1-2-3-5 Improvisation Study

The 1-2-3-5 concept is highlighted in this etude which was written for one of my guitar students. The structure of this study is simple and can easily be applied to any progression: over a given chord play a 1-2-3-5 pattern ascending from each scale tone, once the octave is reached descend using 5-3-2-1 or reverse 1-2-3-5 patterns.

In the music provided the following scales are used:

Dm7- ascending and descending Dorian
D-E-F-G-A-B-C

G7- ascending and descending Mixolydian
G-A-B-C-D-E-F

Cmaj7- ascending and descending Major
C-D-E-F-G-A-B

*G7- ascending and descending Major (from 1/2 step above root or minor 2nd)
Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-G

*This set of notes, while disguised as Ab, is functioning as a G altered dominant scale:
G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F (less the b4)

This would be the G altered scale:
G-Ab-Bb-B-Db-Eb-F