Backing track: chord questions and meanings

[Joseph Pizzoferrato]

Hello saxophone players, Greetings from Chicago Illinois. I Have some questions on this back track in Eminor. See link above. This would be put us bb tenor instruments in FMinor if I am correct.

What does some of these chords mean? I am trying to learn what these chords mean. I understand basics of chords. Was not a music major in college.

Am9 – A minor 9-> flat the 3 and 9th?
C/D -> Why are there two chords at the same time? Either will suffice?
Bm7+5 -> Bminor -> flat 3rd 7th and 5th? This is a diminished chord I believe.
A#7+11 -> Unsure on this one.
Em6 -> E minor 6th -> flat the 3rd and 6th?

I will transpose this backing track for us bb instruments so that it will help me solo even better over the track. If i get good enough i’ll make a recording for us all.

Best,
Joe

[PETER RANKIN]

hello from spain can anyone help me, i have downloaded summertime for alto sax great backing track but what pentatonic scale do i use to improvise with and what is the formular i use for future downloads. thank you.

[Anonymous]

https://www.bellandcomusic.com/music-chords.html

[Anonymous]

Jazz Scales: The Pentatonic Scale

[john]

Joe, no, we need to go up a whole step, not a half step when we transpose for Bb saxophones.
don’t worry about the chord extensions, just play the E minor pentatonic scale over it. I have some lessons here:

Power of the Major Pentatonic Scale

this; C/D does not mean 2 chords at the same time, it means to play a C major chord with a D in the bass. So if you’re playing piano, you play a C major (C E G) with your right hand and play a D with your left. It does create a very different sound and is a very common thing that you’ll see a lot in all types of music.

[PETER RANKIN]

Hi johnny, i have download summertime for alto sax can you tell me what pentatonic scale i use to improvise over, and the formlar you use to for future downloads, just a bit confused as the song is in the key of G but finishes on E-6 D/f# so i am a bit confused..Peter

[john]

sure Peter…take some notes cause this is an important lesson…
Summertime (alto music) is in the key of E minor.
have a look at the key signature., you see one sharp (F#)
that tells us it’s either in G major or E minor. Every major key has a relative minor with the same key signature.
we need to figure out if that one sharp means that the song is in. G major or E minor…how can we tell? there are a few ways but the easiest is to look at the last chord(s) in this case you’ll see an Em followed by a B7 (which is the 5 chord in the key of E) so this tellsus right away it’s in E minor…if it was in G it would have a G chord in there most likely.

also, take a look at the chords through-out the tune…..do you see any G majors? probably not…../do you see any E minor’s?…..yes, tons!

[john]

so which pentatonic scale do you think we need to use? If you said G minor pentatonic you would be correct.

at this point don’t make things any more complicated than that.
Once you know and learn that scale, have a look at the melody…you’ll notice that about 99% of it is made up of the notes of this scale.
Very simple and easy stuff once we know and understand it

[PETER RANKIN]

Thats a great help Thanks for helping me johnny

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