The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Here's a little lesson/guide to modal interchange that I have been working on this week:

    Besides borrowing chords from neighboring key signatures, chords are also frequently borrowed from a key signature a b3rd higher than the original key (known as the “parallel minor” key). For example, the key signature of C Major can borrow chords from the key signature of C Minor (Eb Major) and vice versa. This system simply consists of mixing the chords drawn from the same alphabet-named tonal center (as in C Major and C Minor).

    To expand on that notion, the chords found in the neighboring keys of the new key are also available. This concept often goes by the name “modal interchange” (or “modal mixture”) because those very neighboring keys happen to share parallel modal chords with the original tonic key. For example, the chords in the key of C Major can be mixed with those in C Dorian (key signature of Bb Major). ), and C Phrygian (key signature of Ab Major).*

    What this all means is that a progression can include chords from all of these different key signatures without sounding at all random or unpleasant because they are related. When chords appear in a progression that are [I]not borrowed from neighboring keys, modal interchange (parallel keys), or back-cycling (sequential dominants), it becomes safe to assume that an actual modulation is in place (not just a case of “extreme borrowing”).

    Here is a guide based around the key of C Major (be sure to transpose!):


    Chords in the key signature of C Major (A Minor):
    C, Dm, Em (or E7), F, G, Am, and B half-dim.
    +
    Chords in the key signature of C Lydian (G Major/E Minor):
    G, Am, Bm (or B7), C, D, Em, and F# half-dim.
    +
    Chords in the key signature of C Mixolydian (F Major/D Minor):
    F, Gm, Am (or A7), Bb, C, Dm, and E half-dim.

    +

    Chords in the key signature of C Minor (Eb Major):
    Eb, Fm, Gm (or G7), Ab, Bb, Cm, and D half-dim.
    +
    Chords in the key signature of C Dorian (Bb Major/G Minor):
    Bb, Cm, Dm (or D7), Eb, F, Gm, and A half-dim.
    +
    Chords in the key signature of C Phrygian (Ab Major/F Minor):
    Ab, Bbm, Cm (or C7), Db, Eb, Fm, and G half-dim.


    Though many of these chords may seem redundant, they are each unique. Yes, Gm is in the key signature of F Major, Eb Major, and Bb Major, but it has a different chord-scale (and function) within each one. Gm is Dorian of F Major, Phrygian of Eb, and Aeolian of Bb Major. When trying to determine each one, start with the simplest answer first: a borrowed Gm (in a C Major chord progression) is probably from the key of F Major since it takes [I]the least amount of scale and key signature modification . Occam’s razor principle should be kept in mind when dealing with this type of situation. From there, each of the chords can be extended, substituted, and/or reharmonized to taste. This concept may seem overwhelming at first, but no song will use [I]all of these chords. These are just the most likely of unlikely chords to pop into a given progression without entirely modulating to a new key. Also try to view it as a creative opportunity to utilize interesting chords in a new composition or reharmonization.


    * Borrowing from a parallel “Locrian key” key is rarely done because Locrian modes tend to sound unstable as surrogate modal tonic chords. This is due to the absence of a stabilizing perfect 5th. In fact, the perfect 5th interval (C to G in the examples above) is the “glue” that really bonds all of the related keys together.


    Let's use Lady Bird (look up the chart if need be) as a good tune to see MI at work.


    Cmaj7 is from C Major, Fm7 and Bb7 are from C Minor, Bbm7, Eb7, and Abmaj7 are from C Phrygian, Am7 and D7 are from C Lydain, and the famous turnaround is from C Phrygain. Note that I do not think in modal tonal centers much- I relate everything to the key signatures that they come from. The tonal center in Lady Bird is C, and C Major more than anything else. Its prominence in the hyper-meter, etc points to the tune being tonal (functional, not "modal"). I use modal interchange as a tool to understand the logic behind these kinds of changes.

