The Modes of the Melodic Minor and their Usage in Jazz

A brief study of jazz theory will have you familiarising yourself with major modes.

Mixolydian and Dorian modes, for example, are the most fundamental to learn as a basis for jazz language.

Once a jazz musician is fluent at using the major modes for soloing, they will be able to achieve a very diatonic major sound, but this inevitably has its limits.

In order to build more options of scales to use, we apply the modes of the melodic minor scale.

These don’t just work for minor keys or chords, and some work as good alternatives to major modes.

I’ll give a brief explanation of each one below.

Mode 1: Melodic Minor

This is fairly self-explanatory as the scale associated with chords such as CminMaj7.

It is worth noting that this mode shouldn’t be used for Cm7 chords.

It should also be remembered that this is not the melodic minor scale sometimes used in classical music that differs on the way down; this scale has a minor 3rd and a major 7th regardless of how you are playing it.

This is the most harmonically stable of the melodic minor modes.

Mode 2: Dorian Flat 2

This mode is the least-used of the melodic minor modes.

As the name suggests, it is almost a Dorian scale.

This means that most of the uses for this mode are on static Minor7 vamps, where sticking to one mode may become tedious.

The use of a flat 2 mixes the sound up without sacrificing the critical notes like the 3rd and 7th.

This scale’s similarity to the Phrygian mode also gives it a similar effect to that, with the mystical flat 2 being present.

Mode 3: Lydian Augmented

One of the 3 Lydian modes commonly used, this one is good for numerous uses. Firstly, you can use is on Major7#11 chords, acting as a ‘Super-Lydian’.

You can also use it on Major 7 chords as an extreme variation, pulling the sound brighter and brighter.

Similar to mode 2, the Lydian Augmented is best used on static chords, where you have the space to make your own harmonic variation rather than having to quickly outline chord changes.

Mode 4: Lydian Dominant

We are now into the more functional modes. Lydian Dominant is the scale associated with dominant 7#11 chords.

This scale also happens to be the tritone of the Altered scale (coming later), and so when using tritone substitutions on dominant 7 chords, these modes become interchangeable.

The Lydian Dominant provides a perfect blend between dominant 7 instability and Lydian 4th charm, so it is a very useful mode to have in your locker.

Mode 5: Mixolydian Flat 6

This mode is underappreciated and often ignored altogether.

Similar to the Mixolydian mode, it covers dominant 7 chords, however the flat 6 makes it ideal for playing chord 5 in a minor key, as the flat 6 becomes a minor 3rd when you move to chord 1.

Bill Evans used this mode extensively, and having it in your arsenal will increase your language in minor keys.

Mode 6: Aeolian Flat 5

Otherwise known is Locrian Natural 2, or simply the Half-Diminished scale, this mode is very important in minor harmony.

It is most commonly used to cover Minor7b5 chords (or half-diminished).

It is quite a difficult mode to work through by ear, so it will usually require a lot of work to get used to playing it, however the result is that you will have a very good scale to use on half-diminished chords.

Mode 7: Super-Locrian/Altered

The most popular melodic minor mode after mode 1, the Altered scale is a fantastic innovation in chord/scale theory.

It is used on dominant 7 chords, and takes the purpose of these chords to the maximum. Dominant 7 chords are usually made to form a stepping stone to another chord, for example, G7 leads perfectly to C.

If you play an altered scale, only the root and 3rd notes are shared with the major scale.

This means that the altered scale is the most tension you can put on a major tonality, which makes it the ultimate transition scale.

This mode works more diatonically when preceding a minor chord, but can be used for both minor and major cadences.

Conclusion

Having outlined these modes, it is now time for you to work them into your own playing.

The melodic minor scale has a run of 4 whole tones, which applies to all the modes within. It is worth establishing where this run sits for every mode, as it proves a useful landmark when trying to find your way around each mode.

When working these modes into your playing, start by just playing then in scale form, but then also start to look at the shapes you can make with them.

The existence of the whole-tone run in this scale means there are useful augmented shapes available to you now.

It Is also important to not becoming solely reliant on melodic minor scales, as nuance and variation are essential to crafting a fluent solo.

Because of this, once you have learned all of your modes, it is a good idea to make a written solo for yourself on a tune of your choice.

The idea is to compose a solo that is as sophisticated and well-structured as you can manage, and it will help weave the ideas into your fingers – just make sure you then discard it as soon as you learn how to play it!

The melodic minor scale is a fantastic tool in jazz, and presents an improviser with a whole new set of challenges, but rewards them with a much richer vocabulary, and so I recommend learning these modes as an essential chapter in your development as a jazz musician.