How to Solo over Circle of 5ths Progression

In this lesson, we’ll look at how I created a solo over a circle of fifths chord progression. We’ll look at the chord tones and modes that I am using so that you can work out how to create your own solo improv ideas.

Here’s the chord progression:

Here’s the solo with a description above of the scale I am using:

Let’s have a quick look at the scales and/or chord tones I am using.

Bar	Chord	Chord Tones	Scale
1	Em7	E-G-B-D	E Dorian
2	A7	A-C#-E-G	A Mixolydian
3	Dmaj 7	D-F#-A-C#	D Ionian
4	Gmaj7	G-B-D-F	G Lydian
5	C#m7b5	C#-E-G-B	C# Locrian
6	F#7	F#-A#-C#-E	F Phrygian
7	Bm7	B-D-F#-A	B Aeolian
8	B7	B-D#-F#-A	B Mixolydian