LESSON: Soloing in minor keys

[HaVIC5]

I posted this in the Blue Bossa thread, but I figured I'd make another thread also on this. As a teacher/tutor, I get asked about minor keys a lot, and there isn't any easy way to explain it to everybody, but this method for improvisation at least is a good start.

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

If you're a little lost, I suggest you watch my other videos on soloing, especially the "diatonic soloing" video.

[varunkapahi]

woah! thanks man
thats some really great playing in there on you channel, how i wish i could understand and play like that!

[narud]

as good as the content is, i may enjoy some of your descriptions even better.

"It might not be the most tasteful thing, but at least its fast."
"It's sloppy and uninspiring, but all the hot licks are there. "

[HaVIC5]

I aim to please.

[ameshokostreet]

Hi Havic5, I have seen your part 3 video on mapping out guidetones of chords in major keys but what about mapping out guidetones in minor keys for example Autumn Leaves. Should i map out in the major key or the minor key?

[HaVIC5]

Well, if the tune is in a minor key, wouldn't you map it to the minor key? I think I mention that a bit in the video here for this thread, but if I don't explicitly say that, then yeah, you should. If you were doing Autumn Leaves (in G minor lets say) then the maps would be...

(guidetones in bold)
C-7: C Eb G Bb = 4 b6 1 b3
F7: F A C Eb = b7 2 4 b6
Bbmaj7: Bb D F A = 3 5 b7 2
Ebmaj7: Eb G Bb D = b6 1 b3 5
A-7(b5): A C Eb G = 2 4 b6 1
D7: D F# A C = 5 7* 2 4
G-6: G Bb D E = 1 b3 5 6*

*Note the natural seven and natural, which means that these can be taken from harmonic minor and melodic minor respectively. This is part of the idea of "composite minor" = all minor scales working together as one.

You can probably see that there are two really solid guide tone lines to draw from:

Bb-A-A-G-G-F#-G/E (its jazzier to resolve to E, but its more typical of classical voice leading to resolve to tonic here)

....and....

Eb-Eb-D-D-C-C-Bb

Make sense?

[ameshokostreet]

Thank you. Judging from what you have written, It seems that you have mapped the guidetones based on the major scale of the minor key. (G A B C D E F#) compared to (G A Bb C D Eb F) Am I saying it right? I am not really clear on this, Am I supposed to map a modal key based on the major scale? My understanding of theory is still weak. Sorry

[HaVIC5]

Yeah, sorry, let me backtrack a bit. This is all very heady stuff, so if you're basic understanding of theory isn't rock solid, then you might miss some of this.

All of contemporary analysis in jazz/rock/pop/whatever is based on the assumption that the major scale is the "default" key. The pattern of W W H W W W H in terms of half/steps and whole steps is the basis of most harmony and melody in traditional Western music, and so everything else in Western music from then on out was based upon comparison to the major scale. Formulae for deriving not only other scales, but chords, intervallic patterns, etc are based upon comparison to the "default" major scale, which is numerically represented as "1 2 3 4 5 6 7", with each number representing that particular degree of the major scale built on the first degree. If you know the notes of the major scale associated with a particular tonic note, then to find any other scale/chord/chord progression it becomes a matter of applying a formula. Formulae are typically represented by a similar numerical order and application of accidentals. These accidentals don't literally mean that the accidentals are applied to the notes on the staff as they appear, but rather that those notes of the major scale are adjusted up/down a half step (sharp meaning up, flat meaning down)

For example, lets try and spell Ab lydian. First, figure out the key signature for Ab (4 flats) and then apply to a generic "A" scale.

A B C D E F G

becomes

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G

Next, apply the formula for lydian, which is 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7. This is essentially the same as the major scale, but the fourth degree has been raised (or "sharped") In this case, you're not going to get a D#, however, but a D natural since the D was flat already and raising it yields a natural D.

Ab Bb C D Eb F G

If all of these seems trivial to you, thats fine, but its to prove a point that everything in music is described in terms of the major scale. Spelling a G-7(b5,b13) chord yields 1 b3 b5 b7 b13, or G Bb Db F Eb, which are all their corresponding changed notes from the G major scale. It may be confusing to be in the minor key, but still think of the notes from the major scale, but thats how its typically done, and for the vast majority of instances, it makes things a lot easier the more in-depth you do in harmony.