GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION

Basic Guide Tone Line illustrated by the roots of the chords. Bass line connecting roots follows a Guide Tone
Line.
E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
? bb c w w w
G7 9
w
Dø7 Cm 7 F7

b w w w
w

? bb c bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ bœ œ nœ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ
b œ œ œ nœ

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7

? bb w w w w w
Cm 7 F9 Fm 7

b w bw w w

? bb œ œ œ n œ œ n œ œ n œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œn œ bw
b bœ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Melodies can be created following other guide tone lines as the bass follows roots. Guide Tone Line that
follows the 3rd & 7th is harmonically clear.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
bbb
Dø7 G7 9 Cm 7 F7

& w w w w w w bw w
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7
bb
F9 Fm 7

& b w nw w bw w w
w bw w
Guide Tone Line that follows the 3rd & 7th is harmonically clear.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
b
&b b w
w w
Dø7 G7 9 Cm 7 F7
nw bw nw bw w

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7

b w F9
w
Fm 7

&b b w ˙ ˙ w w bw w w

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —1—

 Guide Tone Line that follows the 5th is harmonically ambiguous, but colorful.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
b
Dø7 G7 9 Cm 7 F7

&b b w w w ˙ œ œ w ˙ b˙ w ˙ b˙

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7

bbb w w ˙ b˙ nw ˙ b˙
F9 Fm 7

& w
w w w
Guide Tone Line that follows the 9th is harmonically ambiguous, but colorful.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
b w w w w nw n˙ b˙
G7 9
nw ˙ b˙
Dø7 Cm 7 F7
b
& b

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7

b w w
F9
w nFmw 7 ˙ b˙ w
&b b w ˙ ˙ w

Four Guide Tone Lines together = harmony.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
b b ww w ww ww ww ww
G7 9
ww ˙˙ b b ˙˙˙
Dø7 Cm 7 F7
b
& ww ww
w ww nw
w
b ww n ww b b ww ˙
˙ ˙
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7
b ww ˙˙ b ˙˙
& b b www ˙˙ .. œ w ˙ ˙ ˙˙ b b ˙˙
F9 Fm 7
ww ww
˙˙ b n ˙˙˙ b ˙˙˙
n ww n ˙˙
b ˙˙ .. ww ww ˙˙ ˙˙ ww
w w

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —2—

An improviser should follow a voice other than the root when created melody lines in order to create a counterline to
the bass. An ideal place to start is the 3rd. Typically, a descending line can be found in common progressions that begin
and cycle back to the 3rd as illustrated below. Melodies can be created which aim for and follow these guide tones.
Notice that the 3rd will resolve to the 7th, which resolves back to the 3rd. The example on the bottom line is from a John
Scofield tune that Alex played at the workshop. Another tune that follows this guide tone line over this progression is
Weaver of Dreams.

E bm aj7
b
bbb
Dø7 G7 9

& w w w w

b .
John Scofield: Not You Again
j . .
&b b Ó œ œ œ œ. œ Ó Ó œ œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ

B bm 7 E b7
bbb
Cm 7 F7

& w w bw w
b . j . .
&b b œ Œ œ œ œ œ. œ Ó Ó
bœ œ bœ œ Œ ‰ jŒ
bœ

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7

& bbb w
w bw w
b bb - - - œ ‰ j ‰ j ‰ œj ‰ n œj ‰ œ ‰ j . œ. œ œ œ .
& œ œ œ bœ œ œ J œ œ œ œ J œ

B b7
bbb
F9 Fm 7

& w
nw w bw
b j . - .
& b b n œ . œ ‰ œj ‰ j œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ ‰ # œj œJ Œ j ˙
nœ nœ
œ

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —3—

Here is an “improvised” line that follows the 3rd through the progression. The lines do not have to begin on that note.

Fn and the Eb are played in two octaves before leading to the Db.
In that way we have a lot more freedom than the bass line. In the first measure I lead to the 3rd with a Monk quote. The

E bm aj7
b
b
Dø7 G7 9

&b b w w w w
Other lines following GT line

b b b ‰ œ œ œ # œJ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ n œ œ œ
& J J J J œ œ œ

B bm 7 E b7
bbb
Cm 7 F7

& w w bw w
b œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ w œ bœ œ
&b b œ œ œ ˙ Ó

The guide tone line (C-Cb-Bb) is on the bottom of this line under an Eb pedal tone.
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7

& bbb w
w bw w
b œ œ bœ œ
&b b ˙ œ bœ ˙ ˙. œ #œ œ œ Œ Ó

I lead to the An with a common bop line and sequenced it in the last two measures.
B b7 E bm aj7
b
F9 Fm 7

& b b nw w bw w w

b Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ ‰ œj
& b b Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n˙ . Œ ∑

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —4—

 Following two Guide Tone Lines can create compound melodies.
Compound Melody framework using 3rd & 7th pairs

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
bb w ww w ˙ n w˙ w b˙ n ˙w
G7 9
bw ˙ ww
Dø7 Cm 7 F7

& b
Ó Ó Ó Ó Ó
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7
b
Cm 9 F9 Fm 7

& b b w œ b œ b ww ˙w ˙ wÓ ˙ n ww ww b w ˙ ww ww
Ó Ó
Compound Melody framework using 3rd & 5th pairs. Note the interval between the lines. The two lines can
sound independent at the range of a 6th but would not at a 3rd.

