scales oer chords..

Hi there...I came up with a chord progression that I think is nice. I tried then to play different scales over it. It was CM7, FM7, G, CM9, F, G. I played A pent. blues, D Dorian and A minor, and they all sounded good, especially the blues scale. My question is: it there a rule for choosing a scale to be played over a particular chord? I read some articles over the Web, and they made things very tough to me. I heard a lot in the pase threads the words 'trust your ear' and 'the rule is that there are no rules'. I respect these opinions, but I wanted to know some rules that can help a newbe like me. Sorry for the headache and thanks :)

The progression you have is in the key of C Major, and since the progression's tonal center is C, the mode is C Ionian. A Minor (a.k.a. A Aeolian), D Dorian, and A Minor Pentatonic are all the same as C Ionian. The progression is what makes a mode sound the way it does. Playing D Dorian over a C Ionian progression sounds like you're playing C Ionian but focusing on the wrong root note ;)

You need to learn to analyze chord progression to tell what key a song is in. The most obvious one, that works with mose non-jazz songs is this: If you see two major chords a whole step apart, then they are the IV and V. What that means is when you see F Major and G Major together, F is the IV and G is the V. So far you know this about the notes in the scale: x, x, x, F, G, x, x, x
Now follow the major scale formula of 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2 and fill in the rest of the scale to get: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. This is C Major. The focal point of the song seems to be the C chord (the chord that the song would sound good if it ended on that chord), so what C mode has no sharps or flats? C Ionian, and that's what you should play in.

An easier way to look at the progression is just to listen for the tonal center (C) and whether the song sounds like a major song or a minor song. If it sounds major, use C Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, or Dorian. If it sounds minor, use C Dorian, Aeolian, Phyrgian, or Locrian. Use your ear to determine which one sounds best.

You know what 'poetic license' is? It's when poets (or writers) decide to bend the rules to suit their particular works. They'll make words that don't normally rhyme sound good together, or stretch the rules of grammar to suit their purpose.

Well, this is exaclty what musicians do, only with music theory. Normally, when you pick a scale to go over a set of chords, you'll want to make sure that all the notes of your scale fall somewhere in the chords, and vice-versa. That's the basic "rule" for having things sound good. The notes of your chords should be inside whatever scale you choose, or if you're going the other way, you should pick a scale that contains the notes of your chords.

This isn't to say that you couldn't play a chromatic run, or something like that, but most forms of music (blues, rock ,etc) are based around a particular sound and mood. So you should be careful when straying outside the rules, or you'll end up with a cacophony.

Originally posted by Christoph
or you'll end up with a cacophony.

Or sound like you're an experimental guitarist...

What's the difference between a starting guitar player and a guitarist experimenting? The guitarist experimenting pretends he knows what he's doing...

Or you can just call yourself a jazz guitarist. Then if you mess up no one will be the wiser. Everyone will just scratch their chins and say, "Hmmm . . . I really liked that augmented 13th that he threw in . . . "

Oh, how I wish that wish that were so. I've listened to experimantal stuff that sounds great, even though it is all outside, then I try, and....
Well, the results were not pleasing.
Lal, the problem with experimental guitarists is that they DO know what they are doing, and they still sound awful.

I know, that's what's funny about it!!!

AllRight...What's a experimental guitarist? Would you consider John Scofield an Exp guitarist? If not, then whom?

well, I consider an experimental guitarist a guy that sounds like **** and puts it on the account of experimentation (VAI with 'alien water kiss' for example) Why would sco be experimental? What he does is melodic and has power, and most of all, it doesn't make you want ot turn it off...
I agree that some people really push the boundaries of the instrument and its sonic possibilities, but it's not always (far from it) great, let's take the album Pat metheny did, 'zero tolerance for silence'... Uuuuuuuh?

wow i havent been on here for a while. you know why?

I was playing my guitar, and have gotten considerably better last month.

My outburst against AxlRose, hey sorry i just couldnt really take what ya said about how you judged people's guitar skills- sorry bout that.

i might go on here once in a while, if i need some pointers, but

'this has all been wonderful, but now im on my way'

if ya know what i mean

Have A nice long strange trip........see ya on down the line!