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1

Soloing Over Dominant 7th Chords

Before we get started let me thank you for purchasing this

tutorial and supporting the development of future lessons on
my site. This tutorial will take you through a full development
program designed to give you a full understanding of the often
complex world of the Dominant 7th chord.

The Dominant 7th chord is a tricky one to handle as there are so

many different scales and voicings available within the chord
family and the context of the chord can change its function and
sound in so many ways. I remember, when I was a student
learning to play over jazz standards and more complex fusion
tunes, you could guarantee that it would be a dominant 7th
chord of some description that would bring my lines and solos
crashing to a grinding halt as I struggled to figure out what I
should be playing over it.

As there are so many ways to play over the Dominant chord type, this tutorial will be broken
into the following topics: -

1 – Mixolydian Dominants

2 – Mixolydian b9 (Diminished Dominants)

3 – Non Resolving Dominants - Lydian Dominants

4 – Advanced Resolving Dominants

a) Super-locrian/Altered Dominants
b) Phrygian Dominants (Harmonic Minor)
c) Phrygian Dominants (Melodic Minor)
d) Diminished Scale Dominants

5 – Dominant 7th Lines/Licks

At this point I’d like to state that this tutorial requires a fairly good knowledge of basic jazz
harmony and progressions. If you are not familiar with this I’d recommend checking out the
Jazz Harmony Tutorial that is available on my website in the lessons section.

Each topic will cover the theory required to utilise each sound and teach the scales and
chord voicings that are used. Most importantly the context of each dominant 7th sound will
be explained and demonstrated by use of example chord progressions from well-known
standard tunes. By the end of the tutorial you should be able to see any dominant 7th chord

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within a progression and know what will fit and why, improving your soloing and
compositional abilities.

Let’s get started on the first topic.

1. Mixolydian Dominants: -

For the sake of completeness I’m going to start with some basic theory regarding the
dominant 7th chord. All dominant 7th chords share the same basic intervallic structure giving
them a naturally unstable sound. This intervallic structure can be defined in two ways: -

Root – 3rd – 5th – b7th or,

Root – up a maj 3rd – up a minor 3rd – up a minor 3rd

The major 3rd and flattened 7th structure is unique to the dominant 7th chord and these
intervals are often termed ‘leading tones’. They are named as such because these two notes
create tension that leads to a need for resolution. When played together they create the
interval of a tri-tone 1 – a very dissonant sound requiring resolution. The most common
application of this ‘tension – resolution’ relationship is in a major key where the dominant
7th chord is built from the 5th degree of the major scale (chord V) and resolves to the Major
chord built from the 1st degree of the scale (I chord). In the key of C this would give us a G7
chord and a C chord. The leading tones (3rd and 7th) of our G7 chord would be the notes B
and F respectively. These create out tri-tone interval and the subsequent tension. The B
resolves up a semitone to the C (root) of the C chord and the F resolves down a semitone to
the E (3rd) – hence the term leading tones. Here is the same idea represented in notation
and TAB.

G7 – C ‘Leading Tones’
Notice that I have omitted the 5th (D) from the Dominant 7th chord.
This is a very neutral sounding note and, as we’ll find out later in
the tutorial, can be altered to create more tension in certain
harmonic situations.

When soloing over this most basic of dominant 7ths we simply use
the C major scale starting from the root note of the G7 chord – G.
When we play a C major scale from G to G we get a G Mixolydian
scale and you should associate the scale and the chord together.
Many jazz and fusion players will refer to this basic dominant 7th as
a ‘Mixolydian Dominant’, specifying the scale that fits with this chord type and its function
within the chord progression. It’s very important to notice the root movement of this chord
too – it moves up a 4th/down a 5th from G to C. Let’s define this sound as a rule that you can
refer to when choosing how to solo over a particular dom7th chord. 9, 11 and 13 extensions
can also be placed on the chord without affecting its function or scale choice.

1
A dissonant interval made up of 3 whole tones

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Mixolydian Dominants – You can use a Mixolydian Scale to play over a Dom 7th chord
when the Dom 7th chord’s root note moves up a 4th or down a 5th to a Major/Major7 type
chord and the Dom 7th chord contains no altered notes/tensions (b5, #5, b9, #9, #11, b13).

