What scales to play over this progression?
The changes are: Em–9, C#7(#9), F#–9, B13(b9)
Em could be Dorian or eolian? The C#7 dim whole tone? And then dorian and mixo b9?
Posted Apr 17, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC
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This is just a i-VI-ii-V in E minor, so don’t forget some good ole blues licks amongst the nerdier stuff. Remember you don’t have to outline EVERY chord. Start with just some B altered ideas resolving to E melodic minor
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It’s your time to shine (in a minor fashion)!
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I think I'd lean towards E Dorian to C# altered, to F# harmonic minor to a diminished scale.
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Thank you! I'll try that. This is the song.
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ha, thanks for that, just listening to some youtube videos
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Em9 = E Dorian C#7(#9) = C# Auxiliary Diminished (HW) or C# Altered (7th mode of D Mel. Min.) F#m9 = F# Dorian B13(b9) = B Auxiliary Diminished (HW)
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I say 5th mode mixolidian
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if you want to keep it simple you could play e dorian over all of those chords...
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It might help to think of the four chords as two mini-progressions:
V -> I in Em
V -> I in F#m
with the chord progression starting on the I of Em.
You can use any tricks you usually would for the dominant chords (altered, diminished, etc) and treat the minor chords as the point of resolution, or pivot point depending on how you want to handle the idea.