Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale for Guitar.pdf

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MATT WARNOCK GUITAR

Modes of the Harmonic Minor

Scale and Their Application

Melodic Minor Modes

Major Scale Modes and Their

Application

Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale and Their Application

Besides the

Modes of the Major Scale,

the melodic minor scale is probably the most used harmonic system in jazz guitar. Delivering four Dominant 7 modes, one major,

Melodic Minor

one minor and one half-diminished mode, this scale system has been used by some of the greatest names in jazz guitar such as

Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall

and others

Harmonic Minor Modes

to build their solos, melodies and chord voicings.

As a teacher, I often get questions about this harmonically and melodically interesting collection of notes, usually ranging from “How do I finger these modes on the

guitar” to “Where can I use these modes in my solos?”

In response to these questions, I’ve put together a breakdown of each of the modes of the Melodic Minor Scale for you to enjoy and study, hopefully

adding some fuel to

your woodshedding

and inspiring you to explore this very interesting sound in your soloing, composing and arranging.

Let’s take a look at

each mode of the Melodic Minor Scale,

its construction and how we can apply that mode to our playing.

Since these modes have many different names depending on who is talking about them, I’ve included

Gary Keller’s titles,

the first for each one, as well as any other

common names in brackets for each mode of the melodic minor scale.

Learn Jazz Guitar Scales and Scale Patterns with the

Matt Warnock Guitar Jazz Scales App.

Melodic Minor Modes Fingering Lesson

******

Ionian b3 (Melodic Minor)

This is the “parent” scale for all of the other melodic minor modes, in the same way that Ionian is for the major scale modes. Since it is very closely related to the

Ionian

Mode,

only one note difference, b3, between the two, it is often referred to as the Ionian b3 mode as well as the melodic minor scale.

Jazz guitarists have used this scale in a number of ways, with the two most popular being the iim7 chord in a iim7-V7-I chord progression, or the Im7 chord in a iim7b5-

V7alt-Im7 chord progression.

Both instances produce a mMaj7 chord, a minor triad with a major 7th interval stacked on top of it, that give the chord more of a “crunch” than the normal m7 (Dorian)

sound we may be more accustomed to using.

The mode is built with the following interval structure:

R – M2 – m3 – P4 – P5 – M6 – M7 – R

or in the key of C, these notes would be:

C – D – Eb – F – G – A – B – C

Check out my

page on the Ionian b3 Mode

to learn how to finger this mode on the guitar.

Besides Ionian, Dorian and Mixolydian, the Ionian b3 mode is probably the most used scale in jazz. It can be found in countless solos by the greatest players in any

genre of jazz, so it is definitely worth taking the time to get to know in our practice routine.

Dorian b2

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Though the second mode of the Melodic Minor scale is very closely related to the

Dorian Mode,

having only one note difference between the two modes, b2, this mode

is more often played over a Dominant sound, while Dorian is used over m7 chords.

Because it has a b9, #9 and a b7, as well as an 11th, the Dorian b2 mode is used most often to solo over 7alt(sus) chords, or 7sus(b9) chords. It produces a very

unique sound when used in a Dominant situation, so make sure to experiment in the practice room with this mode before bringing it out on the bandstand in order to fully

ingrain this unique sound into your ears and fingers.

Here is how the Dorian b2 Mode is built from an intervallic standpoint:

R – m2 – m3 – P4 – P5 – M6 – m7 – R

Or in the key of C it would be:

C – Db – Eb – F – G – A – Bb – C

Check out my

page on the Dorian b2 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

Though it is gaining more traction in recent years, this mode has long been ignored in place of the fourth, fifth and seventh modes of the melodic minor scale, which are

commonly used by jazzers of all styles and genres.

Even so, this mode is definitely worth checking out as it can instantly add a new color to your dominant playing, and all you have to do is change one note of any Dorian

mode you know to do so.

Phrygian b1 (Lydian Augmented)

Yeah it’s a weird name, but it makes sense. The third mode of the melodic minor scale is very similar in makeup to the

Phrygian Mode,

except the root has been lowered

by one semi-tone (one fret).

Though it can be called the Phrygian b1 scale, this is more of a reference tool when learning to play the scale, since you can just alter one note of any Phrygian mode

you already know to produce this new mode.

More often than not it is called the Lydian Augmented Scale, since it is used to solo over Maj7(#11,#5) chords or to produce that sound in a harmonic context.

Here is how the mode is built from an intervallic standpoint:

DR – m2 – m3 – P4 – P5 – m6 – m7 – DR

Or in the key of C it would be:

B – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – B

Check out my page on the

Phrygian b1 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

This mode is a great alternative to the Lydian mode when you’re looking to spice up your maj7 chords in a solo or comping situation. Try it out. Take any maj7 chord,

blow four bars of Ionian, four bars of Lydian and four bars of Lydian Augmented.

