Lesson

Here is a couple of ways you can fill the space in between bars.
Those ideas could be use as harmonic or melodic device.

1. You can approach any chord with a dominant 7th chord built a half step up or down your target chord:
e.g. C can be approach with a Db7 or B7

I use this turnaround: C-Am-Dm-G7 and at the end I precede each chord with a dDom7 B7-C-Bb7-Am-Eb7-Dm-Ab7-G7.

2. Harmonize any given major or minor scale using a dim chord (G7b9) as a passing chord:
C6 - Ddim7 - C6/E - Fdim7 - C6/G - Abdim7 - C6/A -Bdim7.

Here is a couple of ways you can fill the space in between bars.
Those ideas could be use as harmonic or melodic device.

1. You can approach any chord with a dominant 7th chord built a half step up or down your target chord:
e.g. C can be approach with a Db7 or B7

I use this turnaround: C-Am-Dm-G7 and at the end I precede each chord with a dDom7 B7-C-Bb7-Am-Eb7-Dm-Ab7-G7.

2. Harmonize any given major or minor scale using a dim chord (G7b9) as a passing chord:
C6 - Ddim7 - C6/E - Fdim7 - C6/G - Abdim7 - C6/A -Bdim7.

Some thoughts about ballad playing.
Let me know what is your pov on this topic.

www.giovanniperin.com

Working on the bebop dominant scale is important. This is a mixolydian scale with a half step between the root and the 7th. So in the key of C the scale descending would be.

C B Bb A G F E D C

Print out the pdf, The first chord is a D7, you write in the chords and look at each bar and the notes. Play this exercise, in fact memorize it.

Can you make up your own bebop dominant scale licks?

I have two tracks here, one with the melody from the pdf and one where you can make up your own stuff and cycle it through the cycle of 5ths.