Here is the G Mixolydian Scale through one octave containing the intervals R,2,3,4,5,6,b7: -
G Mixolydian Scale When using the Mixolydian to play over this type of
Dom 7th chord be aware that the 4th degree of the scale
(in this case the note C) will clash against the 3rd of the
chord and should be used as a passing note rather than
a melodic one unless the chord is a Dom7sus4 where
the 3rd is replaced with the 4th degree as shown below.
In this instance the 3rd becomes the clashing note and
should be treated with care.

3rd and 4th degree clashes

The Mixolydian scale can also be used over Dominant 7th chords that don’t resolve up a 4th
or down a 5th if the chord in question is some kind of 7sus4 chord (including 9sus4 chords)
or when playing over the Dominant 7th’s in a blues. An example of this kind of chord
progression occurs in Herbie Hancock’s ‘Maiden Voyage’ where 9sus4 chords are used to
create a modal Mixolydian sound. Here’s the first section of the chord progression requiring
Mixolydian chords over each of the 9sus4 chords.

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Maiden Voyage Progression

To play over a progression such as this, simply play the Mixolydian scale from the root note
of each chord paying special attention to emphasise the 4th instead of the 3rd degree of the
scale. This is known as a modal or non-functional progression where the chords don’t follow
the traditional method of coming from one key. Instead the same mode or tonality
(Mixolydian) is used and moved around to create interest and forward motion.

When dealing with modal Dominant 7th chords (as opposed to functional ones) we only
normally play the Mixolydian scale over 7sus4 or Dom 11th chords as they preclude the use
of any other scales due to the inclusion of the 4th/11th in the chord. Only the Mixolydian scale
contains all the correct intervals to fit over this chord type (there is another chord type
names 7sus4b9 that we’ll deal with later on). For all other basic Dominant 7th chords (7, 9,
13) that don’t resolve up a 4th/down a 5th we usually use another scale to solo with. The
Mixolydian can be used but there is a better option that sounds much cooler! Let’s look at
this second rule for Mixolydian dominants too.

Mixolydian Dominants – we can play the Mixolydian scale over any dominant 7th chord
that contains a 4th instead of the natural 3rd in the voicing. This would be any Dom11 (not
#11) or 7sus4, 9sus4 chords.

Next we’ll look at a technique used to create tension over the dominant 7th chord before it
resolves up a 4th/down a 5th to the I chord.

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2. Mixolydian b9 Technique: -

When soloing over the resolving Dominant 7ths described in the first section of this tutorial
we can use a technique to create extra tension and a more interesting melodic flow on the
chord as it resolves to the I chord of the key. The technique is very simple and requires
playing the interval of a b9 (same as a b2) over the Dominant 7th in place of the natural 9
normally associated with the Mixolydian scale. The b9 is the easiest tension to hear and use
in this context and is available to you on any dominant 7th that resolves up a 4th/down a 5th.

In the key of C for example our Dominant 7 chord would be G7 and we would play G
Mixolydian but replace the A (2nd / 9th) with Ab (b2nd/ b9th). Here’s the scale written out for
you to try. Don’t worry about naming this scale, just think of it as a Mixolydian scale but
you’ve chosen to outline the b9 instead of the natural 9 to create more tension.
Mixolydian b9 Scale
You can choose to play either the b9
or the natural 9 and can use both
effectively in a line. Usually you would
play the natural 9 first followed by the
b9 to create tension. The b9 (Ab) then
resolves down a semitone to the 5th of
the Cmajor7 chord (G) as we move to
the I chord and our resolution.

Another way to think about this technique is to play a diminished 7th arpeggio up a semitone
from the root of the dominant 7th chord in question. By doing this the diminished arpeggio
will outline the b9, 3rd, 5th and 7th of the chord giving us a G7b9 sound.

