Dr. Groove Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Lawson Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 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!! ) 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... ) cheers Steve www.steve-lawson.co.uk StevieLand - go on, you know you want to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Groove Posted June 7, 2001 Author Share Posted June 7, 2001 Thanks for the info Steve. I bought the "Jazz Theory Book" about a month ago, but I didn't get to that chapter yet http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif 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 http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Lawson Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 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... ) Steve www.steve-lawson.co.uk StevieLand - go on, you know you want to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Groove Posted June 7, 2001 Author Share Posted June 7, 2001 >>> I hope that makes sense - let me know if it doesn't... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/redface.gif) Actually, it does http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif BTW, nice site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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