Amaj7 to B - which scales would you use?

imalrightjack

Just wondering how other people would approach this progression, as in what scales/notes they would choose - and why.  It's just two bars on each chord.  The first chord is A major 7 and the second is a simple B major.

The responses might help me work out whether there are options are ideas I'm missing

bingefeller

I would use F# Dorian, which is the same as A lydian.  If I really wanted to bring out the Lydian sound I would focus on G# minor pentatonic.  

octatonic

You could also treat that as a IV V, but that would imply the B as a B7.

imalrightjack

octatonic said:

You could also treat that as a IV V, but that would imply the B as a B7.

As Lydian is the IV, isn't that theoretically the same as how @bingefeller would approach it?

viz

Two major chords a tone apart are very often IV and V, especially as the A is an A major7, consistent with Lydian. But it could also the VI and VII of C# minor (still lydian and mixo, like all along the watchtower), ie, playing c# aeolian works throughout the sequence

imalrightjack

viz;822233" said:

Two major chords a tone apart are very often IV and V, especially as the A is an A major7, consistent with Lydian. But it could also the VI and VII of C# minor (still lydian and mixo, like all along the watchtower), ie, playing c# aeolian works throughout the sequence

Of course. Doh.

I use C# aeolian for this. I'm just trapped in the relative approach to modes and most comfortable in aeolian or ionian, and it pretty much feels like cheating, or lazy.

Barney

i like keeping things simple i would use Emaj.. but add other stuff in along the way

bingefeller

I made a backing track of Amaj7 to B and played over it

imalrightjack

bingefeller;822345" said:

I made a backing track of Amaj7 to B and played over it

Did you use a specific scale/mode/pattern?

imalrightjack

Ah, F# dorian!

viz

Some lush stuff there old bean.

imalrightjack

This is the track I was referring to:

https://m.soundcloud.com/nosoapnoradio/smile-on-my-face

Pretty much improvised throughout. I intend to actually write a proper intro piece, hence the question.

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

octatonic said:

You could also treat that as a IV V, but that would imply the B as a B7.

As Lydian is the IV, isn't that theoretically the same as how @bingefeller would approach it?

In a sense but bingefeller was being prescriptive regarding what scale to play.

If you consider the Amaj7 to be a IV chord there are many, many more scales you could use, other than just lydian.

My point was by thinking of it as a IV V7 you have all sorts of substitutions you could use, rather just approaching it diatonically.

imalrightjack

Is there a guide to substitutions you would recommend?

bingefeller

imalrightjack said:

Is there a guide to substitutions you would recommend?

@imalrightjack when I was playing over it I was thinking about F# Dorian, A triad, B triad, Emaj7 arpeggio and I think I used a lick in G# minor pentatonic.  

I was focussing a lot on the A and B triad pair and anytime I played the Emaj7 arpeggio it was over the B chord.  

Using the B triad over the A maj7 will bring out the lydian sound.  

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

Is there a guide to substitutions you would recommend?

Sure- it is a bit of a pandora's box- it is better to approach it from the perspective of what is the chord doing, rather than 'what scale do I play here?'

You could treat the V chord as a ii V I, so instead of playing B major you play F#m, B7, Emaj7.

The IV chord you could look at as a I chord of a ii V I, so instead of playing A Major you play Bm7, E7, Amaj7.

You could use a tritone subs on either the B7, or the E7, which is itself a ii V I sub.

You could you an augmented on the 5th scale degree (so a flat III+) for any of the dominants.

You could flatten any V chord by one semitone.

Get the Levine Jazz theory book.

imalrightjack

I actually own it. I felt rather overwhelmed quite quickly. Must try again!

octatonic

imalrightjack said:

I actually own it. I felt rather overwhelmed quite quickly. Must try again!

Ok, cool- it is all in there.

Yes, it can be overwhelming- approach it one idea at a time.

Roland

imalrightjack said:

Just wondering how other people would approach this progression, as in what scales/notes they would choose - and why.  It's just two bars on each chord.  The first chord is A major 7 and the second is a simple B major.

The responses might help me work out whether there are options are ideas I'm missing

What impact are you trying to achieve?  To emphasise the chord changes you could use A and B major over the two chords.  A major and B mixolydian would have a similar impact, but provide greater continuity because there is one less difference between the two scales.  There's a nice chromatic note sequence between the two: A Ab A Bb B.  At the other extreme the F# minor scale minimises the change between the A maj7 and B chords.

thomasross20

Ditto regarding the two major chords one tone apart signalling Emaj as root scale. 

If I knew in advance I'd play something diatonic but if not I might do Amaj or A lydian or A mixolydian over the Amaj7 and then the same but in B over the B. If anything sounded pants I'd pick up on it and change next time through!

frankus

First thing I'd do is work out if the maj7 sounded wrong for either of them. If so was one or both a dominant chord.