Here's a 2-chord track for improv practice in D major. Use the D major scale, and you'll find that major pentatonic sounds work well over the D chord but only sometimes over the A. That's because the D major pentatonic omits the note C#, an essential chord tone in the A chord.

To follow the chord changes, pay attention to the chord forms that correspond to your scale position on the neck.

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The chord progression in NASHVILLE NUMBERS is:

1 1 5 5
5 5 1 1

Chord names are onscreen. If you don't understand the numbers above, it's easy. The D major scale has seven tones, following the music alphabet starting on D:

D E F# G A B C#

That makes D number one and A number 5. If you've ever taken a theory class, you've probably seen the chords expressed in Roman numerals:

I V V I

But really, plain old numbers are easier and less cumbersome on a chart. It's a very efficient system that lines up well with the way most improvising musicians hear, following chord FUNCTION based on where it sites in the progression.

If this is starting to feel like advanced theory, it's not, but you should know the primary chord and arpeggio forms that correspond with every scale shape you practice.

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