Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Discover the secret to truly expressive playing by learning how to connect scales and chords when improvising 🎹
In this lesson, Tom breaks down one of the most important skills in piano improvisation: matching the right scales to the right chords so your playing sounds intentional, musical, and fluid—not random.
This tutorial shows you exactly how to combine piano chords and scales piano players rely on to create beautiful lines over any progression.
You’ll learn how different chord types naturally pair with specific scales, including:
• Major 7th chords + Lydian mode for a bright, dreamy sound
• Minor 7th chords + minor blues scale for soulful improvisation
• Dominant 7th chords + Mixolydian mode for classic tension and release
• Dorian scale for smooth minor groove playing
Tom demonstrates these ideas in real musical contexts using piano chord progressions, so you can hear exactly how they work and apply them instantly in your own playing.
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VIDEO BREAKDOWN:
00:00 Introduction
01:31 C Major 7th and Lydian mode
05:13 D Major Lydian
07:30 Minor 7th chords and minor blues scale
09:32 Dorian scale
13:13 Dominant 7th chord and Mixolydian scale
14:49 Improvisation
—————————————————————————
👇 If you would like learn how to improvise over chord changes, watch this tutorial next:
youtube.com/watch?v=COut_jSMhGU&list=PLDqNslPG6e1J39vKtouDGW-NQCOsxfFp-
🎁 Claim your FREE gift - RESOURCES PACK - by getting in touch with us at London Contemporary School of Piano so that we can help you solve your challenges and accelerate you progress at the piano:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com
🎓 Get Your GROOVE COURSE to access all the resources you need to master piano grooves and expand your piano groove vocabulary:
lcsp.samcart.com/products/groove-mastery-everyday
🎓 Join our Flagship Course, THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN COURSE with Tom Donald:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/the-complete-musician
🎧 Listen to Tom Donald’s Solo Album MY TEMPERED CLAVIER:
tomdonaldofficial.bandcamp.com/album/my-tempered-clavier
🔔 If you enjoyed this piano tutorial on how to connect scales and chords when improvising and would like to get more top tips on learning piano, make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel right here:
youtube.com/channel/UCZWqaBf6VLuD0cSKF4cukPg?sub_confirmation=1
Credits:
Filmed by Josh Adams.
Edited by BUBI Productions & Charlie Coe.
youtu.be/fzRfADEFOGY
#londoncontemporaryschoolofpiano #scalesandchords #pianotutorial
Discover the secret to truly expressive playing by learning how to connect scales and chords when improvising 🎹
In this lesson, Tom breaks down one of the most important skills in piano improvisation: matching the right scales to the right chords so your playing sounds intentional, musical, and fluid—not random.
This tutorial shows you exactly how to combine piano chords and scales piano players rely on to create beautiful lines over any progression.
You’ll learn how different chord types naturally pair with specific scales, including:
• Major 7th chords + Lydian mode for a bright, dreamy sound
• Minor 7th chords + minor blues scale for soulful improvisation
• Dominant 7th chords + Mixolydian mode for classic tension and release
• Dorian scale for smooth minor groove playing
Tom demonstrates these ideas in real musical contexts using piano chord progressions, so you can hear exactly how they work and apply them instantly in your own playing.
—————————————————————————
VIDEO BREAKDOWN:
00:00 Introduction
01:31 C Major 7th and Lydian mode
05:13 D Major Lydian
07:30 Minor 7th chords and minor blues scale
09:32 Dorian scale
13:13 Dominant 7th chord and Mixolydian scale
14:49 Improvisation
—————————————————————————
👇 If you would like learn how to improvise over chord changes, watch this tutorial next:
youtube.com/watch?v=COut_jSMhGU&list=PLDqNslPG6e1J39vKtouDGW-NQCOsxfFp-
🎁 Claim your FREE gift - RESOURCES PACK - by getting in touch with us at London Contemporary School of Piano so that we can help you solve your challenges and accelerate you progress at the piano:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com
🎓 Get Your GROOVE COURSE to access all the resources you need to master piano grooves and expand your piano groove vocabulary:
lcsp.samcart.com/products/groove-mastery-everyday
🎓 Join our Flagship Course, THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN COURSE with Tom Donald:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/the-complete-musician
🎧 Listen to Tom Donald’s Solo Album MY TEMPERED CLAVIER:
tomdonaldofficial.bandcamp.com/album/my-tempered-clavier
🔔 If you enjoyed this piano tutorial on how to connect scales and chords when improvising and would like to get more top tips on learning piano, make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel right here:
youtube.com/channel/UCZWqaBf6VLuD0cSKF4cukPg?sub_confirmation=1
Credits:
Filmed by Josh Adams.
Edited by BUBI Productions & Charlie Coe.
youtu.be/fzRfADEFOGY
#londoncontemporaryschoolofpiano #scalesandchords #pianotutorial