Here is the arpeggio written out. You

can see the intervals created by its use
against the G root note. This is a very
common jazz/fusion technique and the
b9 can even be used over a G9 chord as
long as it is resolved properly when you
reach the Imaj7 chord.

th
Ab Diminished 7 Arpeggio Here are some very basic example lines
that use the b9 interval and the
diminished arpeggio up a semitone from the root in the key of C. The chord progression is
Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7. Notice that the root note of the Dominant 7th chord is moving up a
4th/down a 5th here so the b9 technique works very well. This V-I chord progression is
incredibly common and giving you loads of opportunities to try out this technique for
yourself.

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Lines using the b9 interval

The last line here is simply a scale based phrase so you can hear the scales in context.

Try composing some line such as those above for yourself using this b9 interval and
transcribe some of your favourite player’s lines. You’ll find this technique all over the place.
There is also a backing track provided for you to practice this technique over.

Now for the next type of Dominant 7th chord called the ‘Lydian Dominant.’

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3. Lydian Dominant Chords (Non-Functional Dominants): -

The Mixolydian Dominant chord was a resolving Dominant. In other words its root note
moved up a 4th or down a 5th and its leading tones resolved as described in the previous
section of the tutorial. We also encounter Dominant 7th chords that don’t resolve in this
manner but whose root notes move up a semitone, tone or some other type of non-
resolving root movement. These non-resolving Dominants look very similar to resolving,
Mixolydian Dominants in that they can be written as 7, 9 or 13 chords but the clue to
spotting them is looking for unusual root movement – in other words their context within a
chord progression. If you spot a 7, 9 or 13 chord that doesn’t resolve up a 4th or down a 5th
to another chord then you can bet that it will be a ‘Lydian Dominant’ chord.

If you know your major scale harmony you’ll know that Lydian means a raised/sharpened 4th
and this is exactly what the Lydian Dominant means. We simply take our Mixolydian scale
and sharpen the 4th degree – remember the 4th is the same as the 11th so we usually refer to
the chord symbol as a 7#11 chord. We also call these ‘Non-Functional Dominants’.

Here’s the scale written out through one octave with the #4/11 interval instead of the
natural 4/11.

When you encounter these non-

resolving Dominants, you’ll notice that
the natural 4th of the Mixolydian scale
can often sound out of place and
G Lydian Dominant Scale dissonant against the chord. The raised
4th of the Lydian Dominant scale has a
much ‘hipper’ sound that fits the jazz
and fusion style much more successfully. So where does this scale come from? Well, it’s
actually the 4th mode of the melodic minor scale, so our G Lydian Dominant comes from a D
Melodic Minor parent scale. This is useful because if you’re not familiar with your Lydian
Dominant scale but can play your melodic minor, each time you see a Lydian Dominant
chord you can play the melodic minor scale up a 5th or down a 4th from the root note of the
chord. You’ll be playing exactly the same notes but it will be a visualisation process and scale
shape that’s more familiar to you. Personally I recommend that you learn all your major and
melodic minor scale modes all over the neck.

Sometimes the composer will actually specify in the chord symbol that the chord is a Lydian
Dominant by including the #11 in the chord name. Such chords could also include the 9th or
13th extensions and would appear as follows with a G root note: -

G7#11, G9#11, G13#11

From a chordal perspective it is entirely up to you which voicing you use. If the chord symbol
says G7#11 you should feel free to play the 9th or 13th in your voicing too – this is an artistic

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decision and is entirely your choice. The main point is that all of these chords require the
Lydian Dominant scale when we play over them.

Here are some example chord voicings for Lydian Dominant chords, including the basic 7th,
9th and 13th chords without the #11 interval in the chord.

G Lydian Dominant Chords

The last two chords here have the root note omitted and are particularly useful when
playing with a bass player. They have a particularly dense sound and may not always be
appropriate. You’ll find that the more extensions you use in your voicings, the darker and
more tense the chord becomes, so be sure to use the appropriate voicing for the style of
music you’re playing and the mood you’re trying to create. Remember – we only use these
#11 voicings for Non-Functional Dominant 7ths that don’t resolve up a 4th or down a 5th.

