#521773 - 06/07/01 10:27 AM
A little theory
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Dr. Groove
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Registered: 05/28/01
Posts: 26
Loc: Antwerp,,BELGIUM
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Can anybody explain to me why the melodic minor scale is different ascending and descending? BTW, I just bought Ed's "Bass Improvisation" book and it's really a great book for learning scales/modes.
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#521774 - 06/07/01 10:34 AM
Re: A little theory
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Steve Lawson
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Registered: 04/11/01
Posts: 538
Loc: London,UNITED KINGDOM
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The differences up and down are to do with emphasising the major third of the dominant when leading back to the tonic - the Major 7th of the Melodic Minor scale is the Major third of the dominant, or V (5) chord in that key - so in Cmin, the seventh note of the melodic minor is B, which is also the third of the G7 chord that resolves back to the root. This gives a certain kind of resolution whether it's happening over a V I progression or not. On the way down, it's back to the 'natural' minor to make it actually sound more like a minor scale!! :o)
In Jazz, you'll often find the Melodic Minor scale used only in its ascending form, referred to as Melodic Minor Ascending, or Jazz Melodic Minor. A whole other set of harmony is built using the harmonised jazz melodic minor, much beloved of Bill Evans, Chick Corea, John Patitucci and a host of others...
If you want to get deeper into the jazz melodic minor, I'd recommend Mark Levine's 'The Jazz Theory Book' - which has a huge chapter just on that one set of harmony...
I hope that makes sense - if not, tell me which bits don't, and I or one of the other bright people round here will try and clarify it for you... :o)
cheers
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
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#521775 - 06/07/01 11:37 AM
Re: A little theory
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Dr. Groove
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Posts: 26
Loc: Antwerp,,BELGIUM
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Thanks for the info Steve. I bought the "Jazz Theory Book" about a month ago, but I didn't get to that chapter yet  Actually, I just put it aside for a while 'cause there's more info than I can handle. You could say that I had a "theory overdose". I just learned the Diatonic Major Chord Structures and its modes and I'm starting to get comfortable with it (I can play the 7 modes in any key - 2 octaves). Actually, I thought it was much more difficult (it's only 1 scale, started from another note).
I must admit that I think of patterns on the bassneck instead of notes while I'm playing. Is that bad? I can immediately play f.e. the D phrygian scale, but I can't immediately tell you what notes are in that scale (I can find out ... but it takes some time).
Once again , thanks for the info 
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#521776 - 06/07/01 11:56 AM
Re: A little theory
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Steve Lawson
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Registered: 04/11/01
Posts: 538
Loc: London,UNITED KINGDOM
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FWIW, I think it's more important to know how each note in the scale/mode functions against the chord - there's more to melody/bassline construction that just mode=chord. Within each mode, the notes have different harmonic functions against the chord, and those can then be altered depending on where the chord is going. Explaining alterations from a scale/mode perspective can get tricky - if you see the mode as just being a condensed two octave arpeggio, then each note has a function and a name, and the alterations make more sense... hopefully...
knowing that what you're playing is a D or an F# or whatever is useful, but is de-contextualised. If you know that what you're playing is the #11 against the chord, or the min 3rd or whatever, then you know where you are, regardless of the note names... I hope that makes sense - let me know if it doesn't... :o)
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
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#521777 - 06/07/01 03:22 PM
Re: A little theory
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Dr. Groove
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Registered: 05/28/01
Posts: 26
Loc: Antwerp,,BELGIUM
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>>> I hope that makes sense - let me know if it doesn't...  )
Actually, it does
BTW, nice site.
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#521778 - 06/07/01 09:28 PM
Re: A little theory
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dansouth
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Registered: 09/01/00
Posts: 3915
Loc: Metuchen,NJ,UNITED STATES
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You could say that I had a "theory overdose".
Dr. Groove - Theory is a deep subject, so you shouldn't attempt to digest all of it at one time. If you work consistently over time at a comfortable pace, these lessons will make begin to make more and more sense.
I must admit that I think of patterns on the bassneck instead of notes while I'm playing. Is that bad?
I used to be a "blind pattern" player. I knew that I was on the seventh or the fourth, etc., but I didn't know what note I was playing. That approach works fine for some forms of music, but I was in big trouble when I started studying jazz. I still play in "pattern mode" sometimes, but thanks to my jazz studies, I have a much better knowledge of the fretboard now, and it's opened up lots of new and interesting possibilities.
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