Diatonic means the chords are all in the same key. So the jam tracks on this page stay in one key with no borrowed or altered chords.

C Ionian

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

Improvise using:

  • C major pentatonic
  • C major

D Ionian

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

Target each chord using:

  • Major triad arpeggios
  • Major pentatonic
  • Major scales

B Aeolian

Progression: Bm | D | G | F#m

Use the following:

  • D major scale (D Ionian = B Aeolian)
  • D major pentatonic (D maj pent = B min pent)
  • D major triad
  • Major/minor triads for each chord

D Major Pentatonic Jam

Progression:

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

Improvise using:

  • D major pentatonic (all five shapes).
  • D major.
  • 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.

D Mixolydian at 100 bpm

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

Improvise using:

  • D Mixolydian (G major)
  • CAGED arpeggios
  • Major pentatonic scales based on CAGED shapes

E Phrygian

Progression: Em | F  | Em | Em | Dm | Am | Bm7b5

Improvise using:

  • E Phrygian (C major)
  • E minor pentatonic

F# Aeolian (A Ionian)

Progression: F#m | D | A | E

Improvise using:

  • Triads of each chord connected by A major scale