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In your journey to learn how to improvise on piano, you’re likely to come across multiple types of musical scales that you can use to solo over any given chord symbol. This raises some logical questions, such as:

• Which scale type is the “best option” for a particular chord?
• Can I mix different types of scales on the same chord?

In today’s Quick Tip, How to Solo with Multiple Scales, Jonny May tackles these common questions and more! Not only will you find reliable answers to these questions. You’ll also discover Jonny’s practical framework for improvising with multiple scales, which will help keep your solos fresh and interesting.

Lesson Outline:

• Benefits to Improvising with Multiple Scales
• Challenges in Improvising with Multiple Scales
• Strategy for Improvising with Multiple Scales

Introduction

As you can already see from the lesson outline above, the implied answer is “Yes,” you can improvise with multiple scales on the same chord. In fact, there are some great benefits to this approach. However, it’s also important to understand some of the obstacles to soloing with different types of scales. In addition, it’s best to have some sort of blueprint for how to navigate soloing with multiple musical scales. Therefore, we’ll tackle these subtopics one by one in this lesson.

Before we dive in to each subtopic, it’s important to identify the context in which we’ll examine these questions. While an argument can be made for soloing with multiple scales over any given chord in any musical genre, such a wide scope would not be very actionable for most piano students. Therefore, today’s lesson zeros in on just one chord in just one genre. Specifically, we’ll examine how to improvise with different types of scales on the dominant 7th chord C7 in a jazz swing context. This narrow focus will enable you to best understand the core concepts that Jonny presents in this lesson. Afterward, you’ll be able to transfer Jonny’s signature method for soloing with multiple scales to other chord types in other styles.

This lesson includes four backing tracks at various different speeds for practice purposes. In fact, PWJ members can download the lesson sheet PDF and backing tracks from the bottom of this page after logging in with their membership.

Benefits to Improvising with Multiple Scales

Learning to improvise with multiple scales has many benefits for intermediate and advanced jazz piano students. Perhaps the most obvious advantage to soloing with different types of scales is the inherent versatility of such an approach. For example, mixing different melodic inflections can help keep your solos from sounding stale and repetitive. In addition, embracing different types of scales can actually help you discover completely new melodic shapes and sounds to use in your solos.

Keep in mind, soloing with multiple scales is an intermediate-to-advanced level topic. As such, embracing this topic prematurely can actually cause an early improvisor to struggle more rather than less. Of course, studying and attempting the examples in this lesson will only increase your depth of perspective. However, it’s important for each student to reflectively discern their own readiness regarding when to start soloing with multiple scales. In fact, for most beginners, less is more. Therefore, if you’re more of an early improvisor, then be sure to check out our Quick Tip on Improvise Diatonic 7th Chords on Piano (Int) which will actually help you sound great with just one scale!

What if you’re unsure where you stand? In general, jazz piano students who have experience playing various musical scales and arpeggio shapes may benefit from exploring new scale types when improvising. This is especially true if you already have strong “harmonic vision.” This means that you can look at the keyboard and quickly see 4-note chord shapes and 7-note scale shapes amidst the twelve-tone, black-and-white landscape. If these shapes don’t jump out at you, then adding more scales won’t be very helpful just yet. However, you can actively develop your harmonic vision in our Piano Foundations Learning Tracks where you’ll progressively master essential piano skills in a curated curriculum with a self-paced format.

Challenges in Improvising with Multiple Scales

There are some common challenges that students experience when learning to solo with multiple scales. In this section, we’ve identified several of these obstacles upfront so that you’ll be better equipped to face them head-on.

1. There Are So Many Scale Choices

As musicians, we have a finite number of chords with which to work. For example, in jazz music, there are five primary types of 7th chords…plus a few less common types. However, when it comes to scales, there are literally hundreds of different diatonic, modal and synthetic scales that are available to us. In fact, the options can be overwhelming! For example, on some chords like C7, there are nearly a dozen compatible improv scales. However, it’s important to recognize that not all improv scales are equal. Instead, scale types can generally be sorted into primary, secondary and situational categories. Understanding these distinctions will help you focus on the most practical scales first.

2. Combining Scales Can Be Tricky

Once you’ve sifted through all the potential musical scales for a given chord symbol, there’s still the challenge of discerning how to effectively combine a few hand-picked scales while improvising. For instance, when and how should you switch scales? Here, it’s helpful to have a deliberate blueprint rather than switching scales arbitrary. We’ll unpack this concept further in just a moment.

