24.3 · The Other Scales
Which scale, when
You now own more scales than most players ever use: majors and minors, five modes, pentatonics, blues, whole-tone, diminished. The last skill is choice: match the scale to the chord under you, and the "right notes" take care of themselves.
The router
Each button plays a scale over the chord that hires it. Don't memorize; listen for the fit. The chord names the mood, the scale agrees with it.
The honest shortcut
When in doubt: pentatonic. Major pentatonic over major chords, minor pentatonic over minor ones, blues when the chord has grit. The exotic scales are spices, not meals; reach for them when the chord asks.
Quiz
1 / 3The safest default over a plain major chord?