: Changing keys in a solo Let's say I'm playing in C and the progression is I ii V iii IV V I. When the IV (Fmaj) is playing, what are your thoughts on what notes I can use. I can obviously use anything in C which will sound

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There's the difference between being IN a key and ON a particular chord. Here, you're IN C, but ON F. All the C major notes will work, although as you're probably aware, some work better than others, and it depends where in the bar and also what order and length each is played.And also which chors precede and follow that bar. In your example, it's G, which feels like it'll lead back to I (C), which it does. So the melody, of any quality, doesn't want to hint at modulating to IV, 'cos that's not where the song is heading.

The only difference in the F notes is the Bb as opposed to the B natural. That is a pivotal note, belonging often in a C7 chord. Which, I'm sure you're aware, is the one used to lead on to F, funnily enough.So, by incorporating the Bb in a solo, you're inferring a change TO F, but you're already on it. At the end of the day, it's really down to the soloist, and the other notes, as I said earlier, but I think B is a better fit more times than Bb. You could also say that on a V chord (G), you should/could/would use F#, as that's the differring note from G.

Listen to 'Moon River', bar 3. Hank puts an F chord and writes a B natural over it, at the important beginning of that bar. Not a Bb.