First off I'd see if I could avoid C and C# chords in the same key.. change the C# to Db and see if that helps:
Em Cmaj7 Dbm7b5 mmmm nope
From my knowledge of major scales, I know that isn't one the m7b5 chord has a major chord before it and a minor chord after it whereas for a major key (or any major mode) I'd expect the chords like this Cm7 Dbm7b5 Emaj7 - which you don't have - so it's probably covered by a melodic minor scale - it has 2 m7b5 chords.
Realisticly you can't use one scale over all of that because Em has a flat B and Cmaj7 a natural - you could try a C bebop scale playing b3rd and b7th as passing notes - but I dunno what it'd sound like, you'd have to ditch that by the 3rd chord as the C would sound odd against the Db - unless you wanted that.
But that doesn't matter. Play the changes is good enough.. try for instance: E minor blues scale over the Em, C major pentatonic over C major, D major pentatonic over Dbm7b5.
There is a lot of theory going on using those chords. Personally I stuck to diatonic chord progressions like Dm G7 Cmaj7 (ii V7 I) for a long time it's possibly the strongest sounding progression there is on the planet - bar none. With a really strong progression you learn how to bend it without losing sight of it. But you're writing a song so that's a different story
The chord progression for your song contains 9 discrete notes with 5 semitones - consonant sound seems to avoid the semitone clash. I advocate playing to the chord changes (AKA playing the changes) this way you save yourself the headache of unwrapping each of those chords and trying to draw a line between the notes of each to make a solo.
The chords are pugly (in a cool way) let the pugliness of the chords speak by highlighting the pugliness - this kind of progression needs supporting and isn't (IMO) a launching pad for fearsomely out fusion licks.
I hope that helps and isn't waffle _________________ Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"
Joined: 15 Dec 2008 Posts: 30 Location: Allentown, PA
Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:17 am Post subject:
this is a situation where we'd have to apply some chord scale theory. now, the motion of Em to Cmaj7 implies a G major tonality (or an E aeolian, depending on what you want to do). now this is a VERY basic approach to those two chords, but for now it will work for ya. the C# half dim. 7 is a *tad* different - you can use a number of different approaches to playing over that chord. the easiest approach would be to use the church mode that corresponds with it - locrian. now, the progression unfortunately doesn't resolve, so you need another chord in there somewhere. going back to the c# chord, you can also use the 8 note dominant scale, which is the same thing as a half-whole diminished scale. if you want a more in-depth write-up, just respond and i'll get to it when a bit more sober _________________ "What's wrong with being sexy?" - Nigel Tufnel
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