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Posted by: The Professor Aug 19 2013, 01:01 PM

In today’s lesson, our first look at various ways that you can explore when soloing over Minor Chords, we’ll be looking at different sounds that come from the Aeolian Mode, other wise known as the Natural Minor Scale.

We will check out triads, arpeggios, pentatonic and full scales, how to build and practice these different melodic ideas as well as how to apply them to your soloing ideas.

The Aeolian sound is a great way to bring a Rock, Metal or Country vibe to your minor chord soloing ideas, as it is found in many of the memorable solos by legendary players in those genres in this context.

So without further ado, let’s dig into soloing over Minor Chords using Aeolian sounds!






The first idea we’ll look at is using two 3-note triads to outline the Aeolian sound over a minor chord in your solos.

We’ll be playing a minor triad from the root of the given chord, and so you are playing the 1-b3-5 of that chord when using this triad.

In the key of Am, this would mean playing an Am triad, A-C-E, to produce the Root, flat 3rd and 5th of that chord.

Here are a few fingerings to get you started with this idea on the fretboard.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=47853

Once you have learned one or both of the above minor triads, put on the backing track at the bottom of this article and practice soloing over those chords using only their related minor triad shapes.

Start by sticking to the 6th-string root shapes for each minor triad, then move on to the 5th-string root, and finally move between both shapes as you navigate the chord changes on the backing track.






You can also use arpeggios to outline a Aeolian sound in your minor chord soloing lines, in particular the m7th arpeggio.

Built from the first, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the Aeolian Mode, 1-b3-5-b7, the m7th arpeggio is a great way to get right to the heart of the Aeolian sound as you create lines over minor chords on the guitar.

Here are a few fingerings to check out to get you started with learning how to play m7th arpeggios on guitar.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=48455

Once you have learned one or both of the above m7th arpeggio fingerings, put on the backing track at the bottom of this article and practice soloing over those chords using only their related m7th arpeggio shapes.

Start by sticking to the 6th-string root shapes for each m7th arpeggio, then move on to the 5th-string root, and finally move between both shapes as you navigate the chord changes on the backing track.






You can also use the Minor Pentatonic Scale to solo over minor chords in order to bring that Natural Minor vibe to your licks and riffs.

Built by taking the Natural Minor Scale and leaving out the 2nd and 6th notes, you form the intervals 1-b3-4-5-b7, the notes of the Minor Pentatonic Scale.

This allows you to use the pentatonic sound as it directly relates to the underlying Natural Minor Scale for the chord you are on.

Here are two examples of the Minor Pentatonic Scale to help get you started.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=48917

Once you have learned one or both of the above Minor Pentatonic Scale fingerings, put on the backing track at the bottom of this article and practice soloing over those chords using only their related Minor Pentatonic Scale shapes.

Start by sticking to the 6th-string root shapes for each Minor Pentatonic Scale, then move on to the 5th-string root, and finally move between both shapes as you navigate the chord changes on the backing track.






The last approach to bringing a Aeolian sound to your major chord soloing ideas is the Natural Minor Scale itself.

The sixth mode of the major scale, the Aeolian Mode has the interval pattern 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, allowing it to outline the m7th arpeggio, with the 9th, 11th and b13th thrown in for good measure.

Here are two fingerings for the Aeolian Scale that you can check out in order to get started with this scale on the fretboard.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=48132

Once you have learned one or both of the above Aeolian Scale fingerings, put on the backing track at the bottom of this article and practice soloing over those chords using only their related Aeolian Scale shapes.

Start by sticking to the 6th-string root shapes for each Aeolian Scale, then move on to the 5th-string root, and finally move between both shapes as you navigate the chord changes on the backing track.






The following backing track was built for you to use with the above improvisational exercises. Here is the chord progression on that backing track so you can work through a number of different keys when soloing over this track. Have fun!

Bm-Em-Am-Dm-Gm-Cm all 4 bars each, listen for the changes!


 Minor_Backing_Track.mp3 ( 4.58MB ) : 690




Do you have any questions or comments about applying Aeolian sounds to a Minor Chord? Post your thoughts in the comments thread below.