I remember how I could not cope with understanding how to distinguish first note of the Ionian scale (which is C) from seventh note of the Dorian scale (which is also C).
It was very frustratingā¦and when I found out how simple it is I felt even greater frustration
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Iām lucky. When I started learning about modes, learning them in parallel forms was how I started so the difference in āsoundā clicked pretty fast for me. Being able to take advantage of moving tonal centers around using relative modes is pretty powerful but I feel like you really need to know the modes and their sounds to use that way of thinking.
@nasierszyca I recognize you from the Metal-Archives forums. I think youāll have an better time getting answers to questions here. Welcome!
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Yes! For my students that want to improvise with more advanced harmony, one thing I want them all to eventually be able to do is sing all modes in that parallel fashion over a C drone (or whatever works for their vocal range.) And eventually be able to sing the chromatic scale in good pitch up and down an octave. We do a lot of singing for different things, making sure they are really hearing what theyāre working on.
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Not sure how many total dominant scales there are, but here is my essential list.
Hereās how I think about scales and arpeggios - from the root by numbers: ieā¦ Dominant Scale = 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1, C7 Arpeggio = 1 3 5 b7 etcā¦
Tips:
Remember there are only 4 altered āOutsideā notes (b9 #9 b5 and #5) - All or any one of these = C7(alt)
Learning the arpeggios help a lot in making sense of the scales. Know what the chord sounds like first.
Know the most common dominant chords:
Basic āInside Chordsā using only scale tones in the dominant scale:
C7 - 1 3 5 b7
C9 - 1 3 5 b7 9
C13 - 1 3 5 b7 9 13
C7(sus4) 1 4 5 b7
C9(sus4) 1 4 5 b7 9 (C11 - Old Name) 11 = sus4
C13(sus4) 1 4 5 b7 9 13
Most common altered dominant chords with one altered note:
C7(b9) 1 3 5 b7 b9
C7(#9) 1 3 5 b7 #9
C7(b5) 1 3 b5 b7 (C7(#11) - Old Name) b13 = #5 #11 = b5
C7(#5) 1 3 #5 b7 (C7(b13) - Old Name)
C9(b5) 1 3 b5 b7 9
C9(#5) 1 3 #5 b7 9 (C9(b13) - Old Name)
C13(b9) 1 3 5 b7 b9 13
C13(b9,sus4) 1 4 5 b7 b9 13
Most common altered dominant chords with two altered notes:
C7(b9,#5) 1 3 #5 b7 b9
C7(b9,b5) 1 3 b5 b7 b9
C7(#9,b5) 1 3 b5 b7 #9
C7 (#9,#5) 1 3 #5 b7 #9
(There are others, but they get weirder sounding and require good ears to resolve as they go more āoutsideā) from here - Many are hard to voice on guitar Ex. C7(b9,#9,#5) 1 3 #5 b7 b9 #9
Montyās most common dominant scales:
Mixolydian/Dominant - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Dominant Bebop #1 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 7
Dominant Bebop #2 - 1 2 3 4 5 #5 6 b7
Dominant Bebop #3 (Dominant b9) - 1 b9 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Dominant Bebop #4 (Dominant #9) - 1 2 #9 3 4 5 6 b7
Dominant Bebop #5 (Dominant b5) - 1 2 3 4 b5 5 6 b7
(Just a note that there are others! Just add in a half step anywhere in the Dom. Scale)
Dominant b5/Mixolydian b5 - 1 2 3 4 b5 6 b7
Dominant #5/Harmonic Dominant? - 1 2 3 4 #5 6 b7
Whole Tone - 1 2 3 b5 #5 b7
Altered Dominant/Melodic Minor up 1/2 step from the root of the Dom. Chord- 1 b9 #9 3 b5 #5 6 b7
Symmetrical Diminished (1/2 Step whole step scale) 1 b9 #9 3 b5 5 6 b7
Minor Pent - 1 #9 4 5 b7
Minor Blues - 1 #9 4 b5 5 b7
Major Pent - 1 2 3 5 6/13 (6 is 13 on Dom. chords)
Major Blues - 1 2 #9 3 5 6/13
Melodic Minor Down a Whole Step from root of Dom. Chord - 1 b9 #9 4 5 6 b7
Melodic Minor Up a 4th from root of Dom. Chord - 1 2 3 4 5 #5 b7
Melodic Minor Up a 5th from root of Dom. Chord - 1 2 3 b5 5 6 b7
"Modern Jazz" Dominant 1 2 3 b5 #5 6 b7
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Soā¦dominant basis are 1/3/b7
and other notes are freeform,any alteration?
