Modes of the melodic minor
Music theory · Jazz harmony · Level 6 · 18 min
The major scale generates seven modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian…), covered in part one of the course. Modern jazz relies just as much on a second source: the melodic minor scale, in its “jazz” form (the ascending form, also used descending): C D E♭ F G A B. It's a major scale with a lowered third.
M:4/4 L:1/8 K:C "Cm(maj7)"C D _E F G A B c | c B A G F _E D C |]
The seven modes and their chords
| Degree (on C mel.) | Mode | Typical chord | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · C | melodic minor | Cm(maj7), Cm6 | minor tonic |
| 2 · D | Dorian ♭2 | D7sus(♭9) | dark sus chords |
| 3 · E♭ | Lydian augmented | E♭maj7(♯5) | bright, strange colour |
| 4 · F | Lydian dominant (Lydian ♭7) | F7(♯11) | unresolved dominants, SubV |
| 5 · G | Mixolydian ♭6 | G7(♭13) | dominant going to minor |
| 6 · A | Locrian ♯2 | Am7♭5 | ii of a minor ii–V |
| 7 · B | altered (super-Locrian) | B7alt | very tense dominant |
The three essential modes
- The altered mode (7th mode): over G7alt, play A♭ melodic minor starting from G: G A♭ B♭ B D♭ E♭ F. It holds the third (B), the seventh (F) and all the alterations: ♭9 (A♭), ♯9 (B♭), ♭5 (D♭), ♭13 (E♭).
- Lydian dominant (4th mode): over D♭7(♯11), play A♭ melodic minor too! No coincidence: D♭7 is the tritone substitute of G7. One scale covers both.
- Locrian ♯2 (6th mode): over Dm7♭5, play F melodic minor. Softer than Locrian thanks to its natural 9th (E).
M:4/4
L:1/8
%%staves {RH LH}
V:RH clef=treble
V:LH clef=bass
K:C
[V:RH] "G7alt"G _A _B =B _d _e f g | "Cm6"_e8 |]
[V:LH] [G,,F,B,]8 | [C,_E,A,]8 |]
Shortcut: for an altered dominant X7alt, play the melodic minor a semitone above X. For a dominant X7♯11, play the melodic minor a fifth above X (F7♯11 → C melodic minor).
A mode isn't a recipe: knowing the scale isn't enough. Start by targeting the characteristic notes (♭9 and ♯9 on the altered, ♯11 on the Lydian dominant) and resolving them to the next chord's tones.