Can a note fit anywhere in the progression?

[ElectroVibe]

This is a very basic question. Can any note in a scale fit in any part of a simple chord progression?

Such as in the key of C: The progression of C - F - G. Could any one note in the C scale fit over any of those three chords?

 

[JTE]

Sure. But it depends on where you play it. Hitting a B on the first beat of the C chord probably is going to sound wrong, but playing it on the last beat of the G just before it changes to the C will sound right.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Yes, depending on how you use it. A C wouldn't work over a G chord, except:

1. As part of a pedal tone series (C F/C G/C C), or

2. as a passing note, such as going down to a G/B.

All depends how far in the weeds you want to get.

 

[BaileyMan]

I'd add that it also depends on what octave you're in. If you play the C in a lower octave over a G chord, it may sound more dissonant (as the 4) If you play it in a higher octave (i.e. as the 11) it may add a nice color.

As others have said it also depends on where in the measure you play it, and what kind of emphasis you put on it. Used as a quick passing tone on a weak beat vs. longer note on strong beat.

 

[WrapRough]

Hi all, would I be right in saying that, if you were to play C Lydian, then it would be ok to play over a Gmaj?

 

[Papageno]

No: Not every note of the C major scale will fit well on every chord of the I IV V progression. As a rule of thumb, notes that are a 1/2 tone above a chord tone are to be handled with care, and should better be played as passing tone resolving to a chord tone.

This is the case for F on the the C chord and for C on the G chord. On the F chord, all notes of the C scale can be made to sound good.

For the same reason on the Am (vi) and Em (iii) chords, the F is better avoid or played as a passing tone, as it implies a subdominant dound and clashes with the E in the chord.

 

[mambo4]

The progression of C - F - G. Could any one note in the C scale fit over any of those three chords?

I'd say yes and no, depending context. The limitations @Papageno should definitely be considered.
But as others have said where you place a note and and how long you play it has a lot to do with what "fits".
The style of music also influences what "fits" You can play all 12 notes in the context of a I IV V if you play them tastefully and the style allows.

Early on in my learning , when I discovered that certain chord progressions allowed me to just noodle mindlessly in a scale, I thought that was one neat trick to improv and creation: finding the right scale for the chords. Over time I learned the reality that i have to understand the chord tones and the chord progression, the style of the song, and the melody, and study the ideas of those who came before me.

The useless truth: if it sounds good, it is good!

 

[WrapRough]

So where does the concept of "playing outside" fit in to all this? I have heard this mentioned in a few places but not sure I really understand it...

 

[Groove Master]

This is a very basic question. Can any note in a scale fit in any part of a simple chord progression?

Such as in the key of C: The progression of C - F - G. Could any one note in the C scale fit over any of those three chords?

Yes but you have be aware of the half-steps between the 2 notes.

 

[dreamadream99]

So where does the concept of "playing outside" fit in to all this?

Outside generally refers to playing notes not in the key.

 

[dreamadream99]

Can any note in a scale fit in any part of a simple chord progression?

I would say no. When the band is playing a C chord (which is comprised of the notes C, E, and G) the only 100% safe notes to play are C, E, and G. All the rest of the notes will clash to some degree, because no one else in the band is playing them. How much they clash, and whether they are even noticeable, depends on how close they are to a chord tone, and the length of the note.

 

[iiipopes]

Hitting a B on the first beat of the C chord probably is going to sound wrong...

Unless you are Corelli, or playing the note as an appoggiatura into the C.

 

[BarfanyShart]

As a bassist, its fun to play around with "line gimmicks" in a key over chords. You can move the bass notes in a line (chromatic or diatonic) up or down and get neat results. For example (chord/bass-note) C/C - G/B - F/A; or even cooler C/C - G/B - F/Bb - F/A. You can do this kind of thing over any progression, it works like magic, but can be overused.

 

[jaco944]

My totally non theory based take. If it sounds weird resolve quickly to a less weird sounding note...repeat as needed. If it sounds really out there I take the Miles approach and keep playing it until it sounds right, the guitarist changes also or the keyboard player gives me “the look”.

 

[lermgalieu]

Depends on the melody and what sounds good.

 

[jnuts1]

the answer is absolutely yes. but must be used at the right time. victor wooten does a lesson on this where he only plays notes outside of the chord with zero "correct notes" and it really works. but that is also victor so.......

 

[Willie5String]

Generally speaking when the band is playing a C chord in 4/4 time, you want to play chord tones (C-E-G) on the strong beats (Beats 1 & 3) and save the D-F-A and B for the weaker beats (2&4), as a bass player, you own beat 4, that’s where you tell everyone else in the band how to get to the next chord, a great way to do that is what’s called a 5th approach note, going to C, you play the 5th of C (G) on beat 4, going to F, you play the 5th of F (C) on beat 4, going to G, you play the 5th of G (D)...it’s a very strong devise to help the other band members

 

[MikePlaysBass]

It also really has a lot to do with context. The same note that sounds horrible as a minor 2nd can sound interesting as a flat 9 over a 7th chord. Same note, just up an octave.

 

[Pings Bass]

Strictly speaking, no, but rules were meant to be broken. Melodies are frequently full of passing tones and accidentals that don't strictly fit the scale, much less the "key," and the key itself is often just a rough guideline if you've got a composer, arranger or pianist doing substitutions, alterations and extensions.

My absolute authority on whether a note (or phrase or chord) is "allowed" is whether it sounds good. I'm very fond of seconds and tritones and other things that at first blush may sound dissonant if taken out of context, and what sounds good varies significantly in genres or arrangements with less complex harmonic structure.

 

[FugaziBomb]

So long as it isn't a 2nd or 6th, sure...