Duration: 5:46 · 1080p Stream
Master video playlist mapped. Ready for batch offline download to media/videos/improv101-7-4.mp4.
The big one: a target overlay for every chord in the key. Building on the Stairway approach from Module 4, you'll map where each of the seven diatonic triads (I through vii°) sits on top of the minor pentatonic rectangle and stack, reading them by Nashville number so you never search for roots by name. Memorize where each root falls — and lean on the thirds especially, since they spell the harmony most clearly. It's the same geometry as the modal "Hidden in Plain Sight" patterns, now aimed squarely at the changes.
What follows is this lesson’s section of the Course Guide — you can read it here or in the full guide →
One of the most widespread and battle-tested improvisation methods is to base a solo on a single pentatonic scale, adding in chord tone targets for each chord by overlaying them on the scale. We used this approach in Module 4 to play over the “Stairway to Heaven” outro chords, and in this module, we’ll extend that approach to other chords.
The approach presented in this video uses the Nashville number system, and the target patterns presented are correct for songs written in the Ionian or Aeolian mode. The basic idea is that it’s worth memorizing the target notes (and root positions) for each of the seven diatonic triads as they relate to the pentatonic rectangle and stack.
In the video, the examples are the seven diatonic triads overlaid on the minor pentatonic scale that starts on the 6th scale degree, which is the same as the major pentatonic scale that starts on the 1st scale degree. The triads all fit the “staggered” pattern from the Hidden in plain sight method.
Memorize this: These seven triad overlay patterns are all we need to improvise over any chord progression based on the Ionian or Aeolian modes. For purposes of this course, it is not necessary to memorize which of the target notes is the root, but that knowledge is helpful if you ever want to target a specific interval:
This approach can be extended to the other four pentatonic-based modes, but that is beyond the scope of this course. However, if you want to explore them on your own, here’s how it works. If the base pentatonic scale is the minor pentatonic starting on the 2nd scale degree (Dorian) or the major pentatonic scale starting on the 4th scale degree (Lydian), the overlays corresponding to the Nashville number system triads fit the “bright” pattern from the Hidden in plain sight method.
If the base pentatonic scale is the minor pentatonic starting on the 3rd scale degree (Phrygian) or the major pentatonic scale starting on the 5th scale degree (Mixolydian), the overlays corresponding to the Nashville number system triads fit the “dark” pattern from the Hidden in plain sight method.
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