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View Full Version : Triad approach to improvising: ideas



jpfeifer
September 3rd, 2006, 10:38 AM
Hi Everyone,

Robert's recent video about using triads to come up with licks to play over a mixolydian or dominant chords is really interesting.

I've been interested in this triad approach to improvising for a while and have started to work up some of these kinds of licks. The basic idea for this approach is that you can weave together notes from different triads to form these kinds of "super arppegios" and apply them to different chords. This would be an alternative to using more of a "scale" approach to solong. When you start to use these triad licks it kind of breaks you from the normal rut of flying through the same scale licks in your solos. It forces you to accent different chord tones in the way the licks are constructed, and it also forces you into using wider intervals in your licks many times.

For anyone interested in this topic, I've listed some ways to form your own licks over different kinds of chord types below. Think of these as a basic recipes for making your own licks over the different chord types. The hardest part of this approach is making smooth ways to connect the various triads. My suggestion is to start with only one chord type and make up your own lick based on triads. You don't have to use every triad type listed for each chord. Think of the triads as a list of options to use in forming notes to make your licks, instead of using a scale only. Once you get one of these licks under your fingers try another chord type. You don't have to use this approach all the time. Sprinkle these ideas into your solos when you hit certain kinds of chords and it can help generate some ideas that you normally wouldn't play.

Here are some basic recipes for making your own licks with this approach.

To solo over :
----------------
Major 7 chords --> play: Major triads on root and 5th, minor triad on 3rd
Minor 7 chords --> play: Minor triads on root and 5th, major triad on b3rd
Dominant 7 chords --play: Major triads on root or b7, minor triads on 5th and 6th
Alt Dominant --> play: Maj triads on root and b5 and 6th

-- Jim