SOME SCALES AND MODES

frank:

What's the difference between the D7 alt mode as described below and 
D Locrian?

reed:

D7alt is
different from D locrian.

Getting to the model key of C, B locrian is  B C D E F G A
and B alt is B C D Eb F G A. 

The names of the modes are not standardized.

Mark Levine calls them:

I     minor-major
III   lydian augmented
IV    lydian dominant
VI    half-diminished or locrian#2
VII   altered or diminished whole-tone.

Dan Haerle uses a different (but accepted also) nomenclature. I don't
have his book handy just now.

I tend to only think of jazz minor (I). For all the others I just think
of the tension tones for the chords.

In other words for me alt is b9, #9, b5, #5 and obviously 1, 3 and b7.

I don't personally believe that the other modes have a real tonality
except for the jazz minor (I). This is an opinion and not generally
accepted.

I find it simplifies things to think this way and I think musically it
really works this way.

Sometmes I may seem to be really into theory but I'm not. I have a very
simple framework that I use whereby everything is really simple and fits
nicely. Sometimes theoretical names are needed when you are trying to
talk to others but when you are playing it is too complicated.

To me there are just 12 major, 12 jazz minor scales, and the ability to
play with tensions on dominant chords. In additon there are all the
tools of classical music like approach notes, etc. Maybe throw in a
touch of diminished scales and whole tone. That's it.

I don't think of dorian, mixolydian or any of that for the most part
when I'm playing unless say it's really a modal tune.

To me G7 in the key of C is just C major, but I'm aware of the bass note
and how things can line up around that chord. To think of Ami7 to Dmi7
to G7 to Cmaj as A aelian to D dorian to G mixolydian to C Ionian while
you're playing is just plain nuts!

reed
[later...]

#jazz minor scale

There is a scale that comes up over and over again in jazz
called the jazz minor scale. Many ear players always used this
but didnt know what it was called. 

C jazz minor is just a C major scale with an Eb instead of
an E. Thus the ascending part of a melodic minor scale.

Thus:

C D Eb F G A B C

This is the natural scale to play against a pure minor chord,
i.e. not a mi7 but rather a mi6 or mi#7.

I.e. if the chord is [C Eb G A] or [C Eb G B]

If you arrange the scale notes beginning on B,

B C D Eb F G A   , this is called B7alt scale.

If we look at the enharmonic equivalents of these notes we get

B C C## D# F F## A  

These correspond to the following parts of a B7 chord:

1  b9 #9 3 b5 #5 b7.  Thus ever non essential tone, i.e. root,
third and b7, is altered which is why it's called the alt scale.

Thus the chord is B7 (b5 #5 b9 #9)

(sometimes this is called a locrian #2 becuase it
is a locrian mode with a raised second degree).

If I start the same scale on F I get:

F G A B C D Eb  .

These correspond to the following degress of an F7 chord:

1 9 3 #4(#11) 5 13 b7.

Thus this is an  F13#11 chord.

If I start on A I get:

A B C D Eb F G  .

These correspond to the following degress of an Am7b5 chord.

1 9  b3 11 b5 b6 7 .

Thus this is essentialy an Ami9b5 chord.

Some players also use the one starting on the b3 for Ebmaj7+.

The theoreticall underpinnings of this harmony are not universally
agreed upon.

Some people say that all these chords are really just Cmi with different
bass notes. Ie. B7alt = Cmi6/B , F13#11 = Cmi6/F, Ami11b5 = Cmi6/A,
Ebmaj7+ = Cm#7/Eb .

Certainly alot of times the underlying harmony of the piece at that
point can be said to be just say Cmi6.

For example in stella by starlight, this was my point about the plagal
minor cadences.

If you think of the Ab7 as essentially an Ebmi6/Ab, then the scale is: 
Eb F Gb Ab Bb C D Eb. (Eb major scale with b3)

Ab7#11 == Ebmi6/Ab == D7alt/Ab == Gbmaj7+/Ab  == Cmi9b5/Ab .

So I said it was Ebmi6 and Marc said he likes to play D7 alt there, but
really they are the same chord.

This interchangeable idea also means that a chordal instrument can play
a Cmi6 when the changes say B7alt provided that you play or the bass
player plays the B. (It can be omitted too when the harmony is alread
implying a B).

You dont want the lowest note of your chord to be too low if you are
doing this otherwise it will sound like the bass note.

So you get alot of interchangeablity and reuseability of chord voicings
if you remember how this works for each key.

For example the chord voicing:

[Gb Bb C F] will work for all these chords.

for Ebmi6 they are      [b3 5 6 9]
for Ab7 these notes are [b7 9 3 13]
for D7 they are         [3 #5 7 #9]
for Gbmaj7+ these notes are [1 3 #11 #7]
for Cmi9b5 these notes are [b5 7 1 11]

now in this paricular case the voicing is kind of
a stretch for Cmi9b5 because there is no third in the
chord. Generally you need the 3 and 7(6).

You can write a whole book on this alone. See Mark Levines 
Jazz Piano and Jazz THeory book. He talks about this alot. 
Also Dan Haerles Jazz theory book has a very compact explanation
of all of this. 

Another interesting thing about this harmony is that there are
no notes in the scale that one would "avoid" playing against the
chord.

For example in C major, while playing a Cmaj7 chord you have to
be careful with the note F.

So we say that in melodic (jazz) minor harmony there are no
"avoid" notes.

Hope this helps.

reed

#end jazz minor scale

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 04:20:48 -0400
From: KRosser414@aol.com
Subject: Re: Stella, again

In a message dated 96-09-12 20:59:38 EDT, you write:

>What's the difference between the D7 alt mode as described below and 
>D Locrian?

D7 alt mode is the same as D super locrian, also known as the seventh mode of
Eb melodic minor.

>Regarding the jazz minor scale, I've heard it said that the modes of
>melodic minor (ascending only) are very important. Does each mode of
>the jazz minor have a name? or does one just say "the nth mode of
>melodic minor"?

To me, the names of the melodic minor modes are purely academic.  As far as
the "real world" application of playing against these chords, it's actually
much more important that you know all the chord tones.  That way, any passing
tones connecting them will potentially work ( a scale, after all, can be
viewed as just an arpeggio with passing tones).  

In improvisation, I personally think the "scale over chords" approach is
over-emphasized.  Granted, it's a great learning tool, but a good solo has a
sense of direction, good rhythmic ideas (how come this never gets
discussed?), a good tone and control over some of the expressive devices of
the particular instrument.   And bottom line - a good solo SAYS something.
 That should be foremost in your concentration.  Very subjective, I know, but
I couldn't count how many terribly boring solos I've heard by folks trying to
play all the right scales against the chords.

I say this as a bit of a harmony nut, myself.  It was always the first
element of music that attracted me.  I'm a guitar player - I took a few
lessons a few years back with a name saxophonist, and after hearing me play a
while he said to me, "Of the three main elements of music, harmony, melody
and rhythm, harmony is the least important.  In fact, I think it's possible
to play a good solo playing only based on melody and rhythm and leaving
harmony outside on the doorstep".  He then demonstrated by playing a solo
against a blues, with a lot of rhythmic ideas and development, a lot of
melodic direction, but totally out of the harmony, and you know what?  It
sounded great to me.  But the key is, to work on rhythm and melody with the
same or more intensity than harmony in order to learn how to master those
elements.  He then proceeded to give me a lot of ways to do that.

Ken R

[end]