Music Lesson: Improvising Over Two Chords

So far in this course, you've improvised over one unchanging chord, either A major or a dominant chord. Now, in this section, we're going to move on and improvise over two chords. This could be called a two-chord vamp, which is common not only in jazz but also in rock, funk, and Latin music.

Creating a Two-Chord Vamp

To create a two-chord vamp, let's start with the chords found in a single key. Here's a scale of C major with a triad on every note using only notes from the scale:

• I chord (Tonic): C Major
• ii chord: D Minor
• iii chord: E Minor
• IV chord: F Major
• V chord: G Major
• vi chord: A Minor
• vii° chord: B Diminished

Understanding the Chords

• The minor chords are minor because they have a minor third in them.
  • Otherwise, the A chord would have a C# in it, but we don't want a C# in the key of C.
• The last chord is a bit different, a B diminished triad.
  • It's called diminished because it has a minor third and a flattened fifth.

Note: The flattened fifth is the same as a diminished fifth.

Chord Location in Any Key

• The major chords are on I, IV, and V.
• The minor chords are on ii, iii, and vi.

Selecting Chords for a Two-Chord Vamp

We can create a two-chord vamp by selecting chords from the diatonic sequence we've just played. For instance, we could take C (I) and F (IV):

• Play them in the left hand.
• Instead of playing the F triad normally, we could play it with C on the bottom.

Practicing the Chords

Let's try that with a scale in the right hand. The C major scale fits perfectly well over both the F chord and the C chord because they're both in the same key.

• In the left hand, alternate between root position and second inversion.

Next, instead of a I to IV loop, let's try a I to V loop (C to G):

• On the V chord, you often have a seventh, derived from the scale.
• The first five notes give rise to C, while the second five notes continue the scale, revealing an F in there.

Using the V7 Chord

Thus, the V chord is often played with a seventh, like a G7 (dominant seventh chord).

• We can easily do this by playing C in second inversion and alternating with G7, using the same scale on top.

This creates a 1 to 5 vamp, which we'll use in several tunes, including "Peace for Bill" later on.

Alternating with Two Chords

Finally, let's try alternating between I and ii (C and D Minor).

• Play these in the left hand and the scale of C on top.

We will be using this type of two-chord vamp in "Eau de Cologne" later on.

Next Piece: Straight 8

The next piece, "Straight 8," uses the I to IV progression (C to F) in the left hand while improvising in the key of C or the scale of C major on top.