dominant seventh studies / melodic minor proof

Tired of the same o'le diatonic melodic fodder? Maybe need a new color and perspective to hippify your lines? Looking to evolve your melodic motion towards a less predictable tonal intent? Well, using the melodic minor color to create varying degrees of tonal convergence just might be the ticket. What we are trying do here is to use the unique sound and environment created by the melodic minor color to create four varying degrees of tonal gravity, then simply create convergence lines which unexpectedly or deceptively resolve in the major tonal environment. The theory is pretty straightforward, the trick of course is in understanding the nature of the color and then assimilating it into our musical vocabularies. Traditionally used in the minor tonal environment for it's leading tone, part of the coolness of melodic minor color comes from the combination of it's minor third with the major seventh, placing it outside of the more traditional pairings of third and seventh, of both the major or minor tonalities. And like any of our musical colors, we each need to explore it a bit and see if there is some magic there which perks our interest, potentially encouraging further exploration and experiment. Some things do take time eh? Here is one idea based on the above discussion. Creating an idea from C melodic minor and converging towards C major. Example 1.

Sound interesting to you? Are we simply merging tonal environments? Like putting blocks together? Pretty much, simply examining potential shifts of creative environments, or ways to recolor dominant harmony converging towards a tonic. With this initial convergence in mind, let's begin to examine the four common applications of the melodic minor color and how they create various groupings of dominant seventh tensions. So, thinking C major, our dominant Mixolydian mode is based on the root G. Spelling the dominant 7th scale in C major, example 2.

Our four more common melodic minor choices are built from the b2, 4th, 5th, and 7th scale degrees of G Mixolydian. Following our inside to outside scheme of organization, based here on how closely our grouping of notes correspond to our diatonic pitches of G Mixolydian / C Ionian major, here is a chart organizing the four choices. Example 2a.

Interesting perhaps is that in the first two choices, even though only one pitch is non diatonic, that one pitch really changes the diatonic complexion or tonal gravity of the other pitches. Let's crunch down the numbers and see what's what.

Starting with the pitches of C melodic minor as viewed against G 7. Example 3.

The Eb is the only non-diatonic pitch. Its presence when aurally viewed against the dominant G 7 sound provides the augmented fifth ( Eb = D# ) potentially suggesting the whole tone color. Melodically the pitch Eb is the blue third in relation to the root of the scale C, so sort of a bluesy, whole tone color? Here is a melodic idea using the above choice in the resolving cadential motion of the Two / Five / One chord progression in the major tonality. Example 3a.

Dig the sounds? Usable color for you? Not all that deceptive eh but potentially just to recognize a nice shifting of environments to be developed further?

The only non-diatonic pitch is C#. This, when aurally viewed against the G 7th, provides the # 4 / b 5 color. Here is a comparison chart. Example 4.

So like our first choice, again a bit of the augmented sound but from the other side of the perfect 5th. Melodically, the interval between the root G and the C# is a tritone. So this configuration adds a second tritone pairing to the dominant chord and provides the essential # 4 / b5 blue note favored by the blues and jazz players. Check out the following possibility. Example 4a.

Dig the sounds? Hear any possibilities? Extracting just the G 7b5 lick, we can run it through other types of filters, extending it's non resolving qualities. Here we simply move the idea down in whole steps, a part of the whole tone filter. Example 4b.

Brightening up the tempo a bit. Example 4c.

What if the C# in D harmonic minor was added to the Two chord creating D min / maj 7th?

Moving further out from our diatonic origins, we can see that choice #3 contains two non-diatonic pitches when viewed against the pitches of C major / G Mixolydian, Ab and Bb. Here is a comparison chart. Example 5.

