How To Play Jazz Guitar Part II: Minor II,V, I by Andy Drudy

Dealing with II, V, I progressions is fundamental to playing over diatonic chord sequences. Asides from major II, V, I’s we also have to deal with the minor alternative. The chords in this sequence in the key of C (Am) are..

Bm75 - E79 - Am

The harmony for this sequence is derived from A harmonic minor. Scales for the II and V chords will be modes of the harmonic minor. However for the I chord, we will revert to natural minor, giving us a minor 7 th

chord instead of a tricky, unresolved sounding minor/major 7th.

For improvising over an 79 chord we can use a diminished arpeggio up a half step. So to play over G79

We could use A diminished arpeggio. A common chord sequence to practice over is as follows.

We can see fro this common chord progression, that after the E79 chord, we revert back into the key

of C.

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Minor 7 5 Arpeggios

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

2

Minor Seventh Arpeggios

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

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7 9 Arpeggios

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

These are diminished arpeggios that will work over the altered 7th chord. For diminished we only need two patterns as each pattern repeats up a minor third. To recap, a G7th flat 9 chord consist of….

G – B – D – F

a G7th flat 9 chord consist of….

G – B – D – F – A If we leave out the root note….

B – D – F – A

All the notes are a minor third apart and therefore a diminished chord. Any note can be the root

note. So for a 7th 9 chord, we can use a diminished arpeggio up a half step. (G7th 9 > A dim).

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Exercise 1

For this exercise we are going to learn to improvise around Am75 - D79 - Gm.

Play each arpeggio over the corresponding chord in the sequence. Try and vary what you play each time and use all the notes in the arpeggios. Repeat over and over. The three arpeggios we are going to use are as follows. Attempt to develop your ideas melodically and rhythmically as you go.

Am75

D79 (E Diminished)

Gm7

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Exercise 2

For this exercise we are going to learn to improvise around Dm75 - G79 - Cm.

The three arpeggios we are going to use are as follows.

Dm75

G79 (A Diminished)

Cm7

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Exercise 3

For this exercise we are going to learn to improvise around Gm75 - C79 – Fm7.

The three arpeggios we are going to use are as follows.

Gm75

C79 (D Diminished)

Fm7

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Exercise 4

For this exercise we are going to learn to improvise around Cm75 - F79 – Bm7.

The three arpeggios we are going to use are as follows.

Cm75

F79 (G Diminished)

Bm7

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Exercise 5

For this exercise we are going to learn to improvise around Fm75 - B79 – Em7..

The three arpeggios we are going to use are as follows.

Fm75

B79

Em7

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ScalesIn a Minor II- V- I progression, for the II and V chord, the key modulates to the Harmonic Minor. Therefore we can use modes of the harmonic minor to improvise over these chords. The II chord

(Xm75) we would use the second mode of the harmonic minor. The patterns are as follows.

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For the V chord or 79 chord, we use the fifth mode of the Harmonic Minor. The patterns are…

For the I chord, the scale would be a major/minor type with a major seventh and a minor third if we remained in the harmonic minor. This harmony for most people is a little too colourful. So at this point it is best to return to major scale harmony and play the natural minor or sixth mode, the aolean. It is usually the case, as in the example given at the beginning, that the minor II-V I is used as a transition to a minor chord in a standard major key. So it is best to examine how the I minor chord fits into the key center and play the appropriate mode for the minor chord.

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