Let’s check out some example chord progressions that feature Lydian Dominant chords. For
this I’ll be using two tunes – ‘Girl from Panama’ and ‘Stella by Moonlight’ – I’ll also be
explaining two exceptions to the rule given here that will allow you to correctly identify
when you should and shouldn’t use the Lydian Dominant scale. We’ll start with ‘Girl from
Panama’. (I’ve changed the names of the tunes for copyright reasons!)

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Girl from Panama Excerpt: -

Here we have two Dominant 7th chords; G7 in bars 3 and 4 followed by Gb7 in bars 6 and 7.
The key to working out what to play over them is to look at what precedes them and where
their root notes move to. Notice that the G7 moves to a Gm7 chord meaning that it can’t be
a functional/Mixolydian Dominant. For it to qualify as a Mixolydian Dominant it would have
to move up a 4th or down a 5th and would move to a chord with a C root note. As the root
note stays the same (G) for the next chord we can qualify the G7 as a Lydian Dominant (non-
functional) and play the G Lydian Dominant over it (D Melodic Minor). Looking at the Gb7 in
bars 6 and 8 we get the same results. In this case the Gb root note moves down a semitone
to Fmaj7 qualifying the Gb7 as a Lydian Dominant chord. Play Gb Lydian Dominant over this
chord or visualise it as Db melodic minor if that helps.

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Above, we have a more interesting version of the same chord sequence using 9th, #11th and
13th extensions outlining the sound of the Lydian Dominants more effectively. Sometimes
you will see a simple 7 chord written on charts, other times you’ll see the #11 in the chord
symbol. Either way, you need to be able to quickly identify what kind of Dominant 7th you
are dealing with and choose the appropriate scale to play over it.

Let’s have a look at ‘Stella by Moonlight.’ We’ll be looking at the B section containing 4
chords lasting for 2 bars each.

Stella by Moonlight – B Section: -

The first chord is a Dominant 7th but a type that we’ll come across later with a #5 interval so
for now we’ll ignore it. Notice that it resolves up a 4th to Cm7 so it must be some kind of
resolving Dominant and not a Lydian Dominant. The next Dominant is Ab7 and its root
movement goes up tone to Bb qualifying it as a Lydian Dominant. We play Ab Lydian
Dominant (Db Melodic Minor) over this chord.

Below is a more involved version of the chord progression with extensions outlining the
Lydian Dominant nature of the Ab7 chord.

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I mentioned two exceptions to the Lydian Dominant rule where it would appear that the
scale should fit but it doesn’t and we’ll examine them now using ‘Stella by Moonlight’ and a
tune called ‘Very Late’.

Stella by Moonlight – A section: -

The first Dominant 7th chord we come across is a 7#5 so we can ignore that one for now. The
second Dominant 7th is the F7 in bar 4 and looks like it should be a Lydian Dominant because
its root note stays the same in the next bar with Fm7 – in other words it doesn’t resolve up a
4th or down a 5th. However, this is a special case as this F7 is preceded by its related II chord
– Cm7. This gives us the sound of the most common chord progression in jazz the II-V-I.
Even though the I chord (in this case it would be Bbmaj7) is not present in bar 5 as we might
expect, it doesn’t matter. Our ears are already locked into the sound of the II-V-I
progression and we hear the F7 as a resolving Dominant - it simply doesn’t resolve as
expected, rather moving to another II-V progression in bars 5 and 6 (this one does resolve as
expected to its I chord – Ebmaj7). As such we treat the F7 in bar 4 as a Mixolydian or
Mixolydian b9 Dominant and play the relevant scales over the top. This is why it’s important
to look at the chords both after and before the Dominant 7th chord in question.

If the Dominant 7th in question is preceded by its own II chord then you treat it as a
Resolving Mixolydian Dominant or Mixolydian b9 Dominant.

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Let’s check out the ‘Very Late’ example for our final rule regarding Lydian Dominants.

