Need help with scale for jazz backing track

[rgtojem]

Hey All! its been a while since i've been on here! good to see everything is still going well with the site!

i was having a problem getting the whole music theory thing to sink in and one night i came home from work and decided to watch a couple of vids on youtube. i came across this great jazz instructional and thought "hey i wanna try that!" i started playing over a backing track i found and suddenly i understood what i've been struggling with for a long time!

now i'm struggling with what scale(s) to play over a new jazz track i found. i couldn't get back to the website where i found it but i have it hosted so everyone can listen. the title of the track was Abm7 - Db7. the song just kinda goes back and forth between the 2 chords and for the life of me i can't play anything that sounds good over this one like i did the last one.

would anyone mind taking a listen and helping me out on which one(s) to play? this is really driving me nuts and i love this backing track...HELP!!

here is the link http://www.mediafire.com/?6eijcly3bmk

RGtoJEM

[EL-CeeDee]

First of all,.. I didn't listen to the backing track,.. So I suppose you are correct about the chords.
Abm7 - Db7

I like to simplify when thinking about what to play:
( from here on, think down 1 step )

Am7 - D7

In notes :
A C E G and D F# A C

You could play Em over the whole thing : E F# G A B C D E
Or Am pentatonic : A C D E G A
Or play with the chords:
A B C D E F G A over the Am7
D E F#G A B C D over the D7 ( note the C !! it's D mixolydian (= Em))
Or just play the arpeggio's all over : A C E G and D F# A C

There are about a million other options I guess, but the most important thing is focusing where you end a lick or phrase. You can play the most amazing lick ever invented, when you end on a note that wants to resolve to another it's not going to sound "easy". Ending on the 1,3 or 5 of the Am7 or D7 will work fine. Mix it all up, play outside, go chromatic, go wherever you like, but make sure you end on the right note.
Another great exercise to come up with interesting things is to think of a little phrase or lick in your head, imagine how it sounds and then play it. This usually makes for more musical phrases instead of "finger-fueled"-phrases.

My suggestion on tackling this improv:
Listen to the track, KNOW where it changes from Am7 to D7.
Play the chords.
Play the arpeggios.
Play the scales.
This way, you know what's going to happen ( listen )
You know the chordal notes ( play the chords )
You know the chordal notes all over the neck ( play arps )
You know the scales you can use ( play the scales )

Experiment, keep your ears open, record and listen back.

Edit: In retrospect, in thought you might have wanted a suggestion instead of a million options:
I would go with a mix of the following.
Am7: Am scale and Am arpeggios, with some Am pentatonic when I'm lazy and/or want to play it safe. When the D7 kicks in, I'd start off on the F# note. The note hasn't been heard before and therefore has a nice effect. Then continue in Dmixolydian and D7 arpeggios . At the very end of the D7 chord I might briefly play a G# ( maybe in chromatics: F#, G, G# ) to resolve to the Am7 chord.

[courtney2018]

nevermind. what he said.

[twooos]

i downloaded it, its a great BT.

i think i used Ab or A dorian (this was last night, so i cant remember).

and a couple Amin7 arps.

Lydian or locrian should sound good, too.

[twooos]

yeah it was Ab, just played it

[rgtojem]

thanks for all the help!

yes twooos, it is a great bt. i remember sitting this weekend at the computer and just listening to the bt a billion times.

THANKS ALL!!

[eg]

Thinking of it as standard ii-V-(I) progression in the key of G would help. Just a thought.

[wallie!]

On a similar note, check out this site: http://jguitar.com/scale

so great, ive been stuffing around with different scales over my backing tracks and it really gives you a lot more options when soloing.