melody over chords

[Yumid]

So I was just told on a video that "If youre using the C major 7th chord you use the c major scale for your melody, then if your next chord is an F Major 7th chord, you use the F Major scale to create the melody over that chord, etc, etc.."


Does this mean I am switching my scale every time I switch my chord? Or is this where Modes start coming into play? Im new to theory but I have a good understanding of the fundamentals so I might already know the answer to this question without realizing it.


My CURRENT understanding is that If I were to be in C major, I could use any one of the diatonic chords belonging to the C Major scale. BUT I would stay using C major diatonic notes as my melody, regardless of which chord I am playing below it in the progression. So for example, right now I could be playing the G major 7th chord in C Major but I would still be using C major diatonic notes to construct the melody. But the video is telling me since I am playing a G major 7th it would be more suitable to use G major notes above that chord rather than C major.


Is this making sense how I'm asking it?

 

[Pumpthrust]

So I was just told on a video that "If youre using the C major 7th chord you use the c major scale for your melody, then if your next chord is an F Major 7th chord, you use the F Major scale to create the melody over that chord, etc, etc.."


Does this mean I am switching my scale every time I switch my chord? Or is this where Modes start coming into play? Im new to theory but I have a good understanding of the fundamentals so I might already know the answer to this question without realizing it.


My CURRENT understanding is that If I were to be in C major, I could use any one of the diatonic chords belonging to the C Major scale. BUT I would stay using C major diatonic notes as my melody, regardless of which chord I am playing below it in the progression. So for example, right now I could be playing the G major 7th chord in C Major but I would still be using C major diatonic notes to construct the melody. But the video is telling me since I am playing a G major 7th it would be more suitable to use G major notes above that chord rather than C major.


Is this making sense how I'm asking it?

A link to the video would help, but when I look at improvising over certain chords, I first think of the the scale tones of each chord if its a slow song with many changes (arpeggios).
In most cases, I would look at the mode each chord corresponds to. For example, for a major chord you can use the Ionian mode or the Lydian mode BUT you always keep the harmony in mind first and foremost (you don't want to use Ionian if the chord is a major 7#11...boo boo clash).
I'm at the gig right now, but look up Guitar Modes For Jazz Guitar (And Other Styles Of Music) for some more info or google "chord-scale theory"

 

[bandcoach]

what you describe is indeed an application of chord-scale theory as pumpthrust notes

as such it can bring a range of possibilities for each chord as each scale/mode can be applied to several different chords

for example

Chord	Scale/Mode
maj7, maj9, 6, tonic major	Tonic major, Tonic Lydian, Tonic major bebop, Tonic major pentatonic, Dominant major pentatonic
maj7#11	Tonic Lydian, Leading Tone in-Sen
m7, m9, m11, m	Tonic Dorian, Tonic minor bebop, Tonic minor pentatonic, Tonic major pentatonic, Flat leading tone major pentatonic
m6, m	Flat Mediant major bebop, Tonic blues, Tonic minor, Tonic Dorian, Tonic melodic minor, Tonic minor pentatonic, Sub dominant major pentatonic, Flat leading tone major pentatonic
m-maj7	Tonic minor bebop, Flat Mediant major bebop, Super tonic in-Sen, Tonic melodic minor, Tonic harmonic minor, Flat Mediant major bebop
m7b6	Tonic minor, Flat Sub-Mediant major pentatonic
m7b9	Tonic Phrygian, Tonic Phrygian #6
7, 9, 13, tonic major	Tonic Mixolydian, Tonic Lydian dominant, Tonic dominant bebop, Tonic blues, Tonic major pentatonic
7sus, sus, 11	Tonic Mixolydian
Flat leading tone with tonic in the bass (bVII/1), dominant minor7 with tonic in the bass (v7/1)	Tonic suspended pentatonic, Sub dominant major pentatonic
7#11, 7	Tonic Lydian dominant
7alt, 7#9#5, 7#9	Tonic altered, Sub dominant harmonic minor, Sub dominant melodic minor
7b9b5, 7b9	Tonic ST diminished, Sub dominant harmonic minor, Sub dominant melodic minor
7aug, 7+, 7#5	Tonic whole tone
m7b5	Tonic Locrian #2, Tonic Locrian
dim7	Tonic TS diminished
maj7#5	Tonic Phrygian, Tonic Phrygian #6, Tonic Spanish Phrygian, Tonic Phrygian, Tonic in-Sen, Tonic Lydian augmented, Tonic major bebop
7susb9	Tonic Phrygian #6, Tonic Phrygian

terms used to distinguish different starting notes relative to the tonic (home note/naming note of the chord)