Very Late – Chord Sequence Excerpt: -

The Bb13 chord in this progression appears at first glance to be a resolving Dominant as its
root note moves up a 4th to Ebmaj7. Try playing a Bb Mixolydian scale over this chord
though and you’ll find that you want to hear the #11th /4th interval from the Lydian
Dominant scale rather than the natural 11th /4th from the Mixolydian. This chord progression
is in the key of C and the Bb7 is built from the b7th degree of the key. You might be thinking
that there is no b7 interval in C major and you’d be right but we can build chords from notes
that are not originally in the key if we follow certain rules. When we build a chord from the
b7th degree of a major key we play a Lydian Dominant chord even if that chord then
resolves up a 4th/down a 5th in the next bar. Try playing the Bb13 using a voicing that
contains the #11 interval such as Bb7#11 or Bb13#11 and you’ll hear that it sounds great
and leads superbly to the Ebmaj7 in bar 3. The other Dominant 7ths in this progression
(Ab13 and G13) are functional Dominants and should be soloed over with Mixolydian or
Mixolydian b9 scales.

To sum up – if the Dominant 7th chord in question’s root note is built from the b7th of the
key then you treat it as a Lydian Dominant even if it resolves up a 4th/down a 5th and
doesn’t contain altered tensions (b5, #5, b9, #9).

As a final note you may see a Lydian Dominant chord written as a 7b5 chord where the #11
has been renamed as b5. This is in fact wrong and very outdated as the scale can’t have a b5
and a natural 5, as would be the case if the chord was a 7b5. You will see it though, and

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should use your ears to work out which scale to use as a true 7b5 chord requires another
scale altogether!

4. Advanced Resolving Dominants

In this section we’ll be looking at more complex forms of resolving Dominants and their
uses. All of these Dominants will be used as a V chord in a II-V-I or II-V relationship and as
such their root notes will resolve up a 4th or down a 5th (except where tri-tone substitution is
being used – see the section on Sequential Dominants and Tri-tone Substitution).

a) Superlocrian/Altered Dominants: -

Superlocrian, or Altered Dominants as they are more commonly known, are Dominant 7th
chords that contain an altered 5th or/and 9th. Altering 5ths and 9ths means that they are raised
or lowered by one fret and are referred to as b5, #5, b9, #9 intervals. Altered Dominants can
be played over using the Superlocrian scale – also called the altered scale. The name chosen
makes no difference - it’s simply a case of a lack of standardisation - they are exactly the
same scale but with two different names.

The altered scale (we’ll stick with that name for now) is actually the 7th mode of the melodic
minor scale and contains the following intervals from the root note: -

R, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7

This is fine for working out the scale but not so useful for thinking about chord voicings or
finding those altered notes we talked about, so we re-name some of the intervals as follows,

R, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, b7

By doing this we can see the scale as a Dominant 7th chord – R, 3, b7 – but with the b9, #9,
b5, #5 altered tensions that make these chords so ‘hip’ sounding and useful for building
tension within chord sequences. These altered notes can be added to the chord in any
combination, only limited by the fingerings available on the guitar. For example: -

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The altered dominant can be used in any scenario where a V chord (Dominant 7th) resolves
up a 4th/down a 5th in a V-I or II-V-I relationship or in any II-V relationship where the
Dominant 7th doesn’t resolve because the I chord is implied but never played. You will find
these altered Dominants all over the place in jazz and fusion tunes but they are often too
dark for many pop and rock songs (although they are occasionally used in those genres too).

You will often see the altered dominant chord symbol abbreviated to 7alt. This allows you to
choose the chord voicing with the alterations of your choice using the b5, #5, b9 and #9
intervals. When you see the chord in a progression you would solo using the
Altered/Superlocrian scale built from the root note of the chord. Alternatively, you could
play the melodic minor scale up a semitone from the root note as this is the parent scale
and will yield the same notes. Take the approach you find the easiest to visualise on the
fretboard.

Here is the scale written out through one octave from a G root note: -

Notice that the scale doesn’t contain a

natural 5th so playing that note over
the chord will sound incorrect. Be
careful to only play the b5 and #5 over
G Altered Scale
an altered Dominant chord. If your
phrasing and time feel are strong you
can even get away with using the
altered scale over a Mixolydian Dominant chord when the altered 5th and 9th are not present

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in the voicing. This takes some practice and transcribing other player’s lines is
recommended to get some idea of the strong phrasing and lines required to do this.

Let’s look at some progressions with altered Dominants in. We’ll use ‘Stella by Moonlight’
again and a tune called ‘Autumnal Foliage’ as examples.

