roll.
Fitting scales to a songs chord
The 2nd approach is more difficult.
It also results in mor sophisticated improvisation — base your solo on the scales that fit the individual chords of a song.
This means playing different scales for each chord in the progression.
It also means playing scles that often include different notes than the scale that goes with the underlying key whichis sometimes a little difficult to get used to.
But even though it takes more work to learn all the diffeent scales, you end up with a lot more notes you can choose from for your solos.
Which scales go with which chords?
On the most basic level — major scales go with major scale chords
minor scales go with minor chords.
Dominant 7th — V7, play the notes of the mixolydian mode.
Let’s say you are playing a song in the key of C:
C major scale: C D E F G A B
You now come across an F major chord:
Instead of playing C major scale, you play F major scale: F G A Bb7 C D E
— while most of the notes are the same, that Bb definitiely isn’t in the C major scale
— but when you employ the scale – to -chord approach, you play the Bb.
Tags: modes