Improvising with scale tones is an extension of what we’ve talked about in creating melodies. Specifically we started with a scale and skipped or sequentially stepped through the notes or tones. Much of what is used in the scale is repeating patterns, so let’s explore what you might do with that scale you have chosen to use over your chord.
What might you do with the scale? The most obvious is to use to simple go up the scale one note at a time or conversely down the scale one note at time and change the duration to give it some sort of pattern other than that of practicing a scale. That example might be a swing rhythm or a rest in the note or three eight notes and a dotted quarter note.
Of course this may get a little boring so you may want to mix it up a little more. Here are two examples of using a pattern of three and four notes per beat to accomplish the something new. In the triplet pattern use three scale notes of a G Mixolydian scale but at each beat we walk up the diatonic scale with the first note. That is we start on G then beat 2 is on A and beat 3 on B and so forth.
Then in the second measure start mixing that idea up with other patterns, take an easy leap and repeat a triplet pattern then work down the chord notes.
Here are two other patterns using sixteenth notes but walking down the scale on each beat. I’ve chosen a pentatonic scale in G (G A B D E) and applied a basic pattern to start a musical idea.
These are simple ideas you can now experiment with and it has all the potential of your creative mind. Start slowly and then work from one chord to another to see what you can create. Use just the following three chords in the standard ii7 – V7 – IM7 configuration in Bb. Find a scale for each chord that isn’t the basic minor or major scale that goes with the chord and try using it. Now you’re developing and building on two musical elements to increase your improvisation skills.
Remember to take your time and have fun exploring and auditioning ideas. Now, go to it.
Improvising with scale tones is an extension of what we’ve talked about in creating melodies. Specifically we started with a scale and skipped or sequentially stepped through the notes or tones. Much of what is used in the scale is repeating patterns, so let’s explore what you might do with that scale you have chosen to use over your chord.
What might you do with the scale? The most obvious is to use to simple go up the scale one note at a time or conversely down the scale one note at time and change the duration to give it some sort of pattern other than that of practicing a scale. That example might be a swing rhythm or a rest in the note or three eight notes and a dotted quarter note.
melody -g-scale.gif
Of course this may get a little boring so you may want to mix it up a little more. Here are two examples of using a pattern of three and four notes per beat to accomplish the something new. In the triplet pattern use three scale notes of a G Mixolydian scale but at each beat we walk up the diatonic scale with the first note. That is we start on G then beat 2 is on A and beat 3 on B and so forth.
Show triplet pattern
Then in the second measure start mixing that idea up with other patterns, take an easy leap and repeat a triplet pattern then work down the chord notes.
Here are two other patterns using sixteenth notes but walking down the scale on each beat. I’ve chosen a pentatonic scale in G (G A B D E) and applied a basic pattern to start a musical idea.
and quadruplet Sample of this here.
These are simple ideas you can now experiment with and it has all the potential of your creative mind. Start slowly and then work from one chord to another to see what you can create. Use just the following three chords in the standard ii7 – V7 – IM7 configuration in Bb. Find a scale that isn’t a major scale and use it. Now you’re developing and building on two musical elements to increase your improvisation skills.
Insert chords.
Remember to take your time and have fun exploring and auditioning ideas. Now, go to it.