Improvisation or navigating chords?

[fountain boy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwcgfnwZoMQ

The first 37 seconds or so is very melodic with a percussive mixture.

Is Mr. Minnieweather just following where his ear is taking him or is this something chordal?

[Mesmerize-16]

i'm not sure if there's a progression but the whole thing is in one key...so i'm not sure if that qualifies as "chordal".

[needmoney]

That's just a whole heap of pentatonic runs, mostly in one key.

[fountain boy]

It also sounds like it's parts of the blues scale mixed with the mixolydian scale.

[j.a.e.r.i.p]

If it's all one key that would be modal not chordal really.

[fountain boy]

Looking at his hands, he's putting the 'blue note' or the flat 5in there, so technically, it's not all in one key, is it?

It looks like he's building his motif off a dominant chord 7 when he's slapping.

[fountain boy]

Ok, i'm going to transcribe this. I'll try anyways, lol! It's like they play, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

The line has contour in it, not everythin is ascending but it descends to. Contour. I love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e5pBrZOHhI&NR=1

[fountain boy]

They trading licks here & the bassplayer is following the keys player.

These 'piano runs', i suppose, after hearing what note they are started on, seem to follow a predictable pattern for these guys, to flawlessy pull them off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GlDArjgHz4

[Mesmerize-16]

if the flat 5th is there it just means he's playing a blues scale which is just a modified minor pentatonic, so that's still in one key. many jazz players (bass and otherwise) often improvise using "off-key" like a flat 5th in their solos. there was one jazz bassist who was famous for playing chromatic solos no matter what the key.

[Pacman]

It's basically in one tonal center. He steps outside once or twice, but nothing major.