What advice would you give an improvisor on soloing “outside” with Footprints?
Answer Great question! Footprints is a minor blues tune with lots of soloing possibilities. Likewise, it can be somewhat monotonous if sticking to just one minor pentatonic scale. If you listen to Wayne Shorter’s version(s) he uses alternate minor pentatonic scales to get that ‘out there’ sound you might be looking for. He also uses alot of chromatic 1/2 step approach (and resolve) to add tension to his solos. Here are a few ideas to get you started: A Minor Pentatonic Scale works well with a Minor, Minor7, or Dominant 7th chord of the same root. The flat 3 of the Minor Pentatonic Scale will sound dissonant with the natural 3 of the Dominant 7th chord. For any major or minor chord, you can substitute the relative major or minor pentatonic scale. You can improvise over a diatonic minor key progression with the Minor Scale or Minor Pentatonic Scale where the root (of the scale) is the same as the key. Don’t forget to let your ear be the judge. There is quite a fine line between playing ‘