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Theoretically you could play Dorian and Phrgian as well off the root. You may not think to but just cause it has a b3 dose not disqualify it. and the Phrygian would sound good over a b9, #9 right and b13. When learning sounds it is best to relate to the parallel counter parts. say E aeolian E Dorian E phrygian and Locrian. And E major E Lydian and E mixolydian. This way your ear can hear the differences.
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yeah phrygian is a nice sound over a dominant - this sounds odd but technically locrian is as well, but I think of that really as Phrygian from the I
So, key of C, V7 is G7, could play Phrygian over the G implying a bit of a G7sus4b9 sound or āall the dominant stuff except the leading toneā
To me that also just sounds like a iv to I (Fm to C) cadence depending on how you play it
but a nice harmonic approach to G7 to C is to treat it as Dbmaj7 to C. Thatās Db lydian, or C phrygian, or G locrian, however you want to think of it (I favor Db lydian) over a G7 sound. No B natural, but enough tension to ask for a resolution
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In jazz alterations on a seventh chord often hint at what is to come and or defy expectation. For example, the b13 becoming the minor 3rd of a tonic minor or the b9 suggesting resolution to a chord containing a perfect 5th. They may give nod to the key of a song, or directly clash for spice. They create expectations or defy them. Some scales like the lydian dominant are effective with chromatic resolution. Sometimes straight mixolydian is called forā¦ Ultimately for me, noting the function of the alterations has proven more useful than memorizing scale names. The Berklee chordscale theory addresses this stuff, and I came across it by way of Nettles and Grafās book on the same. Outside of that world I can see a list being useful to draw from. Nevertheless, I still come back to dominant arpeggios with color notes and passing tones. An altered fifth is sometimes demanded, otherwise not. I recommend singing the scales for internalizing the character of each. My two cents.
Hope everyone had a good Rev Dr MLK Jr day, and goodnight from Denver. Peace, Daniel
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+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
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Haha! So I was way off the mark there, huh?
Thanks Jake! And an extra decillion or so back at you. Kind regards, Daniel
Itās Funny almost 3 years later but if still interested I have the right answer
There are exactly 256 scales than can be played over a dominat (7) chords. if you still want to know all of them, just let mw know
Remember, ādominantā refers to a chord function within a key, and the term originated from being a traditional function within a major scale, in traditional music.
With jazz, we still call them ādominants,ā but since blues & jazz use ādominantā (b7) chords as āIā chords, the term ādominantā becomes less applicable.
I prefer to think of these chords as āb7ā chords. This is their color, along with a major third. This M3/b7 tritone is part of what makes it want to āresolveā, via tritone substitution.
In blues and jazz, the origin of the b7 (as a home-key tonic function) can be traced back to African scales which used a āharmonic seventh,ā which is more consonant and flatter than our normal ET b seventh.
WIK: [When this flatter seventh is used, the dominant seventh chordās āneed to resolveā down a fifth is weak or non-existent. This chord is often used on the tonic (written as I7 ) and functions as a āfully resolvedā final chord.]
I actually tried to memorize II-V-I major-arpeggio patterns that way: the five CAGED-patterns were named āThe Rockerā, āThe D-Rollerā, āThe Delicateā, āThe Bizarreā and āThe Reasonableā - obviously not based on tone but on the fingerings.