Minor Chord Progressions

This masterclass covers playing melodies over minor chord progressions using chord tones. Guitarist Jack Ruch begins by demonstrating a chord progression in A minor, improvising over the chords. He then discusses different scales that can be used, such as natural minor, Dorian, and harmonic minor.

Jack explains that instead of just playing scales, it's better to focus on the notes in each chord, known as chord tones. He shows triad shapes for A minor, G major, and F major chords all over the fretboard. Jack demonstrates how to connect the chords by playing chord tones from one to the next.

When the progression is expanded to include an E7 chord, Jack emphasizes the G# note that is outside the A minor scale. He discusses dominant 7th arpeggio shapes using the CAGED system. Jack encourages practicing chord tones in small sections to internalize the fretboard positions.

Throughout the masterclass, Jack improvises melodic lines by targeting chord tones and connecting them with scale notes. He emphasizes making music over theory by focusing on phrasing chord tones into melodies. The techniques covered can be applied to any chord progression.

Transcript Summary

0:02:48 - Introduction

  • Jack introduces himself and asks attendees to position their cameras
  • Jack talks about playing a minor chord progression and improvising over it
  • Jack will discuss playing over minor chord progressions and tricks to stretch outside the scale

0:07:49 - Scales over minor chords

  • Natural minor, Dorian, and harmonic minor scales can be used
  • Numbers system for chords is commonly used in jazz
  • Songs in minor keys may be written as the relative major key

0:20:41 - Targeting chord tones

  • It's better to focus on notes in each chord, called chord tones
  • Jack shows triad shapes for Am, G, and F chords across the fretboard
  • He connects the chords by playing chord tones from one to the next

0:35:32 - Non-diatonic chord

  • When an E7 chord is added, Jack emphasizes the G# note outside the key
  • Dominant 7th arpeggio shapes are discussed using the CAGED system
  • Practicing chord tones in sections can internalize fretboard positions