Playing over a chord

:oops: Since I first started reading Tabs, Tips, Theory and Technique, I've heard one after another person mention "playing over" this chord or that chord. I've nodded my head and hoped for understanding, but I've never been sure what that meant or how it's done.

Does it work something like this? ::::::: the chord accompanies the vocal line, then an answering lead riff starts from that chord's root note, and leads to the next chord. Wash, rinse, repeat?

When I hear that term what it says to me is that you're playing chord tones as part of your solo. Suppose we have a chord progression: G C D G, key of G. The notes of the chords are:

G = GBD
C = CEG
D = DF#A

I'm going to create a solo that emphasizes those notes. While the band's on the G chord, I might fool around with the B and D notes. When we go to the C chord, I'll focus on the E and G notes, when we hit D, I'll grab F# and A and resolve the F# to the root G. That's just an example.

One fun thing that I like to do is find common notes- for instance, G is common between G and C chords. I might hang on to that note and let the chord switch underneath. D is common between G and D. So, between the G and D notes, you've got all 3 chords covered. Or you can emphasize the unique notes- the B, E, and A in G, C, D, respectively. Or B, C, F#, for that matter....

Lastly, it's fun to bend into or out of the chord tones. On the G chord, for instance, it's pretty to play a G note, hammer on to A...hold that for a second... and then bend it up to B (a chord tone). The A note gives a 9th sound that's resolved by bending up to the 3rd (B). Or reverse that and pull it from the B note down to the A (which works well when moving from a G chord to a D chord, too), and then to G. All kinds of possibilities. In practice, a chord tone is never more than a fret or two away, and you probably do this more than you think.

I come from a bluegrass background and because we do so much cross-picking, I think very much in chord patterns. Essential with the B-Bender, too.

I'm kinda in the same boat with, you...

but that is kinda how I understand it... playing over a chord progression; and the solo then takes off from the root, or which ever chord you are on in the progression.

hopefully more experienced people will chime in, I am still learning.

A (diatonic) chord belongs to one or more major keys. A dominant chord (a chord containing a major 3rd and a minor 7, e.g. G-B-D-F which is the dominant chord in C Major) belongs to one and only one major keys. Simple chords (triads and four-note chords other than dominant chords) can belong to several keys. More elaborate diatonic chords can belong to fewer keys.

Playing over a chord means playing the chord tones and possibly other scale tones for the duration of the chord.

A song isn't necessarily in a single key; one clue to this is that there are several dominant chords in the song - each represents a different key center.

Here's an exercise. Harmonize the major scale in C by thirds, i.e.,
B C D E F G A
G A B C D E F
E F G A B C D
C D E F G A B

This is the C major scale harmonized out to four-part chords. Then recast each chord with a C root, keeping the same intervals:

B Bb Bb B Bb Bb Bb
G G G G G G Gb
E Eb Eb E E Eb Eb
C C C C C C C

So here you have the chord formulas for major, minor, dominant, and half-diminished chords. You can apply these intervals to any key to find out the chord spellings. (The 1 and 4 are major 7 chords; 2, 3, and 6 are minor 7 chords; 5 is the dominant chord; and 7 is the half-diminished chord.)

Harmony gets moderately complicated rather quickly, but it's not like building a jet engine. A little study will get you there.

Man, we love to make things difficult.


"Playing over a chord" simply refers to what set of notes sounds good over any given chord. A lot of times you'll see folks say it when they're talking about addressing a specific chord in a progression...

A lot of time, rock players don't give this much thought--you find a scale that works and blow away. Jazz and country players are more apt to change what they are playing to adapt to the chord of the moment--and jazz tunes are likely to not stay neatly in one key the whole time, basically demanding that approach.

Sometimes the idea of thinking differently can play into simpler situations as well...one common thing you might hear folks say is about playing "changes" in a blues-- playing major pentatonic "over the I chord" and minor pentatonic "over the IV."

I have noticed that the term "root" seems to either be interpreted as the Key chord of a song, as in G major is the root; or the lowest note in a chord.

In music, a root is the foundation of a chord. The letter name of a chord names the root. Ex.: Ebm#5maj7 - the root of this chord is Eb. Ex. #2: G/B - G is the root, not B.

The I chord in a progression is called the tonic, not the root.

A solo or lick does not have to start out on the root of the chord. In fact, many blues solos start with the 4th, bent up to the 5th while the chord is the tonic (I chord.)

Sometimes the idea of thinking differently can play into simpler situations as well...one common thing you might hear folks say is about playing "changes" in a blues-- playing major pentatonic "over the I chord" and minor pentatonic "over the IV."

