LJS 73: 4 Strategies For Improvising Over Major 2-5-1’s

Welcome to episode 73 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about the major 2-5-1 chord progression and 4 strategies for how to improvise over it. The 2-5-1 (ii-V-I) is one of the most common chord progression in jazz and other styles of music. You will see it come up all of the time in jazz standards so it's important you have a good handle on it. Listen in!
Listen to episode 73




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Major 2-5-1 chord progressions are a staple of most jazz standards. To learn how to improvise over them you should, of course, be learning licks and jazz language from recordings. However, it's also important to break this chord progression down and practice different exercises to help you truly get inside of it.
Here's a 2-5-1:
Approach #1: Scales
Approach each chord with a mode of the major scale.
Dmin7: D Dorian
G7: G Mixolydian
Cmaj7: C Ionian (C major scales)
Exercise:

Approach #2: Chord Tones
Outline the chord tones (arpeggio) of each chord.
Exercise:
2 octaves up one, down the next playing off the roots.

Exercise:
2 octaves up one, down the next, always hitting the nearest chord tone of the next chord.

Approach #3: Guide Tones
Identify and use the 3rds and 7ths of each chord to voice lead into each other.

Lick:

Approach #4: Build Three Note Melodies
Pick one note per chord and create a three note melody. Then improvise referencing those notes.
Example:

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Mentioned in the show:
Zero to Improv eBook
Our flagship eBook, Zero to Improv, is a book that teaches you how to become a great jazz improviser from the ground up. No stone is left unturned.
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