PLAYING OUTSIDE THE m7 CHORD:



Let's use Cm7 for this example.

We usually think of C DORIAN as the basic mode to be used for improvisation:

C Dorian: C D Eb F G A Bb (C)

If those 7 notes are what we can consider "inside", there are 5 remaining notes (out of the 12 of the Chromatic scale) that will be considered "outside":

C# E F# G# B

(This is incidentally a C# Minor Pentatonic/E Major Pentatonic Scale, which we could certainly use to sound "way outside" of our Cm7. It is not, however, what I would like to discuss here.)

Each one of those 5 "outside" notes may be treated 2 ways:

1. CHROMATICALLY: the note is simply a passing-tone that will resolve into one of the notes of the scale-- preferably into one of the chord-tones.

2. HARMONICALLY: we can arpeggiate non-diatonic triads and/or seventh chords with the "outside" note used as a root. We still may want to resolve into Cm7.

Here are a few suggestions:


from C#: play C#m or C#/Db triads, C#m7 or DbMaj7 or Db7


from E: play Em or E triads, Em7 or EMaj7


from F#: play F#m or F#/Gb triads, F#m7 or GbMaj7


from G#: play G#m or G#/Ab triads, G#m7 or AbMaj7


from B: play Bm or B triads, Bm7 or BMaj7 or B7



oh, and what about arpeggiating E6/9 or C#m7(11) over that Cm7?










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