Viewed harmonically against the G 7, the pitches Ab and Bb become the b9 and #9 of the G 7 arpeggio. Here we bump into the rules of spelling chords a bit. Shouldn't we only use the pitches of our melodic resource in spelling the chords from that group of pitches? Yes, that is usually the case. In this situation, common practice takes over, which allows for this group of pitches to be used melodically over chords whose pitches are generated from another scale, which in this case is our tonic C major. In American music, we break this spelling chords / melody pitches rule all the time in creating blues tunes, or adding a bluesy color in more diatonically generated situations. I like to call it the blues magic, an integral component of American music. Viewing these two non-diatonic pitches in relation to the G 7 arpeggio we come up with the following color tones. Example 5a.

Thinking diatonically in C major, the pitch A natural is our ninth chord degree. In substituting the F melodic minor color over G 7, the pitches Ab and Bb are hip alterations of this diatonic 9th chord degree. The Ab is the jazz players essential "b9", the Bb is the "#9", the blue seventh of of our tonic C major. Cool with this mixing of the blues colors with equal temper? Dig the altered 9th's in the following idea. Example 5b.

Definitely a bluesy flavor n'est pas? I totally dig the flat nine color, very important color for me. Can there be too many cool blues components on the American artist's musical palette?

Well, as we can see from the pitches we are quite a bit removed from our starting diatonic pitches of the C major scale. Only three pitches from this tonic group are present when we build the melodic color from flat Two / b9. Thus, potentially lots of different ways to converge this tension towards a major tonic stability. We can see that choice #4 contains four non-diatonic pitches when viewed against the pitches of C major / G Mixolydian, Ab, Bb, Db and Eb. Look familiar? Db Lydian b7? Here is a comparison chart. Example 6.

Have we simply combined the non-diatonic pitches from the above three harmonic minor choices in creating the fourth group? I think we have. Cool huh? When viewed against a G 7th arpeggio extended up through the thirteenth, we create the following dominant tensions. Example 6a.

This scale choice generates tension by use of the flat five Db, the flat nine Ab, the sharp nine Bb and the flat thirteenth Eb. Here we take advantage of so much Db tonality to converge to C major by half step. Example 6b.

Well? Pretty out there huh, but a bit exciting yes? After years of understanding the application theory of the melodic minor as described above, using this color in creating my storyline within the tonal gravity of a tune oftentimes eludes me. I can hear the individual pitches in relation to a basic dominant chord, and sing them for the most part, but cannot seem to transcend into projecting the emotional essence created by the whole groups of pitches and their varying degrees of tonal gravity into my lines, while moving through the time of the tune. Writing this page out has helped to rekindle my explorations of the color. Suffice to say, some things take time... American jazz guitar master John Stowell, who first hipped me to the theory, uses these colors with dramatic effect. Check out his most recent release titled "Elle", featuring John with Italy's Bebo Ferra, who contributes 5 wonderful compositions to the recording, balanced by a selection of a half dozen important American jazz standards. Click www.jardis.de to connect.

Can we use these colors when converging into the minor tonality as well? Of course, the harmonic minor color lives within the minor tonality yes? Here are a few ideas organized by closeness of pitch to our tonic C natural minor. First using Ab melodic minor converging towards C minor. Example 7.

Using C melodic minor converging towards C minor. Example 7a.

Using F melodic minor over a G dominant pedal tone converging towards C minor . Example 7b.

Using D melodic minor converging towards C minor. Example 7c.

Cool with the sounds? By substituting intact colors or groups of pitches, we can interrupt the direction of the music, creating a greater sense of fulfillment if and when we return to our original direction. 99% of the music we dig does this "return to where we started thing" so simple and cool, with colors like the melodic minor to potentially enhance the journey.

So, when time permits, perhaps try building a melodic minor scale from other degrees of the Mixolydian mode. Also perhaps compare the melodic minor derivations with the fully diminished seventh derivations. Example 6.

Also, what's the deal with this? Do the pitches of C melodic minor also create F Lydian b7?

Cool huh? Is it all simply a matter of aural intervallic perspective? Modes within modes, chords within chords, loops of pitches, round and round the theory goes, very cool n'est pas? Just more grist for the mill, and as always, simply explore and experiment.

Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art.

Charlie Parker.