Introduction

One of the most important things a improvisor has to learn is how to resolve a line or an idea. It
could be argued that you can play anything as long as you resolve it properly. One of the
strongest resolutions you will find is the 'V7 to I' progression example: "C7 to F."
With these exercises I've compiled some strong melodic resolutions for the student to practice
and learn in all 12 keys. These ideas can be used anytime you have a dominant 7th chord
resolving to a Major chord a 5th away. You can also use these ideas if the dominant 7th chord
that moves to another dominant 7th chord a 5th away, example: D7 to G7.
The ideas should be practiced with a metronome with the target tempo being 240 bpm. Start
slow!!! Play the written idea then transpose it to fit the next chord. If you have never transposed
before, use the chord tones to help you find the notes in the new key, example: The first idea
starts on the 5th of the G7chord then goes to the 7th, to the 6th, back to the 5th then jumps to the
root, then the 7th to the 6th, back to the 5th and lands on the root of the C major chord. The more
you transpose the easier it will become. Every idea or lick you learn should be taken through all
12 keys. You'll find that you favor playing certain things in certain keys but you shouldn't be
limited to only playing and idea in 1 key.
The majority of these ideas are just 1 bar in length and can also be thought of as being a short 'iiV7-I' idea. Once you've learned the idea try to incorporate it as a part of your improvised line not
just a 'lick' unto itself. Try to play a line that leads into the idea and continues out of the idea.

