The jazz version of these changes is actually quite harmonically traditional, which means we have a solid foundation of scale choices to work from — and then some genuinely exciting alternatives to layer on top. Knowing the “safe” options and the more adventurous ones gives you real flexibility in the moment.
What you’ll get out of this lesson
A clear map of which scales work over each chord type in the jazz changes, from the straightforward modal choices right through to more colourful options involving pentatonic substitutions, tritone subs, and altered dominants.
The default modal choices
Because the harmony stays largely within the jazz idiom, you could technically use only modes derived from the major scale and be perfectly at home:
- All minor 7 chords — Dorian
- All dominant chords — Mixolydian
- All minor7b5 chords — Locrian
- All major 7 chords — Lydian
These are your safety net. If in doubt, default here and you’ll be making musical, correct choices.
More interesting scale options
The chart below maps out more colourful alternatives across the full form. Study it carefully and keep an eye out for the following techniques being applied:
- Two-ing the Five
- Tritone substitutions
- Pentatonic substitutions
- Altering dominant chords that resolve to a minor chord
Putting it into practice
Head over to YouTube and find a backing track, or better still, jam directly over a recording of the song. Playing along with a great recording will do wonders for your time feel and phrasing. Pat Martino’s version is a fantastic choice — locking in with a player of that calibre pushes you in ways a basic backing track can’t.
Taking it further
Once you’re comfortable with the modal defaults, pick one more adventurous option from the chart — for instance, trying the altered scale over a dominant chord that resolves to a minor chord — and focus on that single swap in your next jam. Isolate one idea at a time and your vocabulary will grow steadily rather than feeling overwhelming.
Your homework
Jam over a backing track or recording for at least fifteen minutes this week. Spend the first five minutes using only the default modal choices. Then open up to the more colourful options from the chart. Notice which sounds you gravitate towards naturally — those are the ones worth developing first.