Tag Archives: intermediate

Chords, Diatonic approach, II-V-I, Intermediate, Music theory, Scales, Tier 5

Diatonic approach 6 – minor II-V-I – 7th chords

Aside

In this video I give some exercises and examples in how to improvise over a minor II-V-I using the diatonic 7th chords.

I will focus on the minor II-V-I of Dm – Eø7-A7(b9)-Dm6(maj7).
In this progression ill talk about the 7th chords and how to use these in an improvisation.
The scales that i use are:
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords - diatonic scales
On Eø7 i play the F-major scale from the E on: E F G A Bb C D E F – E locrian scale
on the A7(b9) I play the Dm harmonisch toonladder from the A on: A Bb C# D E F G A Bb
i use the scale of Dminor melodic on the Dm6(maj7): D E F G A B C# D E

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords - arpeggios
I play the Eø7 till the 11 – E G Bb D F A
The A7(b9) – A C# E G Bb
Dm6(maj7) D F A C# E
On each chord of the D minor II-V-I i have different 7th chords.
I can find these if i staple 7th chords up from the root/third and/or the fifth.

I start with the Eø7.
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords - Eø11 arpeggios
I play the Eø7 all the way to the 11 – Eø11 – E G Bb D F A
The following 7th chords can be extracted
Eø7 – E G Bb D
Gm7 – G Bb D F
Bbmaj7 – Bb D F A

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords - A9 arpeggios
On the A7(b9) we find:
on the root: A7 – A C# E G
on the third: C#o – C# E G Bb

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords - Dm6 arpeggios
The Dm6(maj7)
root Dm6 – D F A B
root Dm(maj7) – D F A C#
third Fmaj7(aug) F A C# E

I played the chords loosly, rubato like without time to be able to listen to the sound of the notes and get the finger combination into my fingers.

Ill get on with an exercise
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_7th chord exercise root - 7
This exercise is played over the chord progression Eø7 – A7(b9) – Dm6
Playing the 7th-chords going up from the root.
The second line of the exercise i play the 7th-chords from the 7th degree gooing back to the root.
These two ways of playing the chords are something you will often play in a solo and often hear in the solos played by other players.

The next exercise.
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_7th chord exercise 3rd - 9
I now play the 7th-chords from the third going up and from the 9th, of the original chord, going down. The chords i play here you can see written out simply in the earlier examples here above.
The two last chords when im playing the progression down i play in a different inversion because I liked the sound better of these ones than the ones that matching the rest of the exercise. To work more with this try to play different inversions of the chords and see what you like the best.

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_7th chord exercise 5th - 11
This exercise takes you through some of the other chords i presented earlier. the exercise begins on the 5th degree of the Eø11 and then goes on with other possibilities as mentioned above.
In all the exercises above i begin the exercise on the second beat of the bar, just to get used to the sound of this. This will get into your ear and you will eventually also be able to start lines on the second beat the bar in your solo. The rhythm is the most essential of your solo so make sure when you practise that you always have a rhythmical aspect in your exercises. Most people use a lot of time exercising so why not exercise more things in one go!

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_root+3rd til 7+9
This exercise works with a continous 8th note line so practising the timing of this and takes you through more arpeggios going up. Root till 7 and 7 till 9 – going up

What i repeat a couple of times in the video, which is also important in your soloing, what goes up can also come down.
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_root+3rd til 7+9 - down
Again a continous 8th note line but this one works with the chords decending.

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_3rd+5th til 9+11
I play the chords acsending from the 3rd to the 9 and from the 9th to the 11th with some minor changes in the chords. Look out!

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_3rd+5th til 9+11 down
The same exercise as above but this time playing the chords descending.

I have made some II-V-I examples by using the above mentioned material, the diatonic 7th chords.
Oc course i also use the scales and approach notes mentioned in earlier videos.

Here is the first example:
Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_example 1
I begin by sourrounding the Bb, the 5th of the Eø7, with A and C then running up the Bbmaj7 chord up to the A running down the scale to the D on the A7(b9). The first two beats of the A7(b9) i keep playing the Eø7 resloving to the E of the A7(b9) on beat three, going down the C#o chord of the A7(b9). Resolving to the A of the Dm7 going up an inversion of the Dm6(add9) and on beat three running up the Dm6 ending on the last bar on the D going to the high E surrounding the B with the C# and the A.

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_example 2
I begin this example on the root of th Eø7 going up the scale, surrounding the F with the G and E running down the Gm7 chord, 3rd degree 7th chords of the Eø7. On the A7 i play a standard bebop line A G# G going down to the E, jumoing up to the root arpeggio A7 running up to the Bb in the Dm6 bar staying on the A7(b9) for two beats running down the augmented A triad A F C# to resolve to the 9th of the Dm(maj7) going down the arpeggio E C# A F ending on the second bar of Dm6 descending from the B of the Dm6 to the E.

