Approaching the ii Chord in a Progression

[sam54]

Odd question, but say you have a progression like a I-V-ii-IV. What do you like to play over the ii? Every time I hit the ii chord, I play usually play the arpeggio or slide into it with a sixth double stop, but I’m wondering how other people approach it? Sorry if this is too general a question. The reason I ask is I have licks I like that are pretty automatic for I, IV, V and vi, but don’t have much in my bag for ii (or iii for that matter).

[GearNerd]

For an easy option, I use a lot of the same moves/tones that I would use over the IV chord. The ii is the relative minor of the IV, so they share a lot of notes.

[BluesGuy]

I don’t have set things I do over any chord, it kind of depends on what I would have done over the V chord and how my phrases came together over the I and V.

[MetalPlayer]

In a progression like that, it would probably be cool to just treat the ii chord and IV chord as one larger ii7 (minor 7th 2 chord) arpeggio, seeing as they are one after another in the above progression. So if it were in C major play a Dm7 arpeggio over the ii and IV. However other things to play over the ii chord in general? I really like to highlight the natural 6th degree of the ii chord to evoke the unique Dorian quality the ii chord can evoke. Again, with an extended arpeggio… basically if you’re in C major, you can usually play a Dm6 arpeggio over that ii chord for that extra sauce. So it would be D F A B over the ii chord. It helps bring out some cool flavor and tension that the ii chord has uniquely in your diatonic major key.

[Newbie]

Joe Pass says when playing over a 2-5-1 he just forgets about 2 and plays as if he’s playing over the 5 for both chords.

[StudioPro]

Target the notes of the ii chord!

[UKPete24]

I like to mix up pentatonic scales and arpeggios when soloing over the ii chord. Adds a nice variety to my playing.