Lesson 119: Horizontal Vs. Vertical

Horizontal Playing

Horizontal playing is to play in a key or use the same scale/ mode for a group of chords.

Ex. Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7

This is C major - a II-V-I progression.

Ex. Cm - Ebmaj7 - Abmaj7 - Dbmaj7#11

The C minor pentatonic scale will take you all the way through this progression.

Vertical Playing

Vertical playing is to color each new chord with an appropriate scale.

Ex. Cmaj7 - Abmaj7

Cmaj7 ( C major or C Lydian)
Abmaj7 ( Ab Lydian)

Ex. Cm - Ebmaj7 - Abmaj7 - Dbmaj7#11

Cm ( C Dorian)
Ebmaj7 ( Eb Lydian)
Abmaj7 ( Ab Lydian)
Dbmaj7#11 ( Db Lydian)

Ex. Cmaj7 - B7 - Bbmaj7 - Em7 - A7 - Dmaj7

( from A Man and a Woman by Francis Lai)

Cmaj7 ( C Lydian)
B7 ( E harmonic minor)
Bbmaj7 ( Bb Lydian)
Em7 - A7 ( D major)
Dmaj7 ( D Lydian)

© 2011 Tomas Karlsson. All rights reserved.