Diatonic approach 6 - minor II-V-I - diatonic 7th chords_example 3
The first arpeggio in this line is the Gminor triad, see my video on diatonic triads, ending in a standard jazz line playing the maj7 and the minor 7 of the Gminor chord. Jumping down to play the G running up the Gm7 chord over the barline to the A7 resolving to the A7(b9) on beat two ascending the scale of A7 to the C# playing down the C#o arpeggio. Resloving on the Dm to the F going up the Dm6(maj9) chord mixing the B (6), C#(maj7) and the E(9). Ending high on the A going down the chord again and on the last bar of Dm6 i go down the F9aug from the E, down to the F jumping to end on the 6th, B.

I really hope you enjoyed my exercises and examples.
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Chords, Diatonic approach, II-V-I, Intermediate, Minor, Music theory, Scales, Tier 5, Triads

Diatonic approach 5 – minor II-V-I – triads

Aside

In this video I get around the minor II-V-I in minor and explains how you can use the diatonic triads when you improvise. Eø7 – A7(b9) – Dm6.
I call the Dm6, by this name for this lesson but you can also call the tonic minor chord minor-major Dm(maj7), both are good but refers to the extensions of the chord.

The problem mostly found with the minor II-V-I is that you need three different scales to play diatonic over the progression.

The scale of the Eø7 is basically the Fmajor scale played from the E.
E F G A Bb C D E F

The A7(b9) scale is a D harmonic minor scale played from the A
A Bb C# D E F G A Bb

The scale I use over the Dm6 chord is D melodic minor
D E F G A B C#

I will now go on to the chord tones and focus on the diatonic triads in the chords.

The first exercise is the triads of the Eø7 – A7(b9) and the Dm6 in one exercise going through all the different diatonic triads found in the chords.

Diatonic approach 5 - minor II-V-I - diatonic triads_exercise triads 1

I put a little rest in there to also adress the rhythmical aspect of exercises. To make exercises not only finger technicalities.

The next exercise is an exercise without the breaks in it, this makes it more phisically demanding and also covers more material in shorter time, further it will adress the ability to think longer 8th note lines.

Diatonic approach 5 - minor II-V-I - diatonic triads_exercise triads 2
With these exercises I work with every chord for two bars. Two bars Eø7, two bars A7(b9) and four bars of Dm6. This is an outstretched II-V-I with double the amount of time on each chord. I have chosen to do this to extend the time on each chord.

I recommend that you of course use the above mentioned patterns but definitely also look for your own patterns to get really into the material. One of these methods are finding and developing own musical/technical patterns.

I will go on with som examples of the minor II-V-I which I made consisting of the scale material and the diatonic triads I have explained above.

Diatonic approach 5 - minor II-V-I - diatonic triads_example 1
I start this example going down the Bb major triad ending on a low E going up the Eø7 scale from the G to resolve to the C# on the A7(b9). Going up an inversion of the Bb diminished triad approaching the A with the notes Bb and G, going down the A augmented triad to the low A, resolving to the mid E on the Dm6 chord, which is an approach of the D through the E and the C#. From the D I go up the scale to the F jumping down to an A triad going up to the high A running down the scale and ending on the 9th an E.

Example 2.

Diatonic approach 5 - minor II-V-I - diatonic triads_example2
I start the exercise with two combined triads, the one of Ediminished and the Dminor triad running up to the high G going donw the Ediminished triad in an inversion to the low G going on to the A of the A7(b9), jumipng up an octave to the high A approaching the F with the notes E-G. The F resloves to the E of an A triad going down ending on the low A jumping up to the high F of the Dm6 the third. Through the F, C#, E and the C# again im approaching the D minor triad played in a triplet figure up, continuing the rest of the example in triplets, approaching the A with the notes B and g, ending on C#,the maj7, high E, the 9th and finally ending on the B – the 6th.

Example 3.
Diatonic approach 5 - minor II-V-I - diatonic triads_example3
I go down the Dminor triad, A F D, 11, 9, 7 of the Eø7, approaching with the D and the D the E, root of the Eø7, going down the Eo triad to the low E. Begin on an A of the A7(b9) jumping up to the Bb, flat9, approaching the G through the F and the A, picking up from under the Bb and the C#, b9+3 of the A7(b9), jumoing ip to the A, approaching on the Dm6 the F with the G as approach note. Using from the F, the third degree, the A augmented triad approaching the B, the 6th of the Dm6, with the C# + A, jumping up to the E going down the A triad. Approaching the F on the second bar Dm6 with the G+E, ending on some big jumps, A – E – B to C#.

I really hope you enjoyed the approach and the examples.

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