solo options

[dabass]

What scale/modal options are there for soloing with a C7 blues progression besides C mixolydian,Cm pentatonic or Fmajor ??

[MistaMarko]

Being that I started out bass guitar playing blues jams like that, I suppose you can do any modal scale that fits the C7 progression..I guess I'll list all I can think of.

C7 = C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C

C Mixolydian,
Cm pentatonic
F Major
G Dorian
D Minor
E Locrian


Only ones I can think of off the top of my head. Some of those might sound weird in C7, like D minor, but it fits. It might add a unique sound. Try 'em out.

[steveb98]

There are scales/modes that will get you more altered color tones, but you said you are playing Blues. Unless playing Jazz Blues your don't want a lot of altered tones, you want feeling. I would say stick to your Major Pent on the I chord and Minor Pent on IV and V chords. I would say try using the Lydian Dominant scale ( Mixolydian with raised 4th) instead of the Mixolydian. It avoids the natural 4/11 that would clash with the 3rd of the chords. You can use this scale from the root of each chord.

[MistaMarko]

Originally Posted by steveb98

There are scales/modes that will get you more altered color tones, but you said you are playing Blues. Unless playing Jazz Blues your don't want a lot of altered tones, you want feeling. I would say stick to your Major Pent on the I chord and Minor Pent on IV and V chords. I would say try using the Lydian Dominant scale ( Mixolydian with raised 4th) instead of the Mixolydian. It avoids the natural 4/11 that would clash with the 3rd of the chords. You can use this scale from the root of each chord.

That's pretty neat, never thought about that.

[Jazzin']

I love soloing in I7 and just changing to I-7 instead of IV7. Even though it's really the same thing, they sound totally different because the mind is thinking differently.

[dabass]

Please elaborate....

[NickyBass]

One cool concept that I picked up was using a diminished scale a half step away from the dominant chord. So, for C7, you can use the C# diminished scale. But as Steve B pointed out, you need to be careful about altered tones. This concept shouldn't be used for the sake of sounding 'out.' Like all other solo ideas, it should be practised until it is in your vocabulary, and if you hear it in your head, then you don't have to think about it, you just do it.