determining correct mode over chord with parallel approach

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[Iliace Vladimirovich]

First, let's revisit what chords we have available in each of the C modes derived from the ionian mode.


C ionian: C D E F G A B C D E F G A B
Cmaj7     C   E   G   B
Dmin7       D   F   A   C
Emin7         E   G   B   D
Fmaj7           F   A   C   E
Gdom7             G   B   D   F
Amin7               A   C   E   G
Bmin7b5               B   D   F   A

C dorian: C D Eb F G A Bb C D Eb F G A Bb C
Cmin7     C   Eb   G   Bb
Dmin7       D    F   A    C
Ebmaj7        Eb   G   Bb   D
Fdom7            F   A    C   Eb
Gmin7              G   Bb   D    F
Amin7b5              A    C   Eb   G
Bbmaj7                 Bb   D    F   A

C phrygian: C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
Cmin7       C    Eb   G    Bb
Dbmaj7        Db    F   Ab    C
Ebdom7           Eb   G    Bb   Db
Fmin7               F   Ab    C    Eb
Gmin7b5               G    Bb   Db    F
Abmaj7                  Ab    C    Eb   G
Bbmin7                     Bb   Db    F   Ab

C lydian: C D E F# G A B C D E F# G A B C
Cmaj7     C   E    G   B
Ddom7       D   F#   A   C
Emin7         E    G   B   D
F#min7b5        F#   A   C   E
Gmaj7              G   B   D   F#
Amin7                A   C   E    G
Bmin7                  B   D   F#   A

C mixolydian: C D E F G A Bb C D E F G A Bb C
Cdom7         C   E   G   Bb
Dmin7           D   F   A    C
Emin7b5           E   G   Bb   D
Fmaj7               F   A    C   E
Gmin7                 G   Bb   D   F
Amin7                   A    C   E   G
Bbmaj7                    Bb   D   F   A

C aeolian: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Cmin7      C   Eb   G    Bb
Dmin7b5      D    F   Ab    C
Ebmaj7         Eb   G    Bb   D
Fmin7             F   Ab    C   Eb
Gmin7               G    Bb   D    F
Abmaj7                Ab    C   Eb   G
Bbdom7                   Bb   D    F   Ab

[Iliace Vladimirovich]

Let's group the major and minor modes together, and compare their chords:


C ionian    C lydian    C mixolydian
______________________________________
Cmaj7          Cmaj7          Cdom7
Dmin7           Ddom7         Dmin7
Emin7          Emin7         Emin7b5
Fmaj7         F#min7b5      Fmaj7
Gdom7           Gmaj7        Gmin7
Amin7           Amin7        Amin7
Bmin7b5         Bmin7       Bbmaj7


C dorian     C phrygian    C aeolian
______________________________________
Cmin7           Cmin7          Cmin7
Dmin7           Dbmaj7         Dmin7b5
Ebmaj7          Ebdom7        Ebmaj7
Fdom7           Fmin7          Fmin7
Gmin7           Gmin7b5         Gmin7
Amin7b5        Abmaj7         Abmaj7
Bbmaj7          Bbmin7         Bbdom7

[Iliace Vladimirovich]

Let's draw out some preliminary rules here.

1. Wherever the entire 7th chord matches, you can use the modes interchangeably.  Any non-chord tone will be perceived as an extension and/or alteration.
2. Anywhere you have a difference between min7 and min7b5, you can use the b5 of the other mode as a leading tone - otherwise the modes are interchangeable
3. Wherever you have a difference between min and maj, you're better off not using that mode substitution
4. Anywhere you have a difference between min/maj and dom, you can use the dominant mode as a substitution, where it sounds right
5. Where the roots don't match, you can substitute a sharp min7b5 for normal minor or dominant - this is sometimes referred to as diminished substitution, passing diminished, etc.  Example: you can use C lydian over a C dorian progression when the chord is F7; you can use C lydian over C aeolian when the chord is Fmin (though not quite as often).
6. You can also do this mixing and matching the major and minor modes, since several chords will coincide.

Also you'll notice, that in harmonically simple progressions (with 7th chords being few or none except dominants), you can readily substitute dominant for major.

[Iliace Vladimirovich]

Let's group the major and minor modes together, and compare their chords:


C ionian    C lydian    C mixolydian
______________________________________
Cmaj7          Cmaj7          Cdom7
Dmin7           Ddom7         Dmin7
Emin7          Emin7         Emin7b5
Fmaj7         F#min7b5      Fmaj7
Gdom7           Gmaj7        Gmin7
Amin7           Amin7        Amin7
Bmin7b5         Bmin7       Bbmaj7


C dorian     C phrygian    C aeolian
______________________________________
Cmin7           Cmin7          Cmin7
Dmin7           Dbmaj7         Dmin7b5
Ebmaj7          Ebdom7        Ebmaj7
Fdom7           Fmin7          Fmin7
Gmin7           Gmin7b5         Gmin7
Amin7b5        Abmaj7         Abmaj7
Bbmaj7          Bbmin7         Bbdom7

Let's try to figure out what this means.

When you're in the key of X major, you will encounter one of the seven harmonies listed under "ionian".  From that we see:
 * if you're playing over the I chord of a major progression, you can use the Lydian mode instead of major scale, for the duration of that chord
 * if you're playing over the ii chord of a major progression, you can use the Mixolydian mode instead of major scale, for the duration of that chord
 * if you're playing over the iii chord of a major progression, you can use the Lydian mode instead of major scale, for the duration of that chord
 * if you're playing over the IV chord of a major progression, you can use the Mixolydian mode instead of major scale for the duration of that chord
 * if you're playing over the vi chord of a major progression, you can use either the Lydian or the Mixolydian mode instead of the major scale, for the duration of that chord

Same type of reasoning applies to playing over minor progressions:
 * If you're playing over the i chord of a minor key, you can use either the dorian or the phrygian mode instead of the natural minor scale
 * If you're playing over the III chord of a minor key, you can use the dorian mode instead of the natural minor scale
 * If you are playing over the iv chord of a minor key, you can use the phrygian mode instead of the natural minor scale
 * If you are playing over the v chord of a minor key, you can use the dorian mode instead of the natural minor scale
 * If you are playing over the VI chord of a minor key, you can use the phrygian mode instead of the natural minor scale

Also, we can cross the major/minor boundaries.  Usually this yields a dominant-type sound, because the passing tones amount to a melodic minor scale.
 * If you're playing over the ii chord of a major progression, you can use the dorian mode in addition to the mixolydian
 * If you're playing over the v chord of a minor progression, you can use the mixolydian mode in addition to the dorian

You can derive many more patterns from this, but these are all the ones that come from the parallel approach.  IN ALL INSTANCES ABOVE, playing over an n chord of an X major/minor progression will always imply that your default mode is the X major/minor scale.  The substitution is parallel - so the modes used instead of the major/minor will still be X mode.  For example, over the iii chord of C major, you can use C ionian mode or C lydian.

[Dark Jer]

FYI - I am seeing these, just not ready for it yet.

[Iliace Vladimirovich]

I'll try my best to record examples in the "note choices" thread.

[Dark Jer]

will you put a link to that thead here too?

[Iliace Vladimirovich]

http://www.guitarlogic.org/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=27&topic=2577.0

I put up the first major progression example this past weekend.

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