Solo improvisation....

I jammed with a jazz fusion band yesterday for the first time. We had some decent tunes going and it was a lot of fun.

All their songs were in minor keys and they seemed to favor I, II, IV, V, and VII, which is typical I guess.

I know a little about using pentatonic scales, by way of blues scales and circle of fourths, so that's what I was trying. Anyone got any other ways they like to go about improvising?

Learning the scales for the different chords helps a lot; so when you see Dm7 you know that its a Dorian Mode, for instance.

It also helps to just pull open a Real Book or a chart and improvise over the changes. You'll start seeing patterns quickly; like ii-V-I etc.

Since you are familiar with pentatonics, go one step further and go to the dorian minor mode. Simply, that is the 2nd mode of the major scale.

For example to play A dorian minor, play a G major scale starting on the 2nd note (a, b, c, d, e, f#, g, a). Play that scale over the same things you usually play a 5th position blues (pentatonic scale over). You will get some fun sounds.

Figure out how to do that in each position of the neck, then convert every chord to its' minor substitution. C major should become Am, C7 would become Gm, etc etc.

Pick up a copy of Pat Martino's Linear Expressions book. It uses the popular blues scale positions and takes each one light years further. Take one exercise and work it over and over until you have it mastered all the way up and down the neck, then go on.

Also, take a listen to anything by Pat, it will really open up your ear.

Stefan

coverbandbook.com