"Impressions" on Aebersold Play-along V54.

[ChrisJ]

You are absolutely correct, technically any of the minor modes would work (dorian, phrygian or aolian). It's just that a minor seventh chord by itself doesn't really sound phrygian or aolian by nature.

Phrygian: A more phrygian sounding chord would be a susb9 more so than a plain old min7. Dorian also leaves the chord player more choices, with the phrygian mode a min6, min9, min13th are out of the question but the dorian mode gives you all those chords.

Aolian: Seems to work better in progression than static vamps. In the case of Dmin, a Dmin7 - Bb - C type chord progression may work better.

Some fun improv ideas for dorian, as an example, D dorian. Try these scales and arpeggios (extentions in parenthesis):
D dorian (Cmajor) (1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7)
D minor pentatonic (1 b3 4 5 b7)
E minor pentatonic (2 4 5 6 1)
A minor pentatonic (5 b7 1 2 4)
F triad (arpeggio) (b3 b7 9)
G triad (arpeggio) (4 6 1)
C triad (arpeggio) (b7 9 4)

-CJ

[JeffN]

Oh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up, Chris.

[Chim_Chim]

So like what major scale modes are good for fusion and which ones are probably used the most frequently? And which melodic minor modes are used most frequently? Are the modes of melodic minor mostly just a good choice for different types of dominant chords?

[ChrisJ]

As far as the major scale modes, dorian, lydian and mixolydian are all quite common. The aolian mode is less so, but it is probably the most common mode for rock. Of course the other major scale modes show up from time to time in rock also. Carlos Santana uses the dorian mode all the time. You can also hear the dorian mode used by Michael Schenker in "Rock Bottom" on the UFO CD "Strangers in the Night" and by Peter Frampton on "Do You Feel Like We Do" and again when he played with Humble Pie on "I Don't Need No Doctor."

Melodic Minor Modes: When the dominant chord isn't a sus chord the lydian dominant mode is common choice. The altered mode is used all the time since it contains all the altered extentions (b5,#5,b9,#9). The other modes also get used but not to the extent of the altered and lydian dominant mode. The locrian #2 mode gets used a lot for the min7b5 chord. The only mode that doesn't get used is the 5th mode, the mixolydian b6 mode.
-CJ

[Chim_Chim]

Awesome,thanks alot.I was curious too about what rock songs use modes so thanks for mentioning those tunes.I think I have a UFO tape around here somewhere.I do have Santana and I think I know "Do You Feel Like We Do" entirely by memory.Heard that one alot in the 70's.

The Doors "Light My Fire" is another good one.And Satriani's Crushing Day.I think those are both Dorian.