A chord scale is the scale you play over a chord: a group of notes that articulates that chord’s sound. Over C major 7, play C major or C Lydian. Over C7, ask where it’s going: Mixolydian into F major, F melodic or harmonic minor into F minor. Over C minor, you’ve got five main colors to choose from.
What notes do I play on this chord? That question bothered me for a long time. This lesson breaks it down into eight levels, from what it means to play on a chord to seeing scales as colors.
What does it mean to play over a chord?
It means there’s a framework, a scale, a grouping of notes we can call by a name, that will sound quote unquote correct on that chord. The scale articulates the chord, and vice versa.
Some of those notes sound better in some contexts and some not as strong, but they’re all valid. Over C minor 7 it could be the pentatonic, could be different things. The point is we have options and we know what we can do.
Levels 2 and 3: how do you hear a note against a chord?
Play one note at a time against the chord and name the color you hear, then sing notes against it and check yourself. Do this before you pick a scale.
Play a C chord, then take just the B string, play random notes and listen carefully to each one against the C. There are no right or wrong answers here. You’re color coding the sound of C against another note.
Try F sharp. It’s harsh, but it’s also beautiful, and in that context it can sound a little bluesy. Try B flat against the C, and you get a C7 sound: very harsh but beautiful. Every time, tag the color. Tell yourself what you’re playing and how it sounds.
You’ll probably want to play some cool chromatic things very soon, and to do that we have to connect our ears. The stronger we connect our ears and feelings to these sounds, the better musicians we’ll be. That’s what I’m trying to do every day.
Level 3 is singing. Listen to the C and sing a note against it. Start simple: listen how beautiful the 3rd sounds against C. Stay on the B string, one octave, sing a note, then find it and check yourself. If you’re not sure or you made a mistake, that’s fine. It just means that color isn’t clear yet. Do it a couple of minutes a day and you’ll get it, I promise.
Level 4: what scale goes over a major 7 chord?
Over C major 7 there are two immediate suspects: the C major scale, and C major with an F sharp instead of F, which is C Lydian. Both work over a plain C major chord too.
The C major scale functions well on top of C major 7, and the chord sits inside the framework of that scale. I know it sounds simple and basic, but it’s not. It’s a scale, but it’s also a melody and a lot of colors.
You can call the second one a mode, Lydian, and that’s all good. I think about it as a color and a fingering: I see C major and bring my G major scale fingering, which from C gives C, D, E, F sharp, G, A, B. If you want modes one by one, the guitar modes lesson takes each mode as a color.
Level 5: what scale goes over a dominant 7 chord?
It depends on where the chord is going. If C7 is going to F major, play C Mixolydian. If C7 is going to F minor, play F melodic minor or F harmonic minor over it.
- C7 going to F major. Mixolydian: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, flat 7. In other words, C7 leads us to F major, C is the 5th degree of F, so you’re literally playing the F major scale from C. It’s all the same thing from different angles.
- C7 going to F minor, with a natural 9. Play F melodic minor (F, G, A flat, B flat, C, D, E). From C that’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, flat 6, flat 7, so it articulates a lot of the good stuff, and you get the natural 9, which is really cool.
- C7 going to F minor, with a flat 9. Play F harmonic minor (F, G, A flat, B flat, C, D flat, E). That’s the framework for C7 flat 9, for when you want that crunchy flat 9.
Can you play Mixolydian on a C7 that goes to F minor? It still sounds good, and that A natural is still going to be okay, but it doesn’t completely describe where we’re going. Melodic or harmonic is a matter of taste and of what you’re feeling. They’re both great, just a different color.
We listen to the center and we say it’s all fair game. It’s all just colors. I can play anything.
Rotem Sivan
When I’m improvising, I try to look ahead to where the chord is going, oftentimes a few bars. It makes soloing a little easier and more relaxing, because you’re not caught up in “oh, I’m playing C7. Oh my God, I’m playing F minor.” You already know the next bar or two. That imagination helps me be a little more chill.
Level 6: what scales work over a minor chord?
Over C minor I think about five main options, and they’re interchangeable.
- Minor pentatonic. The good old pentatonic: 1, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 7. A beautiful, very effective color, and a lot of you already play it, which is awesome.
- Natural minor. 1, 2, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 6, flat 7.
- Melodic minor. Same idea as with the dominant. It gives you the 6 and the major 7, which is just so lush.
- Harmonic minor. 1, 2, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 6, major 7. Another beautiful color.
- Phrygian. This one gives you the flat 9, D flat over C minor. You could say it’s the harshest note, but if you think about it as a color, it’s just a beautiful sound.
I’m not telling myself I have to play pentatonic or natural minor. I can play natural minor, then the major 7, then the pentatonic. It isn’t black and white. I’m asking myself what color I’m hearing.
In the video I’m doing this in one position, but in reality I’d practice C natural minor, C pentatonic and the other options all across the guitar. If the neck itself is the problem, Unlocking the Fretboard maps it on purpose in C major and A minor, including the A minor pentatonic in all five positions.
Levels 7 and 8: keep the triad in the center and see the scale as color
Know the 1, 3, 5 behind every chord. The scale is extensions and more colors around the meat and the center of the chord, which is the triad.
Over C7, I want to be really clear with the fingerings of the 1, 3, 5. Over C major 7, I need to hear and know those notes. Sing the triad too, and hear how it responds to the scale around it. The guitar triads lesson is a good place to build that.
Level 8 puts it together. On C major 7 in the key of C, I see the C major scale, the chord tones of this beautiful sound, and the other scale notes as extensions, like the 6. I also stay flexible with chromatic notes, so everything is possible. Chroma means color.
Try this today. Play a C chord, take only the B string, and play one note at a time against it, naming each color. Then sing a note before you play it and check yourself. A couple of minutes is enough.
When you want this inside a complete approach to improvising, Solo Mastery is my full framework: over 40 concepts for soloing, 10 real performances broken down note by note, plus shell chords, harmony, ear training and rhythm work.
Frequently asked questions
What scale do you play over a major 7 chord?
The two clearest choices over C major 7 are the C major scale and C Lydian, which is C major with an F sharp. A quick way to find Lydian is to use your G major scale fingering and hear how it relates to C.
What scale goes over a dominant 7 chord?
Look at where it’s going. C7 going to F major takes C Mixolydian, which is the F major scale played from C. C7 going to F minor takes F melodic minor for a natural 9, or F harmonic minor for a flat 9.
Is the minor pentatonic enough over a minor chord?
It’s a beautiful, very effective color, and there’s no problem using it. But over C minor you also have natural minor, melodic minor, harmonic minor and Phrygian, and you can move between them in one solo. They’re all valid colors.
How do I learn which notes sound good on a chord?
Play the chord, then play random notes on the B string against it and tag each color. Then sing notes against the chord and check yourself on the guitar. If a note isn’t clear yet, practice it a couple of minutes a day.
Pick one chord tonight, start on the B string, and let your ears choose the scale before your fingers do.