Enjoy...
Charles McNeal

Dominant 7 Resolutions
G7

&c

b7

b7

#7

#7

E7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

13

19

G7

25

&
#7

G7

27

F7

b7

B7

A7

33

b7

#7

E7

&

39

D7

C7

b7

C7

45

&

51

G7

b7

#7

E7

G7

F7

b7

#7

B7

A7

D7

#7

56

62

68

74

b #

&
G7

77

#7

A7

-2-

b7

B7

C7

&
b7

#7

#7

D7

E7

F7

83

89

95

&
G7

b7

#7

101

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

107

113

E7

119

G7

125

-3-

 b b

&
G7

b7

#7

127

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

133

139

E7

145

G7

151

b # n

G7

&
#7

153

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

b7

159

165

-4-

D7

C7

b7

&

171

G7

& b n
b7

#7

177

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

183

189

E7

195

G7

201

&
b7

b n

G7

203

B7

#7

A7

C7

209

-5-

#7

D7

b7

&

215

E7

F7

#7

221

G7

& #
b7

227

b b

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

233

239

E7

245

G7

251

&

253

b b #

G7

F7

b7

-6-

#7

B7

A7

&
b7

259

#7

C7

E7

265

D7

b7

271

&
b7

277

G7

#
E

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

283

289

E7

295

G7

301

-7-

&

303

G7

# n

E7

#7

b7

F7

D7

C7

B7

A7

b7

#7

309

315

b7

321

G7

& # n
b7

#7

327

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

333

339

E7

345

-8-

G7

&

351

G7

C7

F7

b b n b b
#

&

353

b7

b7

#7

#7

B7

E7

A7

D7

b7

358

364

370

G7

376

G7

& b n # n
b7

379

B7

#7

A7

C7

385

-9-

#7

D7

b7

&

391

E7

F7

#7

397

&
b7

403

G7

C7

b7

#7

F7

b7

B7

A7

D7

b n b n b b

F7

#7

409

415

E7

421

G7

427

&

429

G7

b7

- 10 -

#7

B7

A7

&
b7

D7

434

#7

E7

C7

440

b7

446

452

G7

&
b7

453

b b
C

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

459

465

E7

471

- 11 -

G7

&

477

&
#7

b
b

G7

479

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

485

491

D7

b7

497

b b b
&
G7

b7

b7

#7

#7

503

C7

F7

b7

B7

509

515

- 12 -

E7

A7

D7

&

521

G7

527

G7

# n

&
b7

#7

529

#7

A7

B7

C7

D7

b7

F7

#7

535

541

E7

547

&
#7

553

b #

G7

B7

F7

b7

A7

559

- 13 -

b7

#7

E7

&
b7

565

D7

C7

C7

571

G7

& # # # # n
b

b7

#7

E7

G7

577

F7

b7

#7

B7

A7

D7

b7

582

588

594

600

G7

& # b b

603

#7

A7

- 14 -

b7

B7

C7

&
#7

b7

#7

D7

F7

609

615

E7

621

&

G7

b7

#7

627

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

633

639

E7

645

G7

651

- 15 -

&

653

G7

#7

F7

b7

D7

C7

B7

A7

E7

#7

b7

659

665

b7

671

&
b7

677

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

683

689

E7

695

- 16 -

G7

&

701

&

G7

b7

b
C

703

#7

A7

B7

C7

D7

b7

F7

#7

#7

709

715

E7

721

# b b

G7

&

b7

b7

#7

#7

727

C7

F7

b7

B7

733

739

- 17 -

E7

A7

D7

&

745

G7

751

G7

& #
b7

#7

753

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

759

765

E7

771

G7

777

G7

& #

779

C7

F7

- 18 -

b7

b7

b7

&
#7

785

#7

B7

A7

D7

791

E7

797

G7

803

&
b

b n b b
G7

#7

b7

D7

805

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

810

816

b7

822

- 19 -

&

828

G7

& b b
b7

#7

829

#7

A7

B7

C7

D7

b7

F7

#7

835

841

E7

847

&

G7

b7

#7

853

C7

b7

#7

F7

b7

B7

859

865

- 20 -

E7

A7

D7

&

871

G7

877

&
b7

879

G7

# b n b

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

885

891

E7

897

G7

903

&

905

G7

#7

A7

- 21 -

b7

B7

C7

&
#7

b7

#7

D7

F7

911

917

E7

923

&

G7

929

E7

#7

b7

F7

D7

C7

B7

A7

b7

#7

935

941

b7

947

&

953

G7

# b n b

C7

F7

- 22 -

b7

b7

b7

&
#7

959

#7

B7

A7

D7

965

E7

971

G7

977

&
#7

G7

979

F7

b7

B7

A7

E7

D7

b7

#7

985

991

C7

b7

997

- 23 -

G7

& b # n #

b7

b7

#7

#7

E7

A7

G7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

#7

b b b n b
b
&
G7

A7

b7

B7

C7

#7

D7

b7

- 24 -

E7

F7

#7

&
G7

b
#

&
B

b7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

G7

# n

&
B

E7

#7

F7

b7

D7

- 25 -

#7

C7

B7

&
E

b7

A7

b7

G7

b b
&
B

b7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 26 -

G7

& b b n b

b b

#7

b7

D7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

F7

b7

b7

&

# b b

G7

#7

#7

F7

b7

B7

A7

E7

D7

- 27 -

C7

b7

b7

&
D

&

G7

# b

b7

b7

#7

#7

E7

A7

G7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

&

G7

F7

b7

- 28 -

#7

B7

A7

&
b7

D7

#7

C7

E7

b7

&

b7

G7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 29 -

&

b n

G7

E7

#7

b7

F7

D7

C7

B7

A7

b7

#7

b7

&

G7

b b
C

b7

b7

#7

#7

E7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 30 -

G7

&
&

# b n b

G7

#7

A7

B7

C7

b7

#7

D7

b7

E7

F7

#7

G7

&
B

b7

b b
E

b7

C7

F7

b7

- 31 -

#7

#7

B7

&
E7

G7

A7

D7

&

b b b b

G7

#7

#7

C7

F7

b7

B7

A7

E7

D7

b7

b7

- 32 -

&
B

b7

G7

b b b
E

#7

E7

G7

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

G7

&
B

b7

#7

b7

#7

C7

F7

b7

B7

- 33 -

E7

A7

D7

&
G7

G7

&

#7

b7

D7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

G7

& #
B

b7

b
C

C7

F7

*play pick up

b7

b7

- 34 -

#7

#7

B7

&
E

E7

G7

A7

D7

&
G7

b7

#7

E7

#7

A7

B7

C7

D7

b7

F7

#7

G7

C7

F7

b b
&

- 35 -

b7

b7

b7

&
#7

E7

G7

#7

B7

A7

D7

G7

&
3

#7

#7

C7

F7

b7

B7

A7

E7

D7

b7

b7

- 36 -

b b b n

&
G7

#7

b7

D7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

b b

&
G7

#7

b7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

- 37 -

D7

C7

b7

&
G7

&
B

b7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

G7

&
B

b7

b b
E

C7

b7

F7

b7

- 38 -

#7

#7

B7

&
E7

G7

A7

D7

&

b n b n

G7

E7

#7

b7

F7

D7

C7

B7

A7

b7

#7

b7

&
G7

C7

F7

- 39 -

b7

b7

b7

&
#7

E7

G7

#7

B7

A7

D7

G7

# n
&
B

b7

#7

A7

B7

C7

#7

D7

b7

E7

F7

#7

- 40 -

&
B

b7

G7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

G7

& b b
B

b7

#7

b7

#7

C7

F7

b7

B7

- 41 -

E7

A7

D7

&
G7

&

b b

G7

b n b

#7

b7

D7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

F7

b7

b7

# # n #

&
G7

C7

F7

- 42 -

b7

b7

b7

&
#7

E7

G7

#7

B7

A7

D7

G7

&
C

#7

b7

D7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

- 43 -

G7

&
B

b7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

&

b7

#7

G7

# n
E

C7

b7

#7

F7

b7

B7

- 44 -

E7

A7

D7

&
G7

&
G7

#7

b7

D7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

G7

& # n
A

#7

F7

b7

B7

A7

- 45 -

b7

#7

E7

&
A

D7

C7

b7

b7

G7

&

b
b

#7

b7

D7

F7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

b7

&

#7

G7

#
F

F7

b7

b b

B7

A7

- 46 -

b7

#7

E7

&
D7

C7

b7

G7

&
C

#7

b7

D7

F7

b7

B7

A7

#7

E7

C7

F7

b7

A7

G7

b n b n b b
&
A

#7

b7

B7

- 47 -

b7

#7

E7

&
A

D7

C7

b7

&

b7

G7

#7

E7

G7

C7

b7

#7

A7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 48 -

G7

& # b

E7

#7

b7

b7

#7

F7

D7

C7

B7

A7

b7

&

b7

G7

# n
E

#7

E7

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 49 -

G7

&
G7

& b n
B

b7

b
E

#7

E7

G7

b7

#7

A7

C7

F7

b7

B7

D7

- 50 -