Lydian flat seven / melodic minor

A cool Lydian shading emerges when the Lydian mode is altered by simply lowering the seventh scale degree or leading tone by half step to the dominant seventh, creating what is commonly known as the Lydian flat seven group of pitches. Here is a chart comparing the two Lydian hues using C as the root. Example 4.

As we can see from the above illustration, the only difference in the two groups of pitches is in the seventh degree. Compare the sound of the two groups. Example 4a.

Altering the seventh from a leading tone or major seventh to dominant or minor seventh, we create a color with overall different properties. The flat or blue seventh, is more associated with dominant than tonic harmony, and we can use the Lydian flat seven color over either resolving or non-resolving dominant colors. Here is the Lydian flat seven used over the common Two / Five One resolving harmonic progression. Example 4b.

Here is the Lydian flat seven color used to create lines over a non-resolving dominant harmony, as say in a bluesy vamp for extended soloing. Example 4c.

Within the Lydian flat seven color, we can extract the melodic minor color as one of its diatonic modes, a mode within a mode if you will. Example 4d.

So from the fifth degree of the Lydian flat seven color, we can locate the melodic minor group of pitches. Why is this potentially important for the creative artist? Well, for two reasons. First in that we can create a minor color from within the major, i.e., melodic minor from Lydian, which is common enough eh? Secondly, that in advanced playing situations, players will oftentimes use the Lydian flat seven / melodic minor color as a substitution for the diminished scale, while retaining the multiple resolving properties of the diminished color to create new pathways for exploration, creating tension and its resolution. What happens is that after extensive use of the diminished color, it may get a bit tired and cliche, and the Lydian flat seven / melodic minor is a softer color that we can work in a similar fashion. Thus we retain the multiple resolving properties of the diminished color while softening the group of pitches to create smoother, softer, less defined resolutions. Compare the sound of the two groups of pitches. Example 4e.

Lets place both colors into a resolving situation and see what happens. Example 4f.

Can you sense the softer resolution of the Lydian flat seven group? There is quite a bit of personal "musical evolution" involved here for a player to move from the diminished color to Lydian b7, but perhaps it is nice to have a sense of where the next step might be. The diminished color is perhaps at the opposite end of the tonal spectrum from the major scale. What potentially happens is that an emerging artist may gradually add more and more dissonance to their art, as their ear's ability to hear and artistically use the dissonance matures, and gradually reach the outer limits of functional tonality as created by the diminished color. Once there, then what? 

Well, after exploring the dissonance, an artist may choose to gradually return towards a more tonally based sound, using the coolness and pathways created by the artistic elements with a dissonant quality. So, the softening of the dissonance is perhaps a logical (?) direction, and the Lydian flat seven / melodic minor color is a potential first step for this return towards tonality. In moving thus, we not only loose the edge of the diminished color and gain a less obvious, predictable nature to our lines, we also begin to open a potentially unlimited musical resource as we apply the diminished colors resolving properties to the new, softened hues of Lydian / melodic minor color, and other colors as well, as we enter into the cool and artistically complex world of non-diatonic polytonality, organically emerging from the ancient Lydian mode within the equal tempered system. Cool with this? Potentially a huge topic and years of shedding, one that can tremendously increase the resource and thus, our artistic range of expression.

Here is a chart spelling out the Lydian flat seven mode as created from the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale, using the cycle of fourths as an organizer. Example 7.

Here are the above groups written out in standard musical notation. Example 7a.

So, Lydian b7 / melodic minor, is there more about this group within the text? Of course, we have everything here.

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