Practical concepts for

improvisation
by Rémi Bolduc

Upper structure triades

and Slash chords

Major triades

1- b
D /C
&c ’ ’ ’ ’ This chord could be
call C phrygian as well

Here the symbol of the

chord with the extensions:
b
D MA7(#11)/C C phryg
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ bœ bœ œ
œ bœ bœ œ

2- D/C
&’ ’ ’ ’
#
C MA7(#11) C 13( 11)
& œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ bœ œ
œ œ
Lydian Lydian dominante
b b
3- E /C or E MA7(#11)/C
&’ ’ ’ ’
Cm 9 I

&œ œ œ bœ œ
œ bœ œ
C dorian
4- E/C C MA7(#5)
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ # œ # œ œ œ œ
œ œ
3e mode minor melodic:

5- F/C
&’ ’ ’ ’

C m 11 C sus13
œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ
I or
& œ b œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
Dorian
b
Mixolydian

6- G /C
&’ ’ ’ ’
b b #
G MA7(#11)/C G 13( 11)/C or C 7alt
& œ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ nœ bœ
bœ bœ œ
œ
Locrian Altered

7- G/C
&’ ’ ’ ’
C MA9 C min±9
&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
Major scale Minor melodic

8- b
A /C
&’ ’ ’ ’
b
C m 7(b6)
A add 2/C or I C 7alt
& œ œ bœ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ nœ bœ bœ
bœ œ
œ
Eolien Altered scale

Practical concepts for

improvisation
Upper structure triades -2-
by Rémi Bolduc
9- A/C
&’ ’ ’ ’
b
C 13( 9 )
bœ
&
œ #œ #œ œ #œ œ œ bœ #œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
Diminish half-whole 5th mode min harmonic. I start this scale on
the tonic of the upper structure triade (A)

10- b
B /C
&’ ’ ’ ’
Here we have many choices of 3rd and 5th.
Let's look at the main one:

C sus9 Cm I 11
9
C m 9(b5)
I

& œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ
œ œ œ œ
Mixolydian Dorian Locrian (#2) or
VIe mode minor melodic

11- B/C

&’ ’ ’ ’
CL
&œ œ #œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
œ bœ œ œ # œ œ
Diminish whole-half 5th mode minor harmonic starting the
the upper triade B.

Practical concepts for

improvisation
Upper structure triades -3-
by Rémi Bolduc
 Minor Triades

12- D bmI/C C 7alt

&’ ’ ’ ’ bœ bœ bœ œ
œ bœ bœ bœ
Altered

Hardly ever use is:

13- D mI/C C sus13
9
Cm 9
I 13

&’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ b œ œ œ œ bœ œ
œ œ
Mixolydian Dorian

14- E bmI/C C m 7(b5)

I C m 9(b5)
I

& ’ ’ ’ ’ œ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ œ
Be-bop player often

œ œ b œ use this sound over

œ Nœ b min(b5) chords

Locrian Locrian #2
15- E mI/C C MA7
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
Major (lydian could be use as well)

16- F mI/C C m 11 (b6)

I

&’ ’ ’ ’
œ œ bœ œ œ bœ bœ œ
less commun would be:
Locrian, locrien #2, dim whole-half
Minor natural

Rare
17- G bmI/C C 13( #
b9
11)

&’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ bœ
œ bœ bœ n œ #œ
Dim. half-whole

Practical concepts for

improvisation
Upper structure triades -4-
by Rémi Bolduc
18- G mI/C C9
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ bœ œ
œ œ #œ œ
Also on Csus9 and Cmin9. But this

œ
sound is use a lot on dom. chords
that don't resolve on I. For example
Lydian dominante C7 to Dmaj or Bmaj

b
19- A mI/C CL
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ #œ #œ œ œ
œ œ #œ
Dim. whole half

20- A mI/C C MA6

&’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ œ œ œ Use a lot on Imaj as a tonic
œ œ substitute

Major
b
21- B mI/C C phryg
&’ ’ ’ ’ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ Again the most commun
œ b œ b
Phrygian

22- B mI/C C MA7(#11)

&’ ’ ’ ’ œ # œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
Lydian

Practical concepts for

improvisation
Upper structure triades -5-
by Rémi Bolduc