Notice the change in color as you move from one mode to the next. This knowledge can be an important tool when you are improvising, writing or arranging any new

tune that contains a maj7 sound.

Lydian b7 (Lydian Dominant)

One of the most commonly used melodic minor modes, the Lydian b7 mode is used to solo over a Dominant 7 chord, producing a 7(#11) sound, a combination of the

Lydian Mode

and the

Mixolydian Mode,

that so many jazz guitarists have grown fond of over the years.

Check out Sonny Rollins’ tune “Blue Seven,” as well as his solo, for one of the purest examples of this mode in action. You can also hear Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass,

Pat Martino and many others using it throughout their catalog, in both minor and major key situations.

Here is the interval structure of the mode:

R – M2 – M3 – A4 – P5 – M6 – m7 – R

Or in the key of C it would be:

C – D – E – F# – G – A – Bb – C

Check out my

page on the Lydian b7 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

There are few, if any, professional jazz guitarists who haven’t mastered this mode and its application in an improvisational or compositional setting. So if you are going to

spend time learning the melodic minor modes, this would be a great place to start.

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Mixolydian b6

While many jazz guitarists like to use the fourth and seventh modes of the melodic minor scale to spice up their Dominant chords, fewer gravitate towards this very cool

sounding mode, which is based off of the

Mixolydain Mode

we all know, but with a lowered 6th note.

While it may not be as popular as these other two modes, it has a unique sound that can really add a powerful color to your 7th chord soloing and comping if you decide

to bring this mode into your vocabulary.

Here is the interval structure of the mode:

R – M2 – M3 – P4 – P5 – m6 – m7 – R

Or in the key of C it would be:

C – D – E – F – G – Ab – Bb – C

Check out my

page on the Mixolydian b6 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

This mode can be used to solo over any 7th chord, if you arrive and leave this altered sound properly, but it is especially effective in a V7alt-Im7 situation as this mode

contains both the b3 and #7 of the parent key, so Ab and E in F minor, which helps make it an altered sound, but one that is closely related to the tonic m7 chord that

you will resolve to next.

Aeolian b5 (Locrian Natural 9)

Though this mode is built like an

Aeolian Mode

with the fifth note lowered a semi-tone (one fret), it is more commonly thought of as a m7b5 chord with a natural nine.

This produces a bit of a catch when it comes to using this mode during a solo.

The arpeggio from this mode produces a m7b5 chord, which is mostly found in a iim7b5-V7alt-Im7 progression. But, the natural nine on this chord would be the major

3rd of the tonic key, so an E note in the key of C minor, which doesn’t really jive with the overall sound of the progression or the tonic minor key.

Because of this, the Locrian Natural 9 mode is usually used on standalone m7b5 chords, such as the ones found in Joe Henderson’s tune “Inner Urge,” and other modal

tunes that use half-diminished chords.

Here is the interval structure of the mode:

R – M2 – m3 – P4 – D5 – m6 – m7 – R

Which in the key of C would be:

C – D- Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C

Check out my page on the

Aeolian b5 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

While it is not as commonly used as Locrian when soloing over m7b5 chords, the Locrian Natural 9 Mode can be just the sound you’re looking for if you find that you are

playing the same old thing every time you get to a half-diminished chord during one of your favorite tunes.

Locrian b4 (Altered Scale)

Again, this mode is built in a similar fashion to a

Locrian Mode,

with the fourth note lowered by a semi-tone (one fret), but it is almost always referred to as the Altered

Scale. This is because whenever you see a 7(alt) chord in a chart, you can use this mode to solo over top of it or build a chord to comp for it.

The term altered refers to the fact that this mode features four “altered” notes, the b9, #9, b5 and #5, giving it a very distinct and dissonant sound that more often than

not resolves down to a tonic m7 or mMaj7 chord, commonly in a iim7b5-V7alt-Im7 progression.

Here is the interval structure for this mode:

R – m2 – m3 – D4 – D5 – m6 – m7 – R

Or in the key of C the notes are:

C – Db – Eb – Fb – Gb – Ab – Bb – C

Check out my

page on the Locrian b4 Mode

to see how it is fingered on the guitar.

There are few modes that are used more or talked about more by jazz guitarists than the Altered Scale, so it is a great idea to spend time learning this mode, getting it

under your fingers and transcribing lines by your favorite players using this mode. Having control of this common sound is worth any amount of time that you put into it in

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the practice room.

The melodic minor modes are some of the most important tools you can have under your fingers and in your ears as a jazz guitarist. If you haven’t checked these

sounds out yet, take the time to do so.

Not only will they open your ears and mind up to new possibilities on the guitar, but you will be able to find many examples of your favorite players using these modes in

their improvisations, melodies and comping.

******

Do you have a favorite use of the Melodic Minor Modes? Share it in the comments section below.

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20 Comments

1. Britt Reed, July 25, 2011:

Great breakdowns Matt. This has become my favorite scale!