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  3. #2

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    Yardbird Suite has modal interchange too. I consider modal interchange before I consider actual modulations to a new tonic key. I think theorists might be split on an exact definition of this concept. I assume from all of my reading on jazz theory that the actual tonic does not need to change from major to minor, just the related chords that surround those tonics get mixed. This is how Bert Ligon explains it (more or less) in Jazz Theory Resources, and I tend to side with him these days.

    Green Dolphin St, Night and Day, What is this Thing Called Love, Lady Bird, and so on are all modal interchange-heavy tunes, IMO.
    Last edited by JonnyPac; 02-09-2012 at 05:25 PM.

  4. #3

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    You put a lot of thought into precise definitions of terminology and I appreciate your contributions in this regard.

    How High The Moon- Gm is IIm in F and not Im in G

    I'll Remember April- Gm7 Gm6 (real book version) this is IIm in F. In the solo section especially because the progression never arrives
    in F Major it can also be treated as Im from G melodic minor maintaining F# which keeps the note collection closer to G major or as Im
    from G natural minor which would anticipate the appearance of Eb in Am7b5 bar 9.

    The process of moving fluidly between different harmonic areas is useful. The best name for this is..............

    Best,
    Bako

  5. #4

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    If I play in 4/4|G-7 Gb-7b13|F-6 Bb7#5| for the beginning of "Rainy Day" in G is that modal interchange? I think we have to establish whether we are doing analysis, composition or arranging. I have heard alto saxophonist Phil Woods refer to playing one set of changes while the rhythm section plays another. That would be superimposition and polytonal. Surely modal interchange occurs in re harmonization and superimposition as it does in composition.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by ChuckCorbisiero
    Surely modal interchange occurs in re harmonization and superimposition as it does in composition.
    Sure, it's done. Like superimposing Trane-changes, etc. Perhaps not in the common practice of the average "inside" player.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonR
    Exactly.
    Modulation.

    Or - seeing as new keys are rarely fully established - temporary "tonicisation" using secondary dominants (Vs) and secondary supertonics (iis).
    Are you referring to "I'll Remember April"? Bako. You are right.The G minor chord you're referring to is in the parallel minor of the key of G major. It is a classic example of the composers use of modal interchange. There are several excellent books by George Russell and William Russo which will give us full knowledge of the usage of modal interchange.
    Last edited by ChuckCorbis; 02-17-2012 at 02:58 AM.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonnyPac
    Yardbird Suite has modal interchange too. I consider modal interchange before I consider actual modulations to a new tonic key. I think theorists might be split on an exact definition of this concept. I assume from all of my reading on jazz theory that the actual tonic does not need to change from major to minor, just the related chords that surround those tonics get mixed. This is how Bert Ligon explains it (more or less) in Jazz Theory Resources, and I tend to side with him these days.

    Green Dolphin St, Night and Day, What is this Thing Called Love, Lady Bird, and so on are all modal interchange-heavy tunes, IMO.
    great examples!

    Gotta say i DO use modal interchange as a soloing concept, say for example in a jazz blues the 6th bar will often have a dim chord built from the raised IV - a common reharm for this bar would be a minor IV chord, which obviously borrows from the minor key of the root in question. This wouldn't necessarily be written into the HEAD, but I find that if you are playing in a band where everyone has suitably big ears, these kinds of tendencies tend to go down well... really, to me it's a case of 'tension' and 'release'

    - from that perspective, just as well as you can use certain scales or patterns for 'out' playing', you can use the concept of modal interchange...

    Thanks for your awesome input to this thread!

  9. #8

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    Modal interchange is the borrowing of diatonic chords belonging to a parallel scale of the same name,used temporary as a "new" scale.