Stella by Moonlight – Last 8 bars of final A section: -

Here you can clearly see the altered chords as 7#5 chords and they are preceded by their II
(m7b5) chords. For example, in bars 1 and 2 we get a II-V relationship in the Em7b5 chord
moving to the A7#5 chord. You would play an A Altered scale over the A7#5 chord and a G
altered scale over the G7#5 chord in bar 4. The F13 chord in bar 6 is a resolving Dominant
moving up a 4th to the Bbmaj7 chord giving us a V-I progression. As such you should play a
Mixolydian or Mixolydian b9 scale over this chord. However, as mentioned previously, you
could play an F Altered scale over this chord to create extra tension leading into the Bbmaj7
in bars 7 and 8. This works best if the chordal accompanist plays an F7alt chord but it is not
essential if your lines and time feel are strong enough. It’s all about having confidence in
what you’re playing and resolving well when you reach the I chord – Bbmaj7.

Remember – any time you have a resolving Dominant 7th chord or a Dominant 7th
preceded by its II chord you can play an altered scale from the root of the chord. You must
have great phrasing and time feel for this to work on non-altered dominant chords
(Mixolydian Dominants) though.

Let’s look at the ‘Autumnal Foliage’ example,

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Autumnal Foliage – A section: -

The progression starts with a II-V-I sequence leading to the Bbmaj7 in bar 3. The F9 is a
Mixolydian Dominant but you could play F altered if you phrase well and resolve strongly to
the Bbmaj7 by use of a chord tone on beat one of bar 3. We get a minor II-V-I in bars 5,6
and 7 leading to the Gm7 in bar 7. The D7#9 is an altered Dominant and as such we play a D
altered scale over this chord (Eb melodic minor). The G7#5 is the V chord of the Cm7 at the
start of the progression and is an altered Dominant, so we play G altered over this chord.
Simple when you know how!

Finally, altered chords make for great, and very tense, one chord vamps that have a very
fusion sound to them. Feel free to create chord sequences made up of only non-resolving
altered dominants too, but be prepared for a very tense and dark sound!

b) Phrygian Dominants (Harmonic Minor)

A Phrygian Dominant is a resolving Dominant that contains a b9 and natural 4th interval in its
associated scale. The b9 and 4th are usually put into the chord voicing but not always. One
such Phrygian Dominant occurs on the 5th degree of the Harmonic Minor scale and is often
named as a 7b9 chord, commonly leading to a minor7 or minorMaj7 chord a 5th lower/4th
higher. This sound is very much associated with Latin jazz and composers such as Chick
Corea and Al Di Meola, imparting a very Spanish/Latin tonality to a chord progression. The
scale we use to play over these chords is actually named the ‘Phrygian Dominant Scale’ and
is often heard in metal and rock music from guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and
George Bellas.

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Here’s the scale through one octave with the root note G: -

The formula of the scale is

R,b2,3,4,5,b6,b7 giving us a basic
Dominant 7th – R, 3, b7 – with the
extensions – b2/9, 4/11 and b6/13.
G Phrygian Dominant Scale
This is most often written as a 7b9
chord. The 11th and b13th are not
normally used in the chord symbol.

Here’s a typical chord progression used by Chick Corea that allows for opportunity to use
the Phrygian Dominant scale.

The two 7b9 chords could be looked at in a few ways and the most obvious is to play altered
scales over both chords since both chords contain a b9 interval. But for an authentic Latin
feel and sound you should try playing D and G Phrygian Dominant scales over each chord
leading into the Cm7 in bar 4. When you see resolving Dominant chords such as this you
have an artistic choice to make about the kind of sound and tensions you want to use. I
recommend learning what each scale choice sounds like and choosing either the sound you
like the best or the one you feel is most appropriate for the musical scenario you find
yourself in.

c) Phrygian Dominants (Melodic Minor)

