How to Play Jazz Guitar Chord Scales

When learning to play jazz chords, such as Drop 2 and Drop 3 voicings, many of use use strict memorization to learn each chord shape, or run them up and down the neck in inversions, which is a very good way to internalize the shapes and sounds of a single chord type such as Maj7 or m7 separate from any other harmonic conte t! "ut, since most of us are strapped for time as it is, there are several ways that we can practice all of the different #asic chord voicings, Maj7, 7, m7 and m7#$, at the same time, without getting too much on our plate and #ecoming overwhelmed! %ne way that & like to use, and that & got from guys like "en Monder and Mick 'oodrick, is to practice (azz 'uitar )hord *cales across the neck using the different voicings that & want to learn in that particular practice routine! *o what e actly is a jazz guitar chord scale+ &t,s #asically just taking the notes of any scale, say ) Major, and then adding a chord on top of each of those notes! -ere are the notes in the ) Major *cale.

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2ow, let,s add a chord to each of those notes and voila, we have a jazz guitar chord scale3

)maj7 Dm7 /m7 0maj7 '7 1m7 "m7#$ )maj7

*o, the ne t step is to take these chords and learn them on the guitar, so let,s dive in and check out how to apply (azz 'uitar )hord *cales to our practicing, chord soloing and comping ideas! &n the e amples #elow & have used Drop 2 chords on the middle four strings to demonstrate how to #uild, practice and apply chord scales to your playing! "ut there are many other chord voicings that you can apply this techni4ue to so feel free to take any5all chords that you know and #uild a chord scale out of those voicings, with all of their related inversions! -ere are some of my favorite voicings 6click the link to see chord charts for each chord type7.

Drop 2 )hords Drop 3 )hords Drop 2 and 8 )hords )losed 9osition )hords
1s well, for the purposes of space, &,ve only run these jazz guitar chord scales through the ) Major *cale, #ut, make sure to practice these and any chord scale in all :2 keys, as well as with any5all other scales that you are working on in your practice routine! *ome of my favorite scales to practice chord scales with are 6click the link to see fingering charts for each scale type7.

Major *cales Melodic Minor *cales -armonic Minor *cales -armonic Major *cales
1lright, enough chatting, let,s dig in and get these chord scales under our fingers and into our ears! ;he first e ample shows a ) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cale using Drop 2 voicings on the middle four strings, using all root<position chords! 2otice how the chord scale is #asically four different major scales moving up the neck at the same time! ;here is one on each of the four strings, on the $th string we have a ) Major *cale starting on ), on the 8th string we have a ) Major *cale starting on ', on the 3rd string we have a ) Major *cale starting on " and on the 2nd string we have a ) Major *cale starting on /!

;his isn,t necessary to understand or think a#out when learning and using chord scales, #ut it is a nifty side effect of this approach and something that could #e e plored more for improvisational, compositional and arranging purposes if you want to dig deeper into this e tra layer of theory!

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales =oot 9osition

2ow that we have learned the ) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cale using Drop 2 chords in root position, let,s dive into the first inversion of this scale! *o, all we are going to do is use chords that start with the 3rd, so for )maj7 that would #e /, and then move up to the ne t chord in the scale, sticking with the first inversion for each chord! %ne thing that & like to do is start any chord scale on the lowest possi#le chord that & can gra# on the neck, so for instance, in the ne t e ample, the first inversion chord scale, & start on '7, since " is the lowest fretted note in ) Major on the $th string, then & #uild the chord scale up from there! 0or me, this is a good way to e pand my knowledge of the neck, #ut also get me away from always seeing scales and chord scales from the root up, which might cause me to focus too much on the root in my playing since &,ve practiced starting and stopping on it in my daily routine!

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales 0irst &nversion

We,ll now move on to the second inversion jazz guitar chord scale, so each chord will have the $th in the #ass, such as the " that anchors the first /m7 chord in the scale! 1gain, &,ve started on the lowest note in the ) Major *cale and moved up from there, in this case it,s the " that then harmonizes the /m7 chord in the first #ar!

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales *econd &nversion

1nd finally we,ll check out the third inversion (azz 'uitar )hord *cale, so this time the 7th of each chord will #e in the #ass! 1t this point, you now have four different ways to play through a ) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cale using Drop 2 voicings on the middle four strings! *o, if you learn this scale on the top 8 and #ottom 8 string sets with Drop 2 )hords, you now have :2 ways to play this chord scale, then adding in Drop 3, )losed 9osition and Drop 2 and 8 and you,ve got a ton of ways to always have these scales under your fingers, in any range and position on the neck! 9retty cool huh+3

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales ;hird &nversion

%>, so we,ve learned how to practice these jazz guitar chord scales and how to #uild them using all the inversions of Drop 2?s on the middle four strings, so here,s a short e ample of how the ) Major )hord *cale would look on the top four strings, using Drop 2 chords in root position! 1gain, if you decide to go this route ne t in your practicing, & would learn these chords in root position, then all of the other positions in ) Major, and then of course move on to the other :: keys for this string grouping with their related inversions!

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales ;op 8 *trings

2ow that we,ve checked out these chords on their own, in the conte t of learning them across the neck, it,s time to create some music with them! (azz 'uitar )hord *cales are great for comping and chord soloing, & especially like to use them to create chord soloing lines and phrases when playing in solo, duo and trio! "elow is a short ii<@<& chord soloing idea using the chord scale for ) Major, Drop 2 chords, on the middle and top 8 strings! )heck it out, then come up with some phrases of your own! )hord soloing can #e tough, #ut )hord *cales can definitely make it easier to visualize any chord and chord family across the neck, as well as make it easier to insert chords into our lines, phrases and solos!

)lick to hear audio for this )hord *cale Aick!

) Major (azz 'uitar )hord *cales )hord *oloing / ample