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What scale(s) might I use with these chords


TWSS

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Posted

So I wrote a simple little progression and I'm wondering which scales might work with it.

 

Here's is the progresssion:

 

l G/B l Am l C l Am l

l G/B l Am l C l E l

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Posted

A minor and C major would work over it.

Pentatonic or diatonic.

Maybe try E phrygian dominant ( = A harmonic minor ) over the E chord.

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Which notes are in the chords?

GBD ACE CEG EG#B

Put these in order and you have

A B C D E G G# A

Ignore the G# for a moment, and all these notes are in a C major scale. That would be the best one to go for, as Jasco has already noted you can whack as G# over the E chord (which in theory creates a different scale), but basically as long as you don't play a G at all in the last bar you should be right with C major.

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Another good strategy is to base you melodies or improvisations on the notes in each chord. When the chord changes, use the notes in the new chord.

bigboy 78 has already done half the work for you - listing the notes in each chord you posted. Now you just need to find them on the fretboard and apply them.

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It might be cool to jam out on the majority of the progression in A minor, and once you make it to the E, swap over to C#m pentatonic, which would produce some weird/off the wall stuff.

An easy way to do this would be to use the previous C note as a leading tone into C# (or Db, what have you), then you could jam out on the E triad (EG#B) using the other notes in the C# minor pentatonic as passing tones.

Then to transition back into the inverted G chord (G/B) you could move several ways. You can move from the E down to D or up to F# (5th or Major 7, depending on what is being targeted and how the other instruments/vocals are moving), or from C# up to D, or down to B (both notes are in the G triad), or F# up to G, or even holding the F# (again, depending on what is being targeted with the vocals and other instruments).

Just experiment and have fun.

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Posted

Which notes are in the chords?


GBD ACE CEG EG#B


Put these in order and you have


A B C D E G G# A


Ignore the G# for a moment, and all these notes are in a C major scale. That would be the best one to go for, as Jasco has already noted you can whack as G# over the E chord (which in theory creates a different scale), but basically as long as you don't play a G at all in the last bar you should be right with C major.

 

 

Bingo. Nice play.

  • Members
Posted

Which notes are in the chords?


GBD ACE CEG EG#B


Put these in order and you have


A B C D E G G# A


Ignore the G# for a moment, and all these notes are in a C major scale. That would be the best one to go for, as Jasco has already noted you can whack as G# over the E chord (which in theory creates a different scale), but basically as long as you don't play a G at all in the last bar you should be right with C major.

 

 

Wow, I've never seen it done that way before, listing the notes and all in order. Thanks a lot for that, you helped a bunch.

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