Playing over backing tracks. Here’s an example of an E major scale over a backing track. The only notes here are E scale notes, so it’s a limited pallet. Handy as an example of how powerful it can be though, to be sure about your scale notes in position. I’m demonstrating this in the first position but it could be literally anywhere- for instance, thinking of the scale from the mixolydian position, in E major, that would be B; moving to the 7th fret and starting there you could play E Mixo in the 6th position. In the first position, start it from the 2nd fret of A.

Mixolydian is the 5th diatonic mode and that chord is always a 7, not a M7.

In E major the 5th diatonic chord is B7. Here’s why: In the key of E (E is our root and so, our 1) the major scale notes are E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# and octave E.

That means a diatonic E major chord with a B in the root must have a flatted 7th! You may have these diatonic chords memorized, that’s one way to know ‘em, but you can also figure them out with a little elbow grease.

B is the 5th note in the E major scale so it would start the mixolydian mode, which in E goes:

B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A and B

So let’s look at the numbers. Using the mode above: B = 1, C# = 2, D# = 3, E = 4, F# = 5, G# = 6, A = 7 and B is the octave.

Right away this tells us a couple of things:

  • It has B as a root.
  • It is a major chord because it has no flatted third (D# is two whole steps from B).
  • It is a 7 chord (which means a flatted 7) and we know this because A is our 7th for mixolydian E and that’s a whole step below B.

So the upshot is, you can easily play that B7 as a scale arpeggio- and perfectly- if you know your scale notes in position. It does take some time but if you’re reading this, you’re almost there. Practice playing precisely the notes you want, and when you make an error, that is simply a signal to slow down.

Where do you start and stop the scale if you’re using it to practice over a backing track?
First find the chord. Figure out where the diatonic root is for a start and end there. Later on when you get more comfortable you can start and stop on other diatonic chord tones but for now, finding the one would be awesome!!

Here’s the original backing track to fool around with. This is from the wonderful Andy Usher

and you can download tons of excellent tracks to work with here:

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Paul Elwood
Paul ElwoodPaul Elwood Guitar Coach
I most enjoy the interaction between myself and my students. There is something profoundly cool about helping a guitarist or a uke player on their own path. I find working with beginners- especially adult beginners- is both humbling and fulfilling. I like to think I offer an excellent product! And I truly enjoy working with people who are either looking to take up this wonderful instrument or improve their playing. My remote students get a combination of real-time coaching and personal customized video lessons and in-person students get the advantage of one-to-one focused attention, of course. We start out with a goal -usually a song you want to learn- decide when we’ll meet, and figure out how long it’s going to take to get it the way you want.

another example. playing MIDI-enhanced guitar over and Andy Usher track in D