ProGuitar - 15 Jazz Lines VOL.

3 By Emil Ernebro
www.proguitar.com
Instagram: @proguitarofficial

In "15 Jazz Lines" VOL 1 and 2, we focused on licks over two of the most common chord progressions
in Jazz music, the II V I (Dm7, G7, Cmaj7) and the I VI II V (Cmaj7, A7, Dm7, G7). In this video lesson,
"15 Jazz Lines VOL. 3", we're going to focus on the minor II V I progression. In the key of C minor, the
chords are: Dm7(b5), G7 and Cm. In a minor key, the V chord should theoretically be a minor chord,
but in the context of a II V I, (and in many other situations) the V chord is often changed to a dominant
chord. When you make it a dominant 7th instead of a diatonic minor 7 chord, it will create more tension
towards the I chord (Cm). Since the G7 chord is not diatonic to the key of C minor, we will have to
adjust and use a different scale (not the diatonic C minor scale) over the G7, and that's one of the things
that we're going to work on in this lesson.

The reason that I've chosen this chord progression is because this also is one of the most common
progressions in Jazz music. If you want to become a better improviser in Jazz, it is essential to be able
to play over the minor II V I. Once you've worked on these examples in the key of C minor, try changing
key and work on the same "lines" in many different keys and tempos.

Example 1

D‹7(b5) G7 C‹
5fr

° bb 4 œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
& b4 œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
˙
Ó
3
p i p i m p i p i

3 4 6 4 3
3 6 6 3
5 5 4
3 6 6 5 3
¢⁄ 5 6

Example 2
Using a motif
D‹7(b5) G7(#5) C‹
5fr 3fr

4
° bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ #œ ˙
& b Ó

7 8
7 5 7 5 5 7 8 10 8 10 8 8 10
6 9
¢⁄
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Example 3
Using the Abmaj7 arpeggio over the Dm7b5

D‹7(b5) G7½ C‹
5fr 3fr

7 bœ
° bb ‰ j œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ b œ œ œ bœ œ nœ b˙ Ó
& b œ œ
3
p i p i p i p i p i p i i p

6 7 9 7 6
8 6 9 9 8 7 6
5 8 9 8
5 6
¢⁄

Example 4

D‹7(b5) G7(#5) C‹9

5fr 3fr

10
° bb ‰ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ #œ œ
& b œ n˙ Ó
3

9 8 9 8 8 9 8
10 10 7 7 10 8 7
10 9 9
¢⁄ 10

Example 5
Using an F minor triad over Dm7b5, and B diminished arpeggio over G7
D‹7(b5) G7(b9) C‹
4fr 3fr

13
° bb œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
œ
& b œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ nœ Œ Ó
3
p i p i p i m p i p i

6 9 7 8
5 5 7
6 6 9 10
¢⁄ 8 6 5
8 7
5 8
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Example 6
Using Abmaj7 over Dm7b5 and a "sweep" over the G7#9

D‹7(b5) G7(#9) C‹7

9fr 9fr 8fr

16
3
° bb Ó™‰ 3
œ œ œ œ#œ œ nœ œnœbœ ‰ Œ
& b j œœœœ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ
œ n œ œ œ œ™ œ
œ œ 3
p i p i i p i p i p sweep¿ p i p i p i i p i p p
i i
6 7 8 6
5 7 8 8
5 6 9 8 6 5
¢⁄ 3 4
3 6 8 6 8 6 5
8 7
5
8 3

Example 7
Using a forward roll together with the index finger "sweep"
D‹7(b5) G7(#5) C‹
5fr 3fr

21
° bb Ó™ ‰ j œ œ3œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
œ œ #œ nœ bœ œ ˙
& b œ œœœ Ó
3 3 3
sweep sweep
i p i m p i m p ¿p p ¿ p i p i p
i i i i
4 8 4 10 7
6 6 9
5 7 7 10 8
6 9 8
¢⁄ 5 8 11 10

Example 8
Using a rhythmic motif
D‹7(b5) G7(#5) C‹
5fr 3fr

25 œœœ œ œ œœ
° bb Ó™ ‰ j œ œ œ
œ œœœ
œ œ nœ bœ œbœ œ ˙ Ó
& b
3

p i m p i p i i p i i p i i p

3 4 6 4 3
3 6 6 4 6 4 3
5 5 4 6 4 3
5 6 6 5
¢⁄
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Example 9
Descending line
D‹7(b5) G7(#9) C‹7
9fr 9fr 8fr

29
° bb ‰ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ Ó
& b œ œ œ œ
nœ bœ œ ˙
6 4 3
6 4 3
5 4
6 5 3 1
¢⁄ 2 1
4 3

Example 10
Using a motif, and using the altered scale over G7

D‹7(b5) G7½ C‹
5fr 3fr

32 bœ bœ œ œ
° bb ‰ j œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ #œ nœ #œ nœ ˙
& b œ œ Ó
3 3

p i m p p i p p i m p p i p

4 8 7 6 8 11 9 8
5 8 7 8 10 8
5 6 8 9
¢⁄

Example 11
Using a some chromatics + the altered scale over the V chord
D‹7(b5) G7½ C‹
5fr 3fr

35
° bb ‰ j
& b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ bœ nœ bœ œ #œ Ó
nœ bœ ˙

5 5 4 3 2
3 6 3 6 6 5
¢⁄ 5 6
7 4 3
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Example 12

D‹7(b5) G7(b9) C‹
4fr 3fr

38
° b
œ œœ
œœ œ œ b œ œ b œ n œ œ œ œ b œ œ bœ œ œ
&b b nœ œ nœ œ œ ˙ Ó
3
sweep
¿
p i i p i p i p

10 8 10 11 8
9 9 8 11 12 11 8
10 7 7 10 11 10 8
10 7 8 9 10
¢⁄

Example 13
Using a great triplet-technique

D‹7(b5) G7(b9) C‹6

42
° bb œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ nœ ˙
& bœœœ œ œœ Ó
3 3
p i p i m p i i p i p i m p i i p i p i p p i

4 3
3 6 4 3 3 6 6 3 4 3
5 5 4 4 5 3 5 2
3 6 3 6 5
¢⁄ 5

Example 14

D‹7(b5) G7½ C‹
5fr 3fr

46 œ bœ œ œ
° bb œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ
& bœ œ ˙ Ó
œ #œ
3

p p i m p i i p i i i p i p

8 11 9 8
8 10 8 10 8 7
6 10 9 8
¢⁄ 11 8 9 10
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Example 15

D‹7(b5) G7(#5) C‹
5fr 3fr

° bb œ
49
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& b œ œ œ œ nœ œ ˙ Ó
3
sweep
p i i
¿ p i p i p

8 4 4 3
6 6 6 4 6 4 3
7 5 7 5 4
6 5
¢⁄