    Those chords are called "minor sub-dominants",although there are not necessarily "minors"

    Let's take the" B" section of one of my compositions :"Magritte"

    Here are the 8 bars of the B section:

    1 Bbmaj7 G7 - 2 Ebmin Ab7 - 3 Dbmaj Bb7 -4 Ebmin
    5 Dbmin Gb7 - 6 Dbmaj Gbmaj7#11 - 7 Cmin F7 -8 Bbmaj7

    -bar1: IMaj 7 V7/II unresolved modulation towards the Cminor Scale
    -bar2 :IImin V7/bIII
    -bar 3:bIII Maj7 V7/IVmin

    Modal Interchange: temporary borrowing of chords of the Eb Major Scale,where Bb is mixolydian

    -bar 4 :IVminor Modal Interchange: temporary borrowing of chords of the Gb Major Scale,where Bb is Phrygian

    -bar5: IImin V7/bII :unresolved modulation towards the B Major Scale
    -bar6:Imaj7 IV Maj7#11:modulation inside the Db Major Scale, not preceded by a secondary Dominant
    -bar7 :IImin V7/I
    -bar8 : Imaj7

    IN SUMMARY

    Playing in the Bb Major Scale,you can borrow for one or two bars chords belonging to the Major Scales of Db, Eb ,Gb and Ab where the Bb chord becomes alternately Eolian, Mixolydian, Phrygian and Dorian.

    More than 2 bars,it will become a real modulation towards another Scale.

    cheers
    HB
    Last edited by Hyppolyte Bergamotte; 05-24-2016 at 05:20 AM.

  10. #9

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    Yea... it's a great organization based on functional harmony. Works well for traditional understandings of borrowing. I've always dug Schoenberg... his approach for organizing functional harmony had huge influence on my younger days... not to mention I did my grad studies and worked at UCLA.

    Basically my use of extended Diatonic relationships and other mechanical organizations are results from his influence, didn't really cover everything, but the concepts are right there.

    Ever see the movie..."Schultze Gets The Blues".... German polka to Zydeco and blues

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Yea... it's a great organization based on functional harmony. Works well for traditional understandings of borrowing. I've always dug Schoenberg... his approach for organizing functional harmony had huge influence on my younger days... not to mention I did my grad studies and worked at UCLA.

    Basically my use of extended Diatonic relationships and other mechanical organizations are results from his influence, didn't really cover everything, but the concepts are right there.

    Ever see the movie..."Schultze Gets The Blues".... German polka to Zydeco and blues
    As you've said, Schoenberg didn't expand this idea to include MM. I suppose we could explore this for ourselves, but is there an elegant way to view it all broken down (like HB did for us)?

    Oh, and what do you mean exactly by "Modal Organization"?

  12. #11

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    I was wondering if someone could give a concrete example from a well known standard, just to get a better notion.

  13. #12

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    I really liked this explanation.

    What really, really clicked with me was the outcome of using modal interchange.

    To clarify, I now see how it can be a pathway to creating the tonality of a particular mode.

    For instance, if I am getting this right, if I have a D minor chord, and I borrow notes from the C major chord/scale, I will be using essentially D dorian since the note pools of D dorian and C major scale are the same.

    Wow, I never quite made this connection.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by targuit
    I was wondering if someone could give a concrete example from a well known standard, just to get a better notion.
    I think a very simple example is Green Dolphin Street, i.e. starts with 2 bars Eb major then 2 bars Eb minor.

  15. #14
    destinytot Guest
    Re-post:


    This concept is helping me get to grips with songs that have been beyond me (Jay Graydon and Al Jarreau).

    It's very gratifying to even begin to get comfortable with sounds in unexpected contexts - familiar sounds, but (to me) surprising settings.

    Hungry for more language.
    Last edited by destinytot; 05-24-2016 at 03:46 PM. Reason: addition

  16. #15

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    So a question.

    We seem to be dealing with harmony...can it apply to melody?

    So if over a standard ii V I in C major I pull from one of a few different melodic minor scales over the G7-- is that modal interchange as well?

  17. #16

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    Also, is the Modal Interchange built into a song, and this is just a name that is given to reflect the parallel nature of that particular chord change?