Matt Warnock,

July 25, 2011:

Thanks man, it’s my favorite set of modes, tons of great material in those 7 scales!!

3. Dan, April 9, 2012:

Great lesson!

You mention the Lydian b7 being the best melodic minor mode to start with for jazz guitar. I’m starting to work it into my playing now. Just curious if there is a mode

you suggest to move onto after the Lydian b7?

Matthew Warnock,

April 9, 2012:

Hey Dan,

I would check out the first mode, the melodic minor scale next, and apply it to m7, m6 and mMaj7 chords to get a variety of places where you can use it.

After that I would explore the 7th mode, the altered scale, then the 5th mode, 7b13, then the 6th mode, the m7b5(nat 9) mode, and finally the 3rd mode, maj7#5.

The second mode isn’t used much so I would leave it for last.

Hope that helps!

5. Dan, April 21, 2012:

Hi Matt, one more question for you if you don’t mind!

If you had a fairly static vamp of a Cmin7 chord, would you play C Melodic Minor (Ionian b3) over it? Or is there another mode you suggest instead? I’m thinking in

a John Scofield type of feel, like on his A Go Go album.

Matthew Warnock,

April 21, 2012:

Hey Dan,

You could use MM over a vamp like that, or Dorian, both would be good options. I would probably start with Dorian and then build into the MM to create more

tension when you add the #7 against the m7 chord. Hope that helps

rick bourne,

May 25, 2012:

The modes seem really interesting each one has a different feel or atmosphere.

Matthew Warnock,

May 25, 2012:

for sure Rick very cool sounds for each mode, lots to explore!

Amelia,

August 6, 2012:

Thanks for this great lesson Matt. I’m a pianist and have already spent a week on the melodic minor parent scale (Ionian b3). I look forward to spending another

week on it.

When do you use harmonic minor and when do you use melodic minor ? I know the scales are different but isn’t the 1357 arp the same, for example, they both

have that punchy min maj sound you describe ?

10.

Matthew Warnock,

August 6, 2012:

No problem Amelia. yes they do have the same arpeggio, but in jazz we don’t really use the Harmonic Minor scale very much. W use the 5th mode of that scale

over a 7th chord when you want to add in a b9 and b13, but the first mode isn’t really used very much. Hope that helps.

11.

Amelia,

August 6, 2012:

Hey Matt, Thanks for your prompt reply. Are you saying that harmonic minor is more of a classical rather than a jazz scale ? Is its use in jazz mainly for the min 6

progression ?

12.

Matthew Warnock,

August 6, 2012:

yes I would say it’s not really a jazz scale, at least the first mode. For a m6 chord we use melodic minor mostly in jazz, or Dorian. The only time you would

consistently use Harmonic is over a 7b9b13 chord, so if you had G7b9b13 you could play C Harmonic Minor to get that sound in your lines.

13.

Amelia,

August 6, 2012:

Cool Matt, thanks again.

14. James Oldenburg, September 4, 2012:

great way to look at melodic minor modes

cheers

15.

Matthew Warnock,

September 4, 2012:

No problem Amelia, cheers.

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16.

Matthew Warnock,

September 4, 2012:

Thanks mate!

17. John Price, December 31, 2012:

This is a much easier way to remember the melodic minor modes. You should add this to your 30 days to better jazz guitar. I know you have them included but this

naming system is easier to understand than the traditional naming.

18. rudy sanchez, January 18, 2013:

hi matt! (i’m a not an expert guitar player) i have a question for you….can i play the melodic minor modes (that you explain from c root) always with these box

changing only the root note?

thanx…!!!!you are great!

19.

Matthew Warnock,

January 18, 2013:

Thanks. Yep just move the shapes around and the first note is the root you are on.

20. Jake Beamish, June 5, 2013:

What a thorough breakdown – so helpful to have a frank and simple run through of some of the more ‘out’ sets of notes – it’s fun (for now) just to play along with a

drone on the root and vamp through the mm modes. So colourful!

I’d just like to add that although I am certain you’re way more knowledgeable about jazz theory than me, jazz students shouldn’t worry about which scales/modes

have been used by jazz musicians in the past – especially when making original music. For example, the harmonic minor might not be traditionally used in jazz

progressions, but if you’re improvising and you like the sound of the notes; don’t be turned off from it and start trying to play something else.

If it sounds good; do it.

Keep it up Matt, I really appreciate websites like this. Thankyou

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Inne pliki z tego folderu:

4 Ways to Use the Melodic Minor Scale.pdf (265 KB)
9 Melodic Minor Scale Exercises For Jazz Guitar.pdf (111 KB)
Harmonic-Major-Modes-for-Guitar.pdf (200 KB)
Harmonic Minor & Diminished & Augmented.jpg (102 KB)
Harmonic Minor & Others Scales.jpg (96 KB)

Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale for Guitar.pdf

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