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C - Major Scale |
C - Major Scale |
C - Major Scale |
C - Major Scale |
C - Major Scale

How to improvise and solo over chords

How to improvise and solo over chords

This is a quick guide on how to improvise and solo over chords. Below are diagrams that show suitable notes for playing over a backing track with chords C, Am, F and G in the key of C major, a common key and set of chords. At the bottom of the page you will also find a couple of backing tracks from various artists.

Start playing any series of notes from the C-Major scale in diagram 1, trust your ear. To emphasize the chord notes and align more with the chords play the colored notes in diagram 2-5.

Fretboard diagrams

1.
C - Major Scale
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
B
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
G
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
D
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
A
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
0123456789101112
2.
C - Major Scale
C - Chord Notes
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
B
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
G
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
D
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
A
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
0123456789101112
3.
C - Major Scale
Am - Chord Notes
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
B
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
G
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
D
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
A
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
0123456789101112
4.
C - Major Scale
F - Chord Notes
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
B
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
G
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
D
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
A
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
0123456789101112
5.
C - Major Scale
G - Chord Notes
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
B
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
G
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
D
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
A
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
E
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
B
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
0123456789101112

Backing tracks

Doom or Destiny - Blondie feat. Joan Jett
Ho Hey - The Lumineers
Wake me up before you Go-go

Additional charts

Here is an interactive chart to visualize any scale in any key and tuning.

The CAGED-boxes and three notes per string shapes

Music theory: musical key

Start soloing with the minor pentatonic scale

Rock on!

This is a quick guide on how to improvise and solo over chords. Below are diagrams that show suitable notes for playing over a backing track with chords C, Am, F and G in the key of C major, a common key and set of chords. At the bottom of the page you will also find a couple of backing tracks from various artists.

Start playing any series of notes from the C-Major scale in diagram 1, trust your ear. To emphasize the chord notes and align more with the chords play the colored notes in diagram 2-5.

Fretboard diagrams

1.
C - Major Scale
EADGBE
0
E
A
D
G
B
E
1
F
B♭
E♭
A♭
C
F
2
G♭
B
E
A
D♭
G♭
3
G
C
F
B♭
D
G
4
A♭
D♭
G♭
B
E♭
A♭
5
A
D
G
C
E
A
6
B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
F
B♭
7
B
E
A
D
G♭
B
8
C
F
B♭
E♭
G
C
9
D♭
G♭
B
E
A♭
D♭
10
D
G
C
F
A
D
11
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
B♭
E♭
12
E
A
D
G
B
E
2.
C - Major Scale
C - Chord Notes
EADGBE
0
E
A
D
G
B
E
1
F
B♭
E♭
A♭
C
F
2
G♭
B
E
A
D♭
G♭
3
G
C
F
B♭
D
G
4
A♭
D♭
G♭
B
E♭
A♭
5
A
D
G
C
E
A
6
B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
F
B♭
7
B
E
A
D
G♭
B
8
C
F
B♭
E♭
G
C
9
D♭
G♭
B
E
A♭
D♭
10
D
G
C
F
A
D
11
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
B♭
E♭
12
E
A
D
G
B
E
3.
C - Major Scale
Am - Chord Notes
EADGBE
0
E
A
D
G
B
E
1
F
B♭
E♭
A♭
C
F
2
G♭
B
E
A
D♭
G♭
3
G
C
F
B♭
D
G
4
A♭
D♭
G♭
B
E♭
A♭
5
A
D
G
C
E
A
6
B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
F
B♭
7
B
E
A
D
G♭
B
8
C
F
B♭
E♭
G
C
9
D♭
G♭
B
E
A♭
D♭
10
D
G
C
F
A
D
11
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
B♭
E♭
12
E
A
D
G
B
E
4.
C - Major Scale
F - Chord Notes
EADGBE
0
E
A
D
G
B
E
1
F
B♭
E♭
A♭
C
F
2
G♭
B
E
A
D♭
G♭
3
G
C
F
B♭
D
G
4
A♭
D♭
G♭
B
E♭
A♭
5
A
D
G
C
E
A
6
B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
F
B♭
7
B
E
A
D
G♭
B
8
C
F
B♭
E♭
G
C
9
D♭
G♭
B
E
A♭
D♭
10
D
G
C
F
A
D
11
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
B♭
E♭
12
E
A
D
G
B
E
5.
C - Major Scale
G - Chord Notes
EADGBE
0
E
A
D
G
B
E
1
F
B♭
E♭
A♭
C
F
2
G♭
B
E
A
D♭
G♭
3
G
C
F
B♭
D
G
4
A♭
D♭
G♭
B
E♭
A♭
5
A
D
G
C
E
A
6
B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
F
B♭
7
B
E
A
D
G♭
B
8
C
F
B♭
E♭
G
C
9
D♭
G♭
B
E
A♭
D♭
10
D
G
C
F
A
D
11
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
B♭
E♭
12
E
A
D
G
B
E

Backing tracks

Doom or Destiny - Blondie feat. Joan Jett
Ho Hey - The Lumineers
Wake me up before you Go-go

Additional charts

Here is an interactive chart to visualize any scale in any key and tuning.

The CAGED-boxes and three notes per string shapes

Music theory: musical key

Start soloing with the minor pentatonic scale

Rock on!

For personal storage