Does this mean for a blues in E playing (in this example) an E major pentatonic over the I section and an E minor pentatonic over the IV section...or an A minor pentatonic over the IV section?

John, I personally do not like the sound of the b3 of the IV chord in a blues song, so I would not play the Am pent scale over the IV chord in an E blues, but that may just be me. I would tend to play the Em pent over the I and the A maj pent over the IV in an E blues.

Sorry, in my attempt to "unconfuse" I confused...I'm talking two pentatonics with the same root...so in your example in E, E major pentatonic on the I and E minor pentatonic on the IV.

Man, we love to make things difficult.
Don't we? ;-)

"Playing over a chord" simply refers to what set of notes sounds good over any given chord. A lot of times you'll see folks say it when they're talking about addressing a specific chord in a progression...
Eggzackly. And it doesn't have to be chord tones :idea: -- sometimes (often) notes that are not in the chord can add spice to what you're playing. In fact, if you only ever played chord tones, you'd sound pretty bland. :-\

Jazz and country players are more apt to change what they are playing to adapt to the chord of the moment (emphasis added)--
"Chord of the moment" being the operative phrase here. Rather than just running scales or fingerboard patterns, you change your note choices to fit whatever chord is being played at that moment. And that's known as "playing over a chord." :cool:

Hope it helps, CS

I have noticed that the term "root" seems to either be interpreted as the Key chord of a song, as in G major is the root; or the lowest note in a chord.

In music, a root is the foundation of a chord. The letter name of a chord names the root. Ex.: Ebm#5maj7 - the root of this chord is Eb. Ex. #2: G/B - G is the root, not B.

The I chord in a progression is called the tonic, not the root.

A solo or lick does not have to start out on the root of the chord. In fact, many blues solos start with the 4th, bent up to the 5th while the chord is the tonic (I chord.)

That is my understanding of roots, I've picked it up here. I had in mind that root note changing as the chords change. I also understand "tonic" the way you've said.

I'll keep in mind the idea of starting in other parts of the chord. I've been trying to play rhythm or background chord arpeggios during the vocal parts, then work guitar "responses" in to new songs I learn, instead of randomly and continuously wandering around in the scales in the song's key.

I hope that makes sense.

Sorry, in my attempt to "unconfuse" I confused...I'm talking two pentatonics with the same root...so in your example in E, E major pentatonic on the I and E minor pentatonic on the IV.

John, I personally do not like the sound of the b3 of the IV chord in a blues song, so I would not play the Am pent scale over the IV chord in an E blues, but that may just be me. I would tend to play the Em pent over the I and the A maj pent over the IV in an E blues.

Thanks, guys! I have a feeling I probably use both approaches unconsciously and haphazardly, but I will have to sit down and methodically try them to see if I can associate the differences, see what I like about each, etc.

I would tend to play the Em pent over the I and the A maj pent over the IV in an E blues.

To John - That would basically also mean playing E Mixolydian on the IV - A Maj Penta is somewhat E Mixo. E Mixo = E F# G# A B C# D, A maj penta A B C# E F#.

Since your on IV, which in E is the A (7th or maj), you can think in A maj or think in E Mixo, E being the key of the chord.

Thanks, guys! I have a feeling I probably use both approaches unconsciously and haphazardly, but I will have to sit down and methodically try them to see if I can associate the differences, see what I like about each, etc.

Do note that what I state above is a simple way of thinking through things. It might help you understand better but one should expand more on what I have outlined.

Try playing on "the tune" first - by that I mean dont miss the forest for the trees.

Key areas(tonal centres) and the important melody notes are paramount if you are going to make sense of the music - and that will mean looking at each tune you play for its own special properties - e.g. in an E blues it usually means differentiating the I chord from the IV - because the change to the IV is what the blues is about to my ear... I prefer the E mixolydian sound on the I and the E blues sound on the IV or V - as a starting point - in a lot of blues the I and IV can share the same melody but the 2 scale sounds are different enough to highlight a change.

Do - try and hear the root movement of the chords - so that you can experience how your playing moves against that - for instance - holding one sustained note to hear how it changes as the root note changes is an eye opener..
"Playing on a chord" becomes important if you encounter one that needs a "take two" - like the very first time I encountered a m7b5 or 7alt. chord in a tune - and my instincts couldnt cope. But dont fall into the trap of always laboriously going "chord by chord" (unless the harmony is really abstract - and even then be sure you arent missing some integral connection) and work on the ones that feel like they add a singular colour to the harmony first - and try and hear the main harmony through the melody until you can pre - hear the whole progression.