t

byMick Goodrich

f youre into improvising, stand the importance

you under-

of scales. for your fin-

They provide a discipline gers and expose possibilities

your ears to melodic ignore. 7ths

you might otherwise

Of all the chord types, dominant seem to support scales. the greatest

number of

Lets explore some of them. Examples increase 1-9, slowly at

Play through first. Gradually determine

the tempo as you and begin

workable

fingerings

to hear each scale. Play the examples backward too, resolving to whatever

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1 MASTERING DOMINANTS

Cmuj7chord tone that sounds best to you. (Thats why I use so many accidentals. When you play the exercises forward, the extra accidentals seem redundant. But when you shift into reverse, they come in very handy.) As you work through the scales, keep these points in mind: Examples 1-7 are derived from seven-note scales, while Ex. 8 comes from an eight-note scale and Ex. 9 from a six-note scale. Ex. 6 is Ex. 5 transyrsed up a minor third. : Examples 5 and 7 work best against a G7sus4.
l l l

Ex. 1

G7 Mixolydian (C major scale)

Cmaj7

En 2

G7 Lydian b7 (D melodicminor)

Cmaj7

G7 Phrygian major (C harmonic minor)

Cmaj7

Ex.4

G7 Mixolydian b6 (C melodic minor)

Cmaj7

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Ex. 5

solo

vorce

G7 Phrygian t]6 (F melodicminor) * I

Cmaj7

Ex. 6

G7 altered (A b melodic minor)

Cmaj7

Ex. 7

G7sus4bg(G Phrygian - &major)

Cmaj7

Ex.8 G7 (F symmetricaldiminished)

Cmaj7

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1 MASTERING DOMINANTS

Ex. 9

G7 (G whole-tone)

Cmaj7

These scales represent the typical insidechoices yourelikely to encounter. Nowlets touch on some outside options. Before you tacklethese lines,noticethat Examples lo-13 arederivedfrom seven-note scales, whileF.x.14isfrom aneight-noteseries. The nineprevious scales plusthese newexamples encompass some of the usual sources for melodicmaterial,aswellasa fewatypicalpossibilities to keenvou thinking.
Ex. 10

G7 (E 1,melodicminor)

Cmaj7

Ex. 11

G7 (F # melodicminor)

Cmaj7

Ex. 12

G7 (B melodic minor)

Cmaj7

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HOW TO PLAY GUITAR / JAZZ I

MASTERINGDOMINANTS 1 *he
Ex.13

SOI=

v-fee

G7 (E b harmonic minor)

Cmaj7

Ex.14

G7 (C symmetricaldiminished)

Cmaj7

ourfirst ninescales, whiieOutside(Ex 16,next Toput these scales to use, Ive written apair of tricks blues headsInside(Ex.15)employs page)teststhe stranger-sounding options.Starttheseexercises slowly,thenwork up speed soyou canhearthe color of the scales. (Thecircled numbers indicatethe scale typeslisted on thenextpage.) Thesoundof these typical 12.barblues chordsshould befamiliarto you,but recording the changes to play overwill be a big helpwhenthe scales get moreoutside. Whenyou getthe soundof the scales in your head,cut loose with some improvising andplayyour brainsout!

Inside
Ex.15

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Ex.16
c7

Outside
@
F7 c7 F7

@ Mixolydian @ Lydian b7 @ Phrygian major @ Mixolydian b6 @ Phrygian i~6 6 Altered @Phrygian @ Symmetrical diminished 9 Whole-tone

@ Altered up a perfect 5th @ Altered down a major 2nd 0 2 Altered up a minor 3rd @ Harmonic minor up a minor 6th @ Symmetrical diminished up a perfect 4th @ Lydian b7 up a minor 3rd

Mick Goodrick teaches at New England Conservatory and is the author ofAdvancing Guitarist [Hal Leonard]. He also gives clinics and perjorms worldwti, His recent albums include Rare Birds(withJoe Diorio) and Sunscreams, and a new album with WolfgangMuthspiel is in the works.