In Position Soloing Over Cmaj7 Gm7.
This is a continuation of last week’s free lesson, which you can check here: Solo In Position over Cmaj7 Abmaj7. Check this blog first. It will make everything in today’s lesson easier to follow.
Today we’ll talk about some advanced improvising with the 7 in position scale fingerings.
If you don’t know those scale patterns yet, you can learn them here: The 7 C Major Scale Fingerings
You will be soloing in position, over this chord progression.
“In position” means “staying in 1 spot with your hand”.
||: Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Gm7 | Gm7 :||
The Gm here is a modal interchange chord. Learn more about Modal Interchange Here.
This whole chord progression is in the key of C.
You might wonder how this can be possible when after all there is no Gm chord in a C major scale.
The chords in the key of C are C Dm Em F G Am Bdim. There is no Gm chord.
The above link about modal interchange chords explains how and why this works.
For reasons explained in last week’s free lesson blog, you use the G Dorian scale over the Gm chord here.
So in this chord progression, you will solo 2 bars C major/Ionian scale and 2 bars G Dorian scale
This applies to all minor modal interchange chords btw. (i.e. In the key of C over an Fm chord, you play F Dorian)
G dorian has 1 flat.
Learn here how to quickly figure out the key signatures to modes in all keys
The Closest Scale Fingerings for C Ionian and G Dorian.
Chord progressions with modal interchange chords or key changes are fantastic resources to drill your ability to change between scales while staying in position. Good improvisers know how to solo over various complex chord progressions or key changes keeping their fretting hand in 1 location.
That is what we will be practicing today.
Closest scale patterns for the Cmaj7 Gm7 chord progression:
- C Ionian fingering → C Mixolydian fingering
- D Dorian fingering → D Aeolian fingering
- E Phrygian fingering → E Locrian fingering
- F Lydian fingering → F Ionian fingering
- G Mixo fingering → G Dorian fingering
- A Aeolian fingering → A Phrygian fingering
- B Locrian fingering → Bb Lydian fingering.
Solo 3 min per position = a 21min daily drill.
It’s only challenging in the beginning. After a couple of days, this will get easier.
This is an amazing exercise to drill your scale fingerings. Every jazz guy spends a lot of time on those types of improvisation drills.
Check this following video:
Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you would like me to send you backing tracks of the above chord progression, if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
You’re on your way to becoming a great guitar player.
Have fun! 🙂
Conclusion
Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.
That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.
If you want to see amazing results and progress in your guitar playing, buy your first lesson here and get started ASAP.
- 1 Lesson = 75
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