    Or, is modal interchange a temporary reharmonization that one might do on the fly when comping or arranging a song for a performance, just to add some spice or smooth out a transition?

    If there is a simple answer to both of my questions, then I will have this particular concept down.

  18. #17

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    As soon as you use a note from parallel minor/ major (respectively) to break diatonic flow, harmonic or melodic, which is one same thing because chords are there to harmonize melody, but keep it short enough so not to imply key change, it is modal interchange.

  19. #18

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    Hi !

    I MODAL INTERCHANGE IN COMPOSITION

    in order to clarify the use of modal interchange,let's see how Tad Dameron uses those forms in his composition in Cmajor (no alterations on the treble cleft) "Lady Bird"

    -first four bars : Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Fm7 Bb7. You expected, in the Cmaj Scale the following diatonic chords: Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj#11 Bm7b5

    after 2 bars in the Cmaj Scale, he makes a modal interchange with chords (or modes to play over those chords when improvising over ,Jeff) borrowed to the Ebmajor scale where C is the parallel Eolian: IIm V7 of Eb Major scale
    You can note this like : IMaj7 I Maj7 IVm/I bVII7/I

    -bars 5 to 8 : Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 You expected, in the Cmaj Scale the following diatonic chords: Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Bm7b5 Em

    after 2 bars in the C major Scale, he makes a modal interchange with chords (or modes to play over those chords)
    borrowed to the Ab Major Scale where C is the parallel Phrygian: IIm V7of Ab Major scale. You could note that like Imaj7 Imaj7 IIm/bVI V7/bVI

    -bars 9 to 12 :AbMaj7 Ab Maj7 Am D7 You expected, in the Cmaj Scale thefollowing diatonic chords: Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Am Dm
    here ,you got 2 successive modal interchanges:

    bars 9 and 10 are borrowed the Ab Major Scale where C is the parallel Phrygian : Imaj7 of Ab Major
    bars 11 and 12 are borrowed to the Gmajor Scale where C is the parallel Lydian :IImV7 of GMajor scale

    bars 13 to 16 : Dm7 G7 CmajEb7 Abmaj7Db7

    we stay in the scale of Cmajor for bars 13 and 14
    bar 15 : Cmaj7Eb7 You expected, in the Cmaj Scale thefollowing diatonic chords: Cmaj7 Em
    Eb7 is borrowed the Ab Major Scale where C is the parallel Phrygian: V7 of Ab Major Scale

    bar 16 :Abmaj7 Db7 is borrowed the Ab Major Scale where C is the parallel Phrygian :Imaj7 IVmaj7#11of AbMajor

    II MODAL INTERCHANGE IN IMPROVISATION

    Ex1 you must improvise over a chord chart written in C Harmonic Minor: CminMaj Ebmaj#5 Fmin7#11 Abmaj#9#11

    I would play,ie, Cmaj7 Ebmaj#5 Fmaj7 Abmaj#9#11;

    on bar 1 and 3, I made a Modal Interchange with the parallel C Ionian and F Lydian. Take care to no exceed 2 bars,otherwise you're leaving the Tonality of C Harmonic Minor

    Ex2 Improvising over a tune written in the clef of C Melodic Minor: Cmin Maj Dsus Ebmaj#11#5 F7#11 Am7b5 B7 altered:

    Cmaj7 D sus Ebmaj#11#5 F7#11 Am7b5 Bmin7b5

    I hope I was clear
    If you want extended explanations,I recommend you read the Theory post "Modal Interchange practice ,started by meritonemusic on 02-09-2012,and go to the Jonny Pac lesson ,writed on 02-24-2012
    cheers
    HB





    Last edited by Hyppolyte Bergamotte; 05-25-2016 at 06:30 AM.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vladan
    As soon as you use a note from parallel minor/ major (respectively) to break diatonic flow, harmonic or melodic, which is one same thing because chords are there to harmonize melody, but keep it short enough so not to imply key change, it is modal interchange.
    Thanks for your succinct answer.

