Chord Tone Vs Chord Scale Soloing

[V7#5b9]

Although the following article discusses the concepts in the context of jazz, they do apply to other genres as well. 

Chord-Tone vs. Chord-Scale Soloing
by Professor Hal Crook

"For the past few decades or so, more and more jazz players have been using the chord-scale approach for soloing over chords in progressions. The chord-scale approach is based on the idea that if a chord is diatonic to a scale, then that scale can be used as a source to derive melody on that chord." 

You will find the full article at BERKLEE TODAY. 

PS Also see the sidebar at the end of the article

[matonanjin]

Thanks for this link, Gerard.

[Wim VD]

I am currently making my first small steps in soloing, so this topic is very relevant to me. I have been trying out playing scales and playing chord tones over chord progressions, and the chord tone approach sounds beter to my ear. So I decided to focus on learning chord arpeggios in the months to come, starting with the dominant 7th chords, and then the major and minor 7th and eventually the m7b5.

Any advice is welcome on this topic. When it comes to soloing, I feel like an absolute beginner again :-)

[matonanjin]

Wim, I am about the same spot as you, " making my first small steps in soloing".  I need to study Gerard's link a little more to try and figure this difference between chord tone and scale tone.

I have this book, Chord Tone Soloing.  A Guitarist's Guide to Melodic Improvising in Any Style.  It's a Hal Leonard book written by Barret Tagliarino.  I also have a couple TrueFire courses on the subject. 

[V7#5b9]

18 hours ago, Wim VD said:

I am currently making my first small steps in soloing, so this topic is very relevant to me. I have been trying out playing scales and playing chord tones over chord progressions, and the chord tone approach sounds beter to my ear. So I decided to focus on learning chord arpeggios in the months to come, starting with the dominant 7th chords, and then the major and minor 7th and eventually the m7b5.

Any advice is welcome on this topic. When it comes to soloing, I feel like an absolute beginner again :-)

@Wim VD The reason the chord tone approach sounds better to you is because you are using the harmonic framework of the progression. Chord tones are the safe, sweet notes the chords or arpeggios are made of. They are the notes you can hold or land on. When it comes to the seventh chords, the third and the seventh are the guide tones and you should target one of them when making the chord changes. Of course, the chord tones alone don’t make a great solo, but if you start with them, you will get the harmony into your ear and you will hear the chord changes. Then, you can start adding approach notes and here the devil is in the details that are way beyond the scope of a simple post. 

So you decided to focus on learning the arpeggios starting with the dominant 7th chords. That’s a good idea because all you need for a traditional 12 bar blues is this one type of chord. The harmonic simplicity and structural economy of the 12 bar blues makes it the perfect vehicle for tackling soloing and improvisation in the early stages. So again, you start with chord tones only, then you add approach notes thereby building your solo from the bottom up. You can learn the arpeggios in isolation or from the perspective of its parent scale. The mixolydian which can be thought of as a major scale with a lowered seventh is the parent scale for a dominant 7th chord. 

After you’ve completed Session 19, you may want to reach for a resource that thoroughly deals with soloing and improvisation in your chosen genre. 

[Wim VD]

7 hours ago, matonanjin said:

Wim, I am about the same spot as you, " making my first small steps in soloing".  I need to study Gerard's link a little more to try and figure this difference between chord tone and scale tone.

I have this book, Chord Tone Soloing.  A Guitarist's Guide to Melodic Improvising in Any Style.  It's a Hal Leonard book written by Barret Tagliarino.  I also have a couple TrueFire courses on the subject. 

@matonanjin

Ron, thanks for the book suggestion. I had it on my list already based on some post on the old forum.

Did you work on these book materials and do they fulfill your expectations?

 

Wim.

5 hours ago, V7#5b9 said:

@Wim VD The reason the chord tone approach sounds better to you is because you are using the harmonic framework of the progression. Chord tones are the safe, sweet notes the chords or arpeggios are made of. They are the notes you can hold or land on. When it comes to the seventh chords, the third and the seventh are the guide tones and you should target one of them when making the chord changes. Of course, the chord tones alone don’t make a great solo, but if you start with them, you will get the harmony into your ear and you will hear the chord changes. Then, you can start adding approach notes and here the devil is in the details that are way beyond the scope of a simple post. 

So you decided to focus on learning the arpeggios starting with the dominant 7th chords. That’s a good idea because all you need for a traditional 12 bar blues is this one type of chord. The harmonic simplicity and structural economy of the 12 bar blues makes it the perfect vehicle for tackling soloing and improvisation in the early stages. So again, you start with chord tones only, then you add approach notes thereby building your solo from the bottom up. You can learn the arpeggios in isolation or from the perspective of its parent scale. The mixolydian which can be thought of as a major scale with a lowered seventh is the parent scale for a dominant 7th chord. 

After you’ve completed Session 19, you may want to reach for a resource that thoroughly deals with soloing and improvisation in your chosen genre. 

@V7#5b9

Gerard,

Thanks for your response. I will follow your advice and study the parent scales as well.

Reading through you posts I have often been wondering where you have gathered all your musical knowledge. Thanks again for willing to share this and helping me and others.

Wim.

[V7#5b9]

@Wim VD You’re welcome. I feel humbled by your favourable comment. I’ve never had the gift of being able to play by ear and now my condition isn’t ideal, either. I have to wear hearing aids and deal with tinnitus. Fortunately, these days the abundance of resources makes it possible to learn music theory thoroughly and compensate for the ear’s shortcomings to a substantial degree. My resource library is relatively big. I’m grateful to those who developed and codified the language of music. 

[matonanjin]

3 hours ago, Wim VD said:

@matonanjin

Ron, thanks for the book suggestion. I had it on my list already based on some post on the old forum.

Did you work on these book materials and do they fulfill your expectations?

Wim.

Wim, No, I'm sorry I didn't say that in my post.  I have not started that book.  I'm not ready for that yet.  Soon I hope. 

[Wim VD]

@matonanjin

Ron,

I just ordered it from Amazon and will give it a try in the coming weeks.

@V7#5b9

Gerard,

This evening I have been practicing with my looper playing the C Major Scale over a G7 Chord and listening what notes sounded well. Mixolydian mode played over a dominant 7th cord is a cool concept!