3. Mixing Scales Typically Results in All 12 Pitches

Trying to mix multiple improv scales when soloing often results in a muddy, alphabet soup. For instance, suppose I try to solo with both the C Dominant Bebop Scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B♭-B♮) and the C Altered Scale (C-D♭-D♯-E-G♭-G♯-B♭). As you can see, these two scales contain all 12 pitches of the chromatic scale. Therefore, mixing these scales while soloing is not a very actionable strategy—unless I have some sort of mental framework that governs when each scale is to be used!

Strategy for Improvising with Multiple Scales

Now that you’re aware of the benefits and challenges associated with improvising with multiple scales, you can appreciate the value of a framework that guides improvisors in how to navigate these murky waters. The mental map that Jonny uses and recommends for his students is a blueprint that he calls The 60-30-10 Method.

The 60-30-10 Method

Step 1: Choose Your 60 Percent Scales

The first step to improvising with multiple scales is to select your 60 Percent Scales. These are the improv scales that you will use 60% of the time for a particular chord symbol. As such, these core scales sound great and are easy to use. Often times, these scales contain fewer notes than other scales in our subsequent categories. For example, blues scales or pentatonic scales are great examples of 60 Percent Scales. In fact, in today’s lesson, Jonny has selected the C Major Blues Scale (C-D-D♯-E-G-A) and the C Minor Blues Scale (C-E♭-F-F♯-G-B♭) as 60 Percent Scales for the chord symbol C7.

Step 2: Choose Your 30 Percent Scales

The second step to improvising with multiple scales is to select your 30 Percent Scales. These are improv scales that you will use 30% of the time for a particular chord symbol. These scales also sound very good. However, in this category, we can select scales that have more notes, including scales that contain so-called “weak notes” or “avoid tones.” For the sake of today’s lesson, Jonny has chosen the C Mixolydian Scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B♭) as his sole 30 Percent Scale for the chord symbol C7.

C Mixolydian Scale

Step 3: Choose Your 10 Percent Scales

The third step to improvising with multiple scales is to select your 10 Percent Scales. This category includes more situational, peripheral or exotic scales. As such, these scales contain super colorful chord alterations that rub against the chord. In fact, many advanced jazz scales fall into this category. However, that doesn’t mean you should try to squeeze them all into your solo. Instead, select one or two special scales that you will aim incorporate into your solo about 10% of the time. For instance, in today’s lesson, Jonny has selected the C Lydian Dominant Scale (C-D-E-F♯-G-A-B♭) and the C Dominant Bebop Scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B♭-B♮) as his 10 Percent Scales for the chord symbol C7.

Step 4: Practice Solo Lines with Each Scale

The fourth step to improvising with multiple scales is to practice creating succinct, musical phrases with each scale type that we’ve selected. Jazz musicians use the term “lines” to describe these musical sentences. The following examples present a sample solo line for each of the scales that we’ve selected to use over C7 according to The 60-30-10 Method.

Major Blues Scale Improv Example

🔎 For a deep dive on the Major Blues Scale, check out our course on The Major Blues Scale / Gospel Scale (Int, Int/Adv).

Minor Blues Scale Improv Example

🔎 For additional improv ideas with the Minor Blues Scale, check out our Quick Tip on Essential Blues Piano Scales: Major & Minor Blues Scale (Beg–Adv).

Mixolydian Scale Improv Example

For a deep dive on the Mixolydian Scale, check out our course on How to Improvise a Solo with the Mixolydian Mode (Int, Adv).

Lydian Dominant Scale Improv Example

🔎 For more ideas on how to improvise with the Lydian Dominant Scale, check out our Quick Tip on Lydian Dominant Scale–The Complete Guide (Int).

Dominant Bebop Scale Improv Example

For a comprehensive study on how to incorporate Bebop Scales into your piano playing, check out our course on 2-5-1 Soloing with Bebop Scales (Adv).

Once you feel comfortable creating solo lines with each of the scales above, try playing along with one of the backing tracks that are included in this lesson. See if you can switch back and forth between these various melodic sounds using the ratios outlined by The 60-30-10 Method.

Also, be sure to check out the following courses that Jonny references in today’s lesson:

🔎 Scales for Improv on Major and Minor Chords (Beg/Int)
🔎 Scales for Improv on 7th Chords (Int/Adv)

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve completed today’s lesson on How to Solo with Multiple Scales. By following The 60-30-10 Method for improvising with multiple scales, you’ll be sure to keep your solos sounding fresh, balanced and engaging.

If you enjoyed this lesson, then you’ll love the following PWJ resources:

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