The blues' most common variation is the 12-bar variety. A basic 12-bar blues includes three chords, often referred to by number, which describes where the chord is found by scale degree.
The blues' most common variation is the 12-bar variety. A basic 12-bar blues includes three chords, often referred to by number, which describes where the chord is found by scale degree. These three chords are the I, IV and V. While it is common to "play over the changes" of these chords, in this lesson we'll discuss some basic scales that inform my vocabulary when simply playing over the key center of A dominant 7.
Variety is the spice of life. Musically speaking, I think “spice” translates to a certain amount of dissonance. Dissonance is defined as a tension resulting from the lack of harmony among musical notes.
I’ll take you through a step by step process of using scales that progressively use more and more dissonant notes. It will be this intermingling of consonant and dissonant sounds that will add a lot of interesting elements to your playing and give your solos the contrast that will keep your audience listening.
You can put these ideas to quick use; I’ll be using some basic pentatonic and blues scales that you likely already know, as well as a couple of ideas that might not yet be a part of your vocabulary.
An A7 chord is best described as an A major triad with a minor 7th. This chord is spelled A-C#-E-G. Overall, its tonality is major, but the minor 7th note in the chord lends itself to some minor approaches as well.
The A major pentatonic scale could be considered the most consonant match for this chord, as the scale includes the A major triad. While a little