by Mike Overly
Here is something surprising, even if you know the key signature of a song, you still don’t know what key you are in. This is because one key signature represents two keys: one major key and one relative minor key. And even after analyzing a song to determine the correct key, you might not be able to improvise. The reason is because you still need to know what scale to play. As we will learn in this lesson, that’s not always an easy choice to make.
Let's begin with a traditional definition of improvise (improvisation), which is also known as extemporize. Improvisation is the creative activity of immediate, in the moment, musical composition. Improvisation combines spontaneous theoretical and technical actions coupled with the communication of emotions. Improvisation also includes immediate response to other musicians. Individual musical ideas of improvisation are united on the ground of shared harmony changes, called chords. And because improvisation is a performative action, which depends on instrumental technique, a major component of improvisation is skill. It's important to remember that there are musicians who have never improvised, and there are other musicians who have devoted their entire lives to improvisation.
In contrast to the above complex definition, I simply define improvise as: free to choose. By this I mean, the improvisational musician is free to choose any scale or mode that they think sounds good with any chord harmony. For this lesson, let's simply define a mode as an altered scale. Now, what's important to remember is that the improvisor is the authority. The improvisor playes what they like, to express how they feel.
Improvisational music differs from traditional music in that improvisational music enfolds, whereas traditional music unfolds. Here's what I mean. Traditional music begins with one scale and then proceeds to unfold into many arpeggio and chord harmonies. Here’s an example, the C major scale is spelled in letters: C D E F G A B and in scale degree tone numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And from this scale you can spell the C major chord in letters: C E G, and in tone numbers: 1 3 5.
With this elementary beginning, we can introduce the idea that improvisational music is the enfolding of one chord into many scales. In other words, improvisation is the traditional unfolding music process reversed in an enfolded retrograde manner. Said in a different way, in traditional music the scale is known first and from that known scale you spell the harmony, but in contrast, in improvisational music the harmony is known first and then you are free to choose any scale or mode that you feel sounds good with that harmony. Remember, the choice is always yours.
There are many, many scales and modes that may be played with the major chord. In fact, any scale or mode that contains the tone numbers 3 and 5 may be used. Don't forget, there are no right or wrong sounds in improvisation, only sounds that you like. Said one more time, as an improvisor, you are free to choose the sounds of any scale or mode you wish ~ it’s all about you!
The following are but a few of the many scales and modes that may be played with the major chord, tones 1 3 5 (one, three, five). In the beginning, a scale or mode may sound unfamiliar and weird to you, that’s okay, just keep playing that scale or mode until it becomes familiar.
At that point you will begin to "like it" and incorporate it into your improvisations.
Major pentatonic: 1 2 3 5 6
Scriabin: 1 b2 3 5 6
East Indian: 1 3 4 5 b7
Ionian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Lydian mode: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Melodic minor lydian mode: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Melodic minor mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Harmonic minor aeolian mode: 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7
Hungarian major: 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Byzantine: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7
Hundusian: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Octotonic hybrid: 1 2 3 4 b5 5 6 7
Symmetric hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 b5 5 6 b7
Novem hybrid: 1 2 3 4 b5 5 6 b7 7
Taurus hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 4 5 #5 6 7
OverMoto hybrid: 1 b2 2 3 4 b5 5 b6 6 b7 7
Next, let’s discover a few scales and modes that may be played with the minor chord, tones 1 b3 5 (one, flat three, five).
Minor pentatonic: 1 b3 4 5 b7
Balinese: 1 b2 b3 5 b6
Japanese Hiro-Joshi: 1 2 b3 5 b6
Hawaiian: 1 2 b3 5 6
Scriabin minor: 1 b2 b3 5 6
Dorian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Phrygian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Melodic minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
Melodic minor dorian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Harmonic minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Harmonic minor lydian mode: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
Natural minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Natural minor lydian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Natural minor mixolydian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Neopolitan minor: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Hungarian minor: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7
Moroccan: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 b7
Romanian: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
Taurus hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 4 5 #5 6 7
Finally, let’s reveal a few scales and modes that may be played with the suspended chord, tones 1 #3 5 (one, sharp three, five).
