Jam #1 – D Mixolydian at 100 bpm

Progression: D | D | C | C | G | G | D | D

Improvise using:

  • CAGED arpeggios
  • Major pentatonic scales based on CAGED shapes

Jam #2 – B♭ Funk in the style of Chameleon (Herbie Hancock)

Progression: B♭m7 | E♭7

Improvise using:

  • B♭ minor pentatonic
  • B♭ Dorian
    • …same as E♭ Mixolydian
    • …same as A♭ major, so – any A♭ major CAGED shape

Jam #3 – Simple Blues in A

Progression: A | A | A | A | D | D | A | A | E | D | A | E

Improvise using:

Jam #4 – Wonderful Slippery Thing (theme)

Progression: Bm7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | F#7(#5)

Improvise using:

  • B min pentatonic
  • B Phrygian (G major)
  • Over the F#7:
    • F# diminished half-whole
    • F# altered (F# super Locrian, G melodic minor)
    • F# Phrygian dominant (B harmonic minor)

Jam #5 – C Ionian

Progression: C Em | F G | C Em | F C

Improvise using:

  • C major pentatonic
  • C major

Jam #6 – D Ionian

Progression: D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D

Target each chord using:

  • Major triad arpeggios
  • Major pentatonic
  • Major scales

Jam #7 – Non-diatonic Rock Ballad

Progression:

C E7 | F G |
C E7 | F C |
C E7 | F Fm |
C E7 | F G

Improvise using:

  • C major
  • E7 – bring out the G#
    • E maj pentatonic
    • E mixolydian (A major)
  • Fm – bring out the Ab
    • Fm pentatonic
    • F dorian (Eb major / C natural minor)
    • F aeolian (Ab major)
  • Throw in C minor pentatonic every once in a while

Jam #8 – Sunny

Progression:

Am7 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 | E7
Am7 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 | E7
Am7 | Gm7 C7b5 | Fmaj7 | Bb13
Bm7b5 | E7#9 | Am7 | Bm7b5 E7#9

Improvise using:

  • A minor pentatonic
  • A blues
  • A minor pentatonic with chromatic approach
  • E half-whole diminished over the E7 chords
  • Dominant arpeggio over the Bb13

Jam #9 – D Major Pentatonic Jam

Progression:

D | D | Bm7 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | Gmaj7 | A7 | A7

Improvise using:

  • D major pentatonic (all five shapes).
  • Pay attention to the chords and anticipate what’s coming up. Aim for target tones (chord tones of each chord) on beat 1 of each bar.

Jam #10 – Jessica

Progression:

[A] SECTION:
A | D (32 bars)

[B] SECTION:
G | G | A | A |
G | G | A | A |
G | G | A | A |
G | G | E | E |

Improvise using:

  • Over the [A] Section:
    • A major arpeggio, major pentatonic, and major scale
  • Over the [B] Section:
    • D major arpeggio, major pentatonic, and major scale
    • Over the final E chord – back to A major arpeggio, major pentatonic, and major scale. Emphasize the G#.
  • Always target chord tones for any note you hold out and when chords change

Jam #11 – Busted Windows

Progression:
Fm | Fm | Db | Db | Bbm | Bbm | C7 | C7

Improvise using:

  • Fm pentatonic / F blues
  • Fm (F Aeolian, Ab major)
  • F harmonic minor

One-chord Grooves

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