The three most common scales used for Jazz improvisation are

• the major scale over most major chords
  
  
• the Mixolydian mode over most dominant chords
  
  
• the Dorian mode over most minor chords

In a IIm7 - V7 -Imaj7 chord progression the two modes used are derived from the same parent major scale.
Improvisation over such progression is therefore easy as you use the same notes over all three chords, only the tonal centre of the music shifts from chord to chord (from D to G to C below).

Click on any staff to hear its Audio

Here are the scale and modes for the three C chords (major, dominant and minor).

Click on any staff to hear its Audio

Notice that you can also form a mode by lowering 1 or 2 notes of the major scale with the same tonic note.

• the C Mixolydian mode can be formed by lowering the 7th note of the C major scale by a semitone.
  
  
• the C Dorian mode can be formed by lowering the 3rd and the 7th note of the C major scale each by a semitone.

Click on any staff to hear its Audio

1.
Use Mixolydian modes over all dominant chords and the Dorian mode over the minor chord in the II-V-I blues progression.   Practise the scales as shown below.

Audio 10.6

Play-along in C : sheet music for C instruments - for Bb and Eb instruments.

Sheet music in C

Pal for C instruments

Pal for Bb instruments

Pal for Eb instruments

2.
Swapping 2s and 4s on the embellished II-V-I blues in C : complete improvisation

• Take 1 (10 choruses) - : I play the first 2 bars of each 4-bar phrase, you play the following 2 bars.

• Take 2 (10 choruses) - : You play the first 2 bars of each 4-bar phrase, I play the following 2 bars.

• Take 3 (10 choruses) - : I play the first 4 bars, you play the following 4 bars.

• Take 4 (10 choruses) - : You play the first 4 bars, I play the following 4 bars.

Improvise using the Dorian mode over Dm7.     Swing style.

Perhaps the most famous II-V-I Blues is Straight No Chaser by Thelonius Monk.
The chord progression is :

Audio 10.7

| F7	| Bb7	| F7	| F7	|
| Bb7	| Bb7	| F7	| Am7 D7	|
| Gm7	| C7	| F7	| (C7)	||

Note the Am7 - D7 chord substitution in bar 8 (= IIm7 - V7 in the key of G), which leads to Gm7 in bar 9.

Straight No Chaser

Here are some titles of other famous II-V-I blues songs.

Simple Blues Progression			More complex Blues Progressions
Bag's Groove Blues for Philly Joe Cool Blues Now's the Time Opus de Funk Swedish Pastry Swingin' Shepherd Blues Tenor Madness	by Milt Jackson by Sonny Rollins by Charlie Parker by Charlie Parker by Horace Silver by Barney Kessel by Moe Koffman by Sonny Rollins		Au Privave Blues for Alice Byrdlike Chasin' The Train West Coast Blues	by Charlie Parker by Charlie Parker by Freddie Hubbard by John Coltrane by Wes Montgomery

A.
Convert these major scales into Dorian modes by changing 2 notes in each scale.

1. G A B C D E F# G
2. E F# G# A B C# D# E
3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
4. D E F# G A B C# D
5. B C# D# E F# G# A# B

1. G A B C D E F# G
2. E F# G# A B C# D# E
3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
4. D E F# G A B C# D
5. B C# D# E F# G# A# B

1. C F Eb Bb G A D
2. A C G F D E B
3. Ab Eb Bb F G D C
4. F# D C A B E G
5. A C F Bb D E G

1. C Dorian mode
2. Bb Dorian mode
3. D Dorian mode
4. F Dorian mode
5. G Dorian mode

1. Ab
2. D
3. Eb
4. B
5. Bb

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BL 10.8 - Exercises

A.
Practise Minor 9th Chords around the Circle of 5ths.

B.
Practise the Dorian mode around the Circle of 5ths as shown below (4 bars in each key).

Demo

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BL 10.9 - Lesson Material

Dorian mode Ruler
Ex.11 - Minor 9th Chords	Demo	2 bars each key
Ex.12 - Dorian mode - p.2	Demo	8 bars each key
Straight No Chaser (in F) Bb and Eb score	Melody	Play-a-Long
Stumpy's Blues (in C)	Melody	Play-a-Long	in C for Bb instr.	in C for Eb instr.
Swapping 2s on II-V-I Blues in C	Demo	me 1st	you 1st
Swapping 4s on II-V-I Blues in C		me 1st	you 1st

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Copyright © 2004 Michael Furstner (Jazclass). All rights reserved.