Scriabin: 1 b2 #3 5 6
Japanese Kumoi-Joshi: 1 b2 #3 5 b6
Japanese Kokin-Joshi: 1 b2 #3 5 b7
Korea Ujo: 1 2 #3 5 6
Egyptian: 1 2 #3 5 b7
Korea P’yongjo: 1 2 #3 5 6 b7
Pacific suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 b7
Lydian suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Morollian: 1 2 #3 #4 5 b6 b7
Tarrian: 1 #2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Sharno: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 b6 b7
Diamond suspended: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Enigmatic hybrid: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 #5 #6 7
Romanian suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 b7
Belmontian hybrid: 1 b2 2 #3 b 5 5 b6 6 b7 7
As was said earlier, there are many more scales and modes that may be learned and then applied, so, be sure to study pages 296 and 297 of Guitar EncycloMedia to discover other choices. And don't forget to check out page 10 of the GEM to learn more about 9 triads of 3 types.
‘Til next time, have some improvisational fun, no matter what chord you’re playing... I’ll be listening!
Globally-renowned guitar and bass instructor, Mike Overly easily combines the worlds of deeply-rooted academic study with a well-textured performance resume. His pathbreaking 12 Tone Music Publishing products, including: Guitar & Bass EncycloMedia, Guitar & Bass Fretboard Facts, Guitar & Bass Fretboard Flashcards and the newly released Tone Note® Music Method for Guitar, provide valuable illuminating insights to playing guitar and bass while simplifying the learning process.
Join Mike at www.12tonemusic.com to explore and expand your knowledge of these two iconic instruments through a variety of reviews and interviews, tips and tricks and free lessons of remarkable originality, all presented in a family-friendly forum. Plus, as an added bonus, you get to follow Mr. Pick as he introduces you to fun fretboard games, jokes, riddles, quotes and more. Be sure to read the 12 Tone Music Blog where Mike offers a behind-the-scenes look at the development of his unique approach to solving the problems of modern musical notation and traditional guitar and bass methods.
Mike Overly's unmatched perspective on fretboard education has something for everyone ~ from the amateur hobbyist to the serious professional player ~ as well as any music enthusiast who wants to come along for the ride.
Here is something surprising, even if you know the key signature of a song, you still don’t know what key you are in. This is because one key signature represents two keys: one major key and one relative minor key. And even after analyzing a song to determine the correct key, you might not be able to improvise. The reason is because you still need to know what scale to play. As we will learn in this lesson, that’s not always an easy choice to make.
Let's begin with a traditional definition of improvise (improvisation), which is also known as extemporize. Improvisation is the creative activity of immediate, in the moment, musical composition. Improvisation combines spontaneous theoretical and technical actions coupled with the communication of emotions. Improvisation also includes immediate response to other musicians. Individual musical ideas of improvisation are united on the ground of shared harmony changes, called chords. And because improvisation is a performative action, which depends on instrumental technique, a major component of improvisation is skill. It's important to remember that there are musicians who have never improvised, and there are other musicians who have devoted their entire lives to improvisation.
In contrast to the above complex definition, I simply define improvise as: free to choose. By this I mean, the improvisational musician is free to choose any scale or mode that they think sounds good with any chord harmony. For this lesson, let's simply define a mode as an altered scale. Now, what's important to remember is that the improvisor is the authority. The improvisor playes what they like, to express how they feel.
Improvisational music differs from traditional music in that improvisational music enfolds, whereas traditional music unfolds. Here's what I mean. Traditional music begins with one scale and then proceeds to unfold into many arpeggio and chord harmonies. Here’s an example, the C major scale is spelled in letters: C D E F G A B and in scale degree tone numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And from this scale you can spell the C major chord in letters: C E G, and in tone numbers: 1 3 5.
With this elementary beginning, we can introduce the idea that improvisational music is the enfolding of one chord into many scales. In other words, improvisation is the traditional unfolding music process reversed in an enfolded retrograde manner. Said in a different way, in traditional music the scale is known first and from that known scale you spell the harmony, but in contrast, in improvisational music the harmony is known first and then you are free to choose any scale or mode that you feel sounds good with that harmony. Remember, the choice is always yours.
There are many, many scales and modes that may be played with the major chord. In fact, any scale or mode that contains the tone numbers 3 and 5 may be used. Don't forget, there are no right or wrong sounds in improvisation, only sounds that you like. Said one more time, as an improvisor, you are free to choose the sounds of any scale or mode you wish ~ it’s all about you!
