In this quick lesson I’m showing you how I like to make rock playing sound more jazzy/fusion without turning it into “scale soup.” Scales are awesome for shredding—those ultra-fast, pattern-y lines—but that vibe isn’t automatically jazzy. The big shift is thinking in chord tones and arpeggios, and then sprinkling in a little chromatic movement so it sounds like you’re actually outlining harmony, not just running shapes. I start with a Cmaj7 sound and talk about how you can play that kind of color over diatonic chords, like an Am11 vibe. One of my favorite little “cheat codes” is noticing that if you strip the C out of Cmaj7, you’re left with an E minor triad—kinda crazy, but super useful. Play that Em triad over C and you’re outlining the 3, 5, and 7, which instantly sounds more sophisticated. From there I’m outlining triads like Em7, implying Cmaj7 by adding notes, and using chromaticism to create that fusion movement. I also touch on thinking of Am11 as a “five minor” idea (because E is the five) and walking into an E altered sound for extra spice.