    Between this and the other responses from HB and JonR, I now truly see the purpose and nature of modal interchange, and how it affects harmony/melody. I especially like how you pointed out that it is generally not full change of key.

    I like the little spice it adds.

  21. #20

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    Imagine that every scale and mode are lined up around a common pivot point.
    That the cumulative collection is part of a larger singular family of harmonies that potentially can interact.

    Here's a 4 page chart that I compressed into a single page lining up the modes of the 4 parent scales around F. Defining each mode by a tertian 7th chord is an oversimplification used for visual expediency.
    Awareness of the unique intervallic content of each mode is a more nuanced vantage point.

    I find a manageable exploration entry point is working with scale pairs.
    There is a continuum of the scale pairs containing 6 of 7 common tones to those with a 6 of 7 differential.

    This is a loose anything goes if it sounds good to you organization.
    Check out or recheck out HB's beautiful presentation based on Schoenberg's ideas of key relations for a more
    systematic viewpoint.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by bako; 05-26-2016 at 09:26 AM. Reason: spelling

  22. #21

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    the tune "heres that rainy day" - in G - opens with a Dameron/Coltrane turnaround ( I-bIII-bVi-bII) it is not a modal anything--it ends with a ii7-V7-which sounds "new" after it..the second ending again has some tasty changes that sound new(thanks to the melodic movement) but are all within a diatonic framework ( VIma7-V7-iii7-II7-ii7-V7-I)

    I find-and Im sure others agree-the term modal interchange-is confusing if not down right scary..like someone explaining the NY subway system to a total stranger to NY..(yeah..even with the dame map your going to get lost!)

    no offense to those that find it useful and easy to apply..

    JonR..I agree..the Melodic Minor scale and chords are not an easy compositional element..I use the chords mainly for color/extensions/tension building..with two dominant7 and two mi7b5 chords (which can be converted to dom9 in thinking about them) giving you four dominant flavored chords at the end of the scale..the ImiMA and III aug flavored are easy to exchange for each other..leaving the ii7 pretty much out in the wilderness..someone like Ben Monder would find good use for them Im sure.. but to create "tunes" that are easy to play AND listen to..I have my doubts...not saying it cant be done..but usually when hearing "theory music" I have visions of john cage and frank zappa telling us with a straight face.."this wont hurt a bit"

  23. #22

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    I find-and Im sure others agree-the term modal interchange-is confusing if not down right scary..like someone explaining the NY subway system to a total stranger to NY..(yeah..even with the dame map your going to get lost!)
    I'm not sure what simpler phrase you could find TBF. You have some modes and you interchange them. Unlike a lot of jazz terminology that one actually makes sense.

  24. #23

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    My understanding of MI is that the term as used in common practice harmony generally refers to same thing as 'borrowed chords.'

    The parallel minor into major thing is the most common, but even in 18th century music we have some Phrygian influences - the Neapolitan chord for example. Both Beethoven and Django were fond of that one in a minor key as pre-dominant sound.

    E.g. Ab D7b9 Gm

    Going back earlier in musical history it was quite common to use accidentals to interchange modes especially at cadences. Here's a classic example from 14th century music, where we borrow the Cadence from Lydian - for example in D dorian, we have the cadence C#m/E --> D5 in modern chord symbols. Also MI very common in Rennaisance music which was still modal, so my guess is that the traces of the modal system lingered on in the common practice era - in the same way that Bach will write out G minor with one flat.

    Tonality as we understand it today - functional harmony wasn't yet a coherent area of study as it was in the 19th century, but a set of everyday practices.

    In the post tonal era, Schoenberg presumably was just trying to expand the range of possibilities although it's a long time since I read Harmonielehre.