The following are but a few of the many scales and modes that may be played with the major chord, tones 1 3 5 (one, three, five). In the beginning, a scale or mode may sound unfamiliar and weird to you, that’s okay, just keep playing that scale or mode until it becomes familiar.
At that point you will begin to "like it" and incorporate it into your improvisations.
Major pentatonic: 1 2 3 5 6
Scriabin: 1 b2 3 5 6
East Indian: 1 3 4 5 b7
Ionian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Lydian mode: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Melodic minor lydian mode: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Melodic minor mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Harmonic minor aeolian mode: 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7
Hungarian major: 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Byzantine: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7
Hundusian: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
Octotonic hybrid: 1 2 3 4 b5 5 6 7
Symmetric hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 b5 5 6 b7
Novem hybrid: 1 2 3 4 b5 5 6 b7 7
Taurus hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 4 5 #5 6 7
OverMoto hybrid: 1 b2 2 3 4 b5 5 b6 6 b7 7
Next, let’s discover a few scales and modes that may be played with the minor chord, tones 1 b3 5 (one, flat three, five).
Minor pentatonic: 1 b3 4 5 b7
Balinese: 1 b2 b3 5 b6
Japanese Hiro-Joshi: 1 2 b3 5 b6
Hawaiian: 1 2 b3 5 6
Scriabin minor: 1 b2 b3 5 6
Dorian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Phrygian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Melodic minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
Melodic minor dorian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Harmonic minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Harmonic minor lydian mode: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
Natural minor ionian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Natural minor lydian mode: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Natural minor mixolydian mode: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Neopolitan minor: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Hungarian minor: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7
Moroccan: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 b7
Romanian: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
Taurus hybrid: 1 b2 b3 3 4 5 #5 6 7
Finally, let’s reveal a few scales and modes that may be played with the suspended chord, tones 1 #3 5 (one, sharp three, five).
Scriabin: 1 b2 #3 5 6
Japanese Kumoi-Joshi: 1 b2 #3 5 b6
Japanese Kokin-Joshi: 1 b2 #3 5 b7
Korea Ujo: 1 2 #3 5 6
Egyptian: 1 2 #3 5 b7
Korea P’yongjo: 1 2 #3 5 6 b7
Pacific suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 b7
Lydian suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Morollian: 1 2 #3 #4 5 b6 b7
Tarrian: 1 #2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Sharno: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 b6 b7
Diamond suspended: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 6 7
Enigmatic hybrid: 1 b2 #3 #4 5 #5 #6 7
Romanian suspended: 1 2 #3 #4 5 6 b7
Belmontian hybrid: 1 b2 2 #3 b 5 5 b6 6 b7 7
As was said earlier, there are many more scales and modes that may be learned and then applied, so, be sure to study pages 296 and 297 of Guitar EncycloMedia to discover other choices. And don't forget to check out page 10 of the GEM to learn more about 9 triads of 3 types.
‘Til next time, have some improvisational fun, no matter what chord you’re playing... I’ll be listening!
Globally-renowned guitar and bass instructor, Mike Overly easily combines the worlds of deeply-rooted academic study with a well-textured performance resume. His pathbreaking 12 Tone Music Publishing products, including: Guitar & Bass EncycloMedia, Guitar & Bass Fretboard Facts, Guitar & Bass Fretboard Flashcards and the newly released Tone Note® Music Method for Guitar, provide valuable illuminating insights to playing guitar and bass while simplifying the learning process.
Join Mike at www.12tonemusic.com to explore and expand your knowledge of these two iconic instruments through a variety of reviews and interviews, tips and tricks and free lessons of remarkable originality, all presented in a family-friendly forum. Plus, as an added bonus, you get to follow Mr. Pick as he introduces you to fun fretboard games, jokes, riddles, quotes and more. Be sure to read the 12 Tone Music Blog where Mike offers a behind-the-scenes look at the development of his unique approach to solving the problems of modern musical notation and traditional guitar and bass methods.
Mike Overly's unmatched perspective on fretboard education has something for everyone ~ from the amateur hobbyist to the serious professional player ~ as well as any music enthusiast who wants to come along for the ride.