Name	Scale tone	Example in c
Tonic	1	C
Super tonic	2	D
Flat Mediant	b3	Eb
Sub dominant	4	F
Dominant	5	G
Flat Sub-Mediant	b6	Ab
Flat leading tone	b7	Bb
Leading Tone	7	B

scale forms in absolute terms and exampled in C

Scale/Mode type	Alternative Name	Scale tones	Example in C	TS Pattern
Altered	7th mode of the melodic minor	1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 8	C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C	S T S T T T T
Blues		1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 8	C Eb F Gb G Bb C	T½ T S S T½ T
Dominant Bebop		1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 #7 8	C D E F G A Bb B C	T T S T T S S S
Dorian	2nd Mode of the major scale	1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8	C D Eb F G A Bb C	T S T T T S T
Harmonic Minor		1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8	C D Eb F G Ab B C	T S T T S T½ S
In Sen		1 b2 4 5 b7 8	C Db F G Bb C	S 2T T T½ T
Locrian	7th Mode of the major scale	1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8	C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C	S T T S T T T
Locrian #2		1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8	C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C	S T T S T T T
Lydian	4th Mode of the major scale	1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8	C D E F# G A B C	T T T S T T S
Lydian Augmented	3rd mode of the melodic minor	1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7 8	C D E F# G# A B C	T T T T S T S
Lydian Dominant	4th mode of the melodic minor	1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7 8	C D E F# G A Bb C	T T T S T S T
Major/Ionian	1st Mode of the major scale	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	C D E F G A B C	T T S T T T S
Major Bebop		1 2 3 4 5 #5 6 b7 8	C D E F G G# A Bb C	T T S T S S S T
Major Pentatonic		1 2 3 5 6 8	C D E G A C	T T T½ T T½
Melodic Minor		1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8	C D Eb F G A B C	T S T T T T S
Natural Minor/Aeolian	6th Mode of the major scale	1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8	C D Eb F G Ab Bb C	T S T T S T T
Minor Bebop		1 2 b3 3 4 5 6 b7 8	C D Eb E F G A Bb C	T S S S T T S T
Minor Pentatonic		1 b3 4 5 b7 8	C Eb F G Bb C	T½ T T T½ T
Mixolydian	5th Mode of the major scale	1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8	C D E F G A Bb C	T T S T T S T
Phrygian	3rd Mode of the major scale	1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8	C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C	S T T T S T T
Phrygian #6	2nd mode of the melodic minor	1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8	C Db Eb F G A Bb C	S T T T T S T
Spanish Phrygian		1 b2 b3 3 4 5 b6 b7 8	C Db Eb E F G Ab Bb C	S T S S T S T T
ST Diminished		1 b2 b3 b4 b5 5 6 b7 8	C Db Eb Fb Gb G A Bb C	S T S T S T S T
Suspended Pentatonic	2nd mode of the major pentatonic	1 2 4 5 b7 8	C D F G Bb C	T T½ T T½ T
TS Diminished		1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7 8	C D Eb F Gb Ab A B C	T S T S T S T S
Whole Tone		1 2 3 #4 #5 #6 8	C D E F# G# A# C	T T T T T T

enjoy; this material is taken from what I use in a year 11/year 12 music class (16-18 years of age ~ equivalent to junior and senior years in the USA)

 

[Deezel]

On a related note, The notes in the FMaj7 chord are also in the CMaj scale so you wouldn't really be switching scales.

 

[bandcoach]

agreed, however, there is a distinct difference between how B and Bb sound over that Fmaj7 chord

- one of harshness more than anything as

-- the B clashes quite strongly and tending towards the C,
-- whereas the Bb is more mellow quickly resolving to the A