    Anyway, in general I would have thought that a modal interchange becomes a true modulation when there is a clear resolution to some sort of 'I' chord - at which point it stops being a modal colouration of the original tonal centre and becomes the centre of a new system of major/minor harmony.

    The classic that springs to mind is the Cherokee bridge:

    C#m7 F#7 | Bmaj7 | Bm7 E7 | Amaj7 etc

    here we interchange Bmaj7 for Bm7 - Ionian for Dorian and then treat that as a ii-V-I into the new key.

    Green Dolphin Street is a good example of true modal interchange, because none of the chords are moving to resolutions

    Another could be All the Things You Are:

    Abma7 | Dbmaj7 | (Dm7b5) G7b9 | Cmaj7

    You could think of the Cmaj7 as a classic major for minor modal interchange for Cmin7 (iii) or a tierce de picardy rather than a true modulation, something which is encouraged by the fact that the G7 chord has a flat 9, which suggests that the progression is still in Ab until it hits the surprise major chord.

    (In practice I'm not thinking about any of this stuff when I solo on it. I would play Bb7 --> Cmaj7)
    Last edited by christianm77; 05-27-2016 at 07:26 AM.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by dortmundjazzguitar
    so if you sub a IV with a IVm you interchange a mode? the IV chord is a mode? what is your actual definition of a mode? are modes scales, chords, keys?
    AFAIK when classical theorists talk about modal interchange, they generally mean, e.g. chords from C harmonic minor used in C major. So generally they mean 'scale.' That said there are other influences - Phrygian tinged chords like the bII.

    The IVm is a classic example of a borrowed minor chord, as is bVI and so on.

    I don't make definitions. Waste of time, and very difficult too.

    If I had to push it I would say that in jazz improv, modes are pools of notes that can be used freely, while scales are stepwise series of notes that can be elaborated into more complex patterns such as thirds, triads, chromatic decorations and so on. That's certainly not the traditional (classical) distinction.

    In this understanding - older jazz is more scalic (more similar to classical) and more recent jazz is more modal, for example (more colouristic)

    But it's not that simple. A lot of genuinely modal (i.e. non harmonic) music (Middle Eastern, Indian, Gregorian chant etc) is very stepwise.

    Don't even start on the definition of keys - I remember there was a whole thread about 'how do you define a key.' No one could put their finger on it.

    I've been reading about the way 18th century musicians thought of tonality for example. They wouldn't sing:

    Do re mi fa sol la ti do

    They would sing in Guido's medieval system basically - hexachords of six notes - do re mi fa so la - no si or ti.

    So, when musicians 18th century sang a solfege scale, they would sing:

    Do re mi fa sol re mi fa/do

    (or 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 almost!)

    So, if you sing C scale, you almost divide the scale into a C major bit and a G major bit. There's also a 'soft hexachord' built on Fa, which gives us the b7:

    Do re mi fa re mi fa do

    Here, the semitone is always defined by the syllables mi and fa (or do).

    That's incidentally why the phrase goes 'mi contra fa diabolus est in musica' (that is the tritone - the 'devil's interval' - mi against fa, and not how we would say it, ti against fa) what we would call 'modulations' to the IV and V are built into the system. I find this rather interesting. Implications for the way you would harmonise a scale too.

    Bet you are sorry you asked now? :-)
    Last edited by christianm77; 05-27-2016 at 11:26 AM.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Yes. I think MM and Dorian pretty much interchangeable for a lot of stuff.

    You only get into trouble when you make the default tonic minor chord a m7, but even then you can be flexible with the 7th.

    A good example would be Miles's solo on So What. But we can go right back to stuff like Charlie Christian.

    In terms of melodic minor harmony - that's hard to figure. 7#11 chords have been around for a long time (French sixths etc) before the Lydian Dominant has existed as a concept.
    Do you hear much MM on Miles' solo? It's been years since I transcribed it, but I remember very few instances of C#'s (or D naturals on the Eb-) and mostly in passing, at that.