EdMusic Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 HiI am trying to find the best scale to use to play over the next progression: Bm9 Gmaj9 F#m9 Bm7/EBm9 Gmaj9 C#m9 Bm7/E(One chord/measure) I have a basic understanding of chords/scales but cannot find the one(s) that suits the above best. And I have to admit, I'm not the best solo-player but on a learning curve. thanx! Roland FA-08 Nord StageEX compact Yamaha MG10/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Is there a song title you have in mind? What I use really depends on the mood or melody of the song. Somewhere around age 30 or so I just stopped thinking in terms of scales more in terms of emotion and tension but that is just me. If it's striaght a headrock and roll I may play in Mixolydian, if I want something that sounds like exotic middle eastern belly dancing music I might do some sort of dominant Phrygian thingy. Scales are great for tools improvising stuff I really don't know. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Choosing the right scales to go with the right chords depends on several things, including where the chords fit into the overall tune. A minor 7th chord can be functioning at a iii, or it can be functioning as a ii, or a i, and you have different options in each case. But for this progression, it sounds like you have a tune based for the most part around a B dorian tonality. I would try this: Bm9 = B dorian and D pentatonicGmaj9 = G Major (ionian) and D pentatonicF#m9 = B dorian and A or E pentatonicBm7/E = B dorian C#m9 = C# dorian and E pentatonic Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdMusic Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Is there a song title you have in mind? Listen to the Music by Incognito. Roland FA-08 Nord StageEX compact Yamaha MG10/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Another thing you can try for fun is to look for triad shapes you can use to blow over the chord. Like on the Bm9. Look at the -7 (A), just for a place to startan A triad ( A C# E) to the n.D triad ( A D F#) to the rE triad ( G# B E). ( really just going I IV V on that A ) Play over the Bm9 with those tones and shapes. Change the position and go nuts. Try some leading tones. You don't have to use all three notes of the triad. Look for natural places to go from one to the other. Or if you do the same thing on the 11 of that same Bm9 chordE triad (E G# B) to the n. A triad ( E A C#) to the -r Bm triad (D F# B). ( I IV -V) There are others you'll find, but this is just another easy idea and different way to look at it and shapes your fingers know. Just another idea to toss out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTeechur Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I haven't listened to the excerpt, but the Bm9 to G looks like different iterations of the same chord tones, with a few exceptions. G major might work over that. The F#m to Bm/E looks kind of like a ii-V-i in E, with the exception of the V not being major. Could try an e minor scale over that (which, coincidentally, shares a lot of notes with G major). Ditto the next line, but the C#m7 kind of throws a wrench in the works. I generally try to look for "key areas" -- for instance, if you're playing over D- G7 CMaj7, then you're in the key area of C the entire time and should base what you're doing on that, rather than individual chords (or, you could play D dorian, G mixolydian, and C Ionian, which are all the same notes anyway but spending your brain power thinking about individual modes can really get in the way of the music.) Paying attention to odd extensions of the chord is good, too. If there's a b9 there, you may want to pay it some homage as you're passing by. Muzikteechur is Lonnie, in Kittery, Maine. HS music teacher: Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Music Theory, AP Music Theory, History of Rock, Musical Theatre, Piano, Guitar, Drama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdMusic Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thank you all for your insight and help. Although all the different scales are not that familiar to me i am sure google will help me. This will keep me busy coming days. Roland FA-08 Nord StageEX compact Yamaha MG10/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdMusic Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Wow Linwood, that triad trick works great. Beautiful harmony!! Roland FA-08 Nord StageEX compact Yamaha MG10/2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Cool! Glad you can use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freejazzlessons Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hi I am trying to find the best scale to use to play over the next progression: Bm9 Gmaj9 F#m9 Bm7/E Bm9 Gmaj9 C#m9 Bm7/E (One chord/measure) I have a basic understanding of chords/scales but cannot find the one(s) that suits the above best. And I have to admit, I'm not the best solo-player but on a learning curve. thanx! Hi Ed, There are a lot of ways you could approach soloing on this but here's more of a simple way Bm9 Gmaj9 F#m9 Bm7/E......you can use B natural minor on this notes in scale: B, C#,D,E,F#,G,A,B Bm9 Gmaj9 C#m9 Bm7/E......you can use B dorian on this notes in scale: B, C#,D,E,F#,G#,A,B Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogmonkey Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 It could be even simpler than all that, too.B minor pentatonic fits the mood perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freejazzlessons Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 It could be even simpler than all that, too. B minor pentatonic fits the mood perfectly. Absolutely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 What's a "scale"? Oh yes.. those dreaded music theory classes from my past.... and that damn piano teacher! '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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