improvising - need a few more ideas

[project_c]

i'm working on my ability to be able to improvise, and would like to expand my knowledge on the subject a little, so i'm setting myself some simple excercises to understand things a bit better.

i've set up a very simple loop to play along to, it's a repeating Am7 chord. in order to impovise to this simple repeating chord, i know that this chord fits into the *dorian* mode of the C major scale, so this means the 'legal' notes available to me are essentially all the modes of the C major scale, which is what I'm playing around with.

But my knowledge runs out after this point - where else can i 'legally' go within the framework of this one repeating chord?

[fettbass]

Well, technically, you'd have C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (as you mentioned), And B Locrian. The note you're treating as your root really has an effect on the colour of the scale you're playing.

[ac1710]

Forget the rules. According to the rules you have 7 out of 12 notes ( in one octave) you can use. To me thats pretty restrictive and it's in those 5 other notes that the colour really lies. Having said that you should start with the notes in the mode for a few minutes then start throwing in 'wrong' notes.

remember you have all the time in the world. play a few notes then take a breather then play some more. Don't feel that you have to go nuts and cram as many notes in as possible

Play the notes you want to and what you feel like. Experiment with 'illegal' notes, some will sound horrendous but be brave with them and push the boundaries of which notes are acceptable.

[project_c]

Originally Posted by fettbass

Well, technically, you'd have C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (as you mentioned), And B Locrian. The note you're treating as your root really has an effect on the colour of the scale you're playing.

yep, i understand that part - those are all the modes of the C major scale. i'm trying to look outside those, so would i be correct in assuming that it would then be 'legal' to find other modes and scales NOT in C major, that have an Am7 chord in them somewhere? this would essentially mean changing key whilst sticking with the same chord.

[ac1710]

Originally Posted by project_c

yep, i understand that part - those are all the modes of the C major scale. i'm trying to look outside those, so would i be correct in assuming that it would then be 'legal' to find other modes and scales NOT in C major, that have an Am7 chord in them somewhere? this would essentially mean changing key whilst sticking with the same chord.

Or you could just play 'wrong' notes and see what happens.
Think outside the box. Or even just don't think of the box at all.

[project_c]

I love the idea of thinking outside the box, but I can't help but feel that it's worth knowing what's inside of the box before stepping too far outside it. Meanwhile I found a load of compatible scales on the jguitar website, which i guess will expand things by quite a large amount. I would really like to understand WHY all these scales are compatible with Am7, what the thinking is behind it all.

Scales Compatible with A Minor 7th :

C Ionian
F Ionian
G Ionian
D Dorian
G Dorian
A Dorian
E Phrygian
A Phrygian
B Phrygian
C Lydian
F Lydian
A# Lydian
C Mixolydian
D Mixolydian
G Mixolydian
D Aeolian
E Aeolian
A Aeolian
E Locrian
F# Locrian
B Locrian
G Melodic Minor
A Phrygian #6
A# Lydian Augmented
C Lydian Dominant
D Fifth Mode
E Locrian #2
F# Altered
C# Diminished Whole Half
E Diminished Whole Half
G Diminished Whole Half
A# Diminished Whole Half
C Diminished Half Whole
D# Diminished Half Whole
F# Diminished Half Whole
A Diminished Half Whole
C Major Pentatonic
A Minor Pentatonic
D Suspended Pentatonic
A Blues
C Bebop Major
F Bebop Major
G Bebop Major
C Bebop Minor
D Bebop Minor
G Bebop Minor
A Bebop Minor
C Bebop Dominant
D Bebop Dominant
F Bebop Dominant
G Bebop Dominant
E Bebop Melodic Minor
G Bebop Melodic Minor
F Harmonic Major
E Harmonic Minor
G# Double Harmonic Major
C# Hungarian Gypsy
C Hungarian Major
A Hungarian Major
B Phrygian Dominant
E Neapolitan Minor
G# Enigmatic
E Eight-tone Spanish
F# Eight-tone Spanish
B Eight-tone Spanish
D# Oriental
G Yo
E Symmetrical
B Symmetrical

[fettbass]

Originally Posted by project_c

yep, i understand that part - those are all the modes of the C major scale. i'm trying to look outside those, so would i be correct in assuming that it would then be 'legal' to find other modes and scales NOT in C major, that have an Am7 chord in them somewhere? this would essentially mean changing key whilst sticking with the same chord.

All you need to make an Am7 chord an Am7 is a root, minor third, and minor 7th. Now, A Aeolian fulfills these requirements, but so does A dorian, A Phrygian, and A locrian. So technically, those would still work over Am7. However, I agree with ac1710, don't overthink it, just relax, enjoy, and play.

Edit. You seem to have found what you were looking for.

[project_c]

Originally Posted by fettbass

All you need to make an Am7 chord and Am7 is a root, minor third, and minor 7th. Now, A Aeolian fulfills these requirements, but so does A dorian, A Phrygian, and A locrian. So technically, those would still work over Am7. However, I agree with ac1710, don't overthink it, just relax, enjoy, and play.

Edit. You seem to have found what you were looking for.

I did, but what you said there about 'fulfilling requirements' just opened my eyes and helped me understand what's going on a lot more - thanks man.

[Arpeggiator]

Practise using progressions as well as just single chords I IV V and II V I are the two most common improv. progressions