E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
bb w ˙ w w w w w
G7 9
bw w
Dø7 Cm 7 F7

& b w w w w ˙ b˙ nw ˙ b˙
Ó
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7
b ˙ Ów ˙ w
Cm 9 F9 Fm 7

& b b ww bw
w
w
w ˙ ˙ bw w w
Ó Ó Ó ˙ ˙ b˙ w
Compound Melody framework using 5th & 7th pairs. Note the interval between the lines. The two lines can
sound independent at the range of a 6th but would not at a 3rd.
E bm aj7
b B bm 7 E b7
b
Dø7 G7 9 Cm 7 F7

&b b w ˙ w
w
w ˙ œ œ w ˙ b˙ w ˙ b˙
Ó Ó ˙ nw Ó ˙ nw Ó b˙ w
A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7 B b7 E bm aj7
b w w b˙ ˙w ˙ ẇ w ˙ b˙ nw ˙ b˙
Cm 7 F7 Fm 7

&b b ˙ ˙ ˙ w w ˙ w
w
w
Ó Ó
Two very ambiguous Guide Tone Lines on the 5th & 9th can lead to very colorful melodies. Tunes that use this
include Invitation, Candy and others.

E bm aj7
b b E b7
b Ó ˙ ww Ó ˙ w˙ œ œ Ó ˙ ˙˙ b ˙œ b œ Ó ˙
G7 9
b ˙w # œ
Dø7 Cm 7 F7 B m7

&b b w w w w nœ
b b b
Ó wÓ ˙ bBw˙b7# œ E bm aj7
b . ww ww ww n œ b ww
A m aj7 D 9 E m aj7 Cm 7 F7 Fm 7

& b b b w ˙ ˙˙ b œ b œœ w
w

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —5—

This “improvisation is a compound melody created by following two independent voices through the progression. The
top line follows the 5th & 9th, the lower voice follow the 7th & 3rd.
E bm aj7
b
b
& b b c œœJ œœ œœ 
Dø7 G7 9

œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ b œœ  ŒŒ œœ # œœ
œœ œœ œœ n œœ 
b
&b b c z w w
w w

w
Ó nw

B bm 7 E b7
bbb ‰ b œj œ
Cm 7 F7

& œ œ #œ œ œ Ó œ bœ œ ˙ ‰ j
œ nœ œ œ bœ
5 œ ˙
b
&b b w w w ˙ bœ œ bœ
Ó b˙ nw Ó b˙ w

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7
bbb œœ œœ  .
Cm 9

& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ŒŒ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
b œœ 
9

b
& b b ww w
bw
z z

This line shows some extended arpeggios. The F9#11 uses an arpeggio from C melodic Minor. The E7#11 or
Bb7 uses an arpeggio from B melodic minor.

B b7 E bm aj7
b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ b œœ
& b b ŒŒ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ ‰‰ J œœ b œœ œœ b œœ
F9 Fm 7
œœ
n œœ
œœ œœ b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
13
# #
b  #
F9 11 E9 11

& b b    n z z #  #  z
n # n 

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —6—

 The following Guide Tone Lines go against the grain. As they rise, tension is created by the ascension, the
unexpected resolutions, and the new dissonances created by those resolutions. The basic line is shown on
top—the bottom shows a possible melody that follows the against the grain guide tone line.

E bm aj7
b
b w #w
Dø7 G7 9

&b b c w w

b j .
j œ . Jœ œ œ
& b b c ‰ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ # œJ

B bm 7 E b7
b w w nw
&b b w
Cm 7 F7

b ˙
&b b œ. œ œ ˙. Œ œ . bœ œ œ œ n˙ œ nœ #œ œ
J œ

b D b9 E bm aj7
bb w
b
A m aj7

& ˙ ˙ nw w

œ. . .
bbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ Ó
& J œ œ œ. œ œ nœ

B b7 E bm aj7
b w #w w
F9 Fm 7

& b b nw nw

b œ œ ˙ œ
& b b Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n˙ . œ œ ‰ Jœ # œ n œ ˙ b œ ∑

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —7—

 Here is another against the grain guide tone line shown with a possible melody realization.
E bm aj7
b
b
Dø7 G7 9

&b b w ˙ ˙ nw w

b . .
&b b Ó œ œ œ ˙
‰ j œ nœ
œ œ
‰ j œ œ œ
œ œ ˙ œ nœ œ œ

B bm 7 E b7
bbb
Cm 7 F7

& #w w w nw

b
& b b #˙ . œ œ ‰ œ. œ œ œ
œ œ ‰ j œ œ nœ ˙. Œ
œ bœ

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7
b bw w w
&b b w

b œ bœ . nœ ˙ . ‰ œj n œ œ
&b b Œ œ œ œ œ œ J œ œ nœ œ œ Ó

B b7 E bm aj7
b w nw w
&b b w
w
F9 Fm 7

b œ œ œ. j œ œ. œ œ œ œ Œ œ n˙ œ. b œ œ
&b b œ œ J œœœœœ ∑

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —8—

This “improvisation” uses a rising, against the grain, guide tone line.

E bm aj7
b
b j
‰ œj œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ #œ œ. œ Ó
Dø7 G7 9

&b b œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ J
18 œ œ
b w #w
&b b w w

B bm 7 E b7
b
&b b Œ œ œ œ
. j
œ œJ
œ. ˙ ‰ j œ œ œ œ nœ ˙. ‰ Jœ
Cm 7 F7

œ bœ
22

b w w w nw
&b b

A bm aj7 D b9 E bm aj7
bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ nœ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ nœ
b œ
‰ J
&
˙ ˙ nw bw
26

w
& bbb

# b9
œ œœ j œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ B b7 b 13 E bm aj7
œ ‰ œ nœ #œ ‰ bœ ˙ nœ . œ
b œ
F9 11

‰J
Fm 7

&b b œ . nœ œ œ J J J
nw w ˙ ˙˙˙
30

n # www www
& bbb

GUIDE TONE LINES APPLIED TO STANDARD PROGRESSION —9—