Another Phrygian Dominant can be found built from the 2nd degree of the melodic minor
scale and is quite a different sounding chord to the harmonic minor version. Again, this
chord and its associated scale contain both a b9 and natural 4th interval but this time both
intervals are stated in the chord symbol giving us the chord 7sus4b9. This chord usually
replaces a Mixolydian Dominant to create more tension and gives a beautiful, dark sound
that is a very powerful melodic and harmonic device to use if a regular Mixolydian chord is
simply too clean and dull sounding. The scale associated with this chord is called the Dorian
b2 scale and has the following intervals in it,

R, b2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7

On the next page you’ll find the scale written out through one octave with a G root note: -

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The formula gives us the root and b7 of

a Dominant 7th chord but not the 3rd.
Instead we get a b3rd and this is why we
use the 4th instead, giving us a 7sus4
G Dorian b2 Scale
chord. The extensions available are the
b9 and the 13th and this chord is often
written as a 13sus4b9 symbol.

Here are some common voicings for this chord: -

Remember that these chords

replace Mixolydian
Dominants to provide a
darker sound for a resolving V
chord and can precede a
major or minor 7, major or
minor 6 or minMaj7 chord.

Let’s look at an example chord

progression where a 7sus4b9
chord has been used.

Some of You – A Section Excerpt: -

In this progression we have a V-I relationship with the Bb7 (V) chord resolving up a 4th to the
Ebmaj7 (I) chord. The basic Mixolydian Dominant chord has been replaced with a Dorian b2
Dominant and as such a Bb Dorian b2 scale should be used over the Bb7 chords. Experiment
by using Dorian b2 chords in place of Mixolydian or Mixolydian b9 Dominants. Now if you
ever see a 13sus4b9 chord you know what to play! Nice!

Another common progression you’ll see is the 7sus4b9 chord followed by a standard 7b9
chord. In this case the sus4 interval in the 7sus4b9 has resolved down to the 3rd of the 7b9
chord. We use a Dorian b2 scale over the 7sus4b9 chord and then either Altered, Mixolydian
b9 or Phrygian Dominant over the 7b9 chord. As mentioned previously you have choices to
make.

Over the page you’ll find a chord progression that uses this idea,

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Sus4 moving to 3rd

My particular scale of choice over the D7b9 chord is the D altered scale. Experiment until
you find the scale you like the most and try to thread a melodic motif or idea through both
chords making particular emphasis of the 4th dropping down to the 3rd.

d) Diminished Scale Dominants

Diminished scale Dominants are built from the Symmetrical diminished scale and give us
some great sounding harmonic ideas that are explored in full in my Diminished Scale
Harmony tutorial. For this tutorial we’ll look at the Dominant chords the scale provides and
when they can be used but for much more detailed information on this fantastic scale plus
some great licks and concepts check out the Diminished Scale Harmony tutorial on the
lessons section of the site.

The Diminished scale contains 8 unique notes and gives us the following intervals,

R, b2/9, #2/9, 3, b5, 5, 6/13, b7

Here’s the scale written out through one octave from a G root note; -

The scale gives us a

standard Dominant 7th
chord – R, 3rd, 5th, b7th –
and the extensions – b9,
G Diminished Scale
#9, b5 and 13. The
Diminished Scale
Dominant is used as a
resolving Dominant in place of a Mixolydian Dominant leading to a Major 7 type chord in a
V-I relationship. It also makes a fantastic one chord vamp for a modern sounding fusion
groove in a Miles Davis style.

The chord types produced by the scale are: -

7b9, 7#9, 7b5, 13, 13b9, 13#9, 13b5, 7b5b9 and any other combinations of the available
extensions. When you see any of these chord types you can play a Diminished scale, as
outlined above, from the root note of the Dominant 7th chord.

Over the page you’ll find some common voicings of some Diminished Scale Dominant 7th
chords.

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Some of these voicings are very dissonant sounding and should be used with care but if you
see these chord symbols for a resolving Dominant you can play the diminished scale over
the top of them.

Here’s an example chord progression using some Diminished Scale Dominants: -

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The first Dominant chord we come across is the G13b9 that has a V-I relationship with the
Cmaj7 in the next bar. We would play a G Diminished or Mixolydian b9 scale over this chord.
The A7#5#9 is an altered chord so we play an A altered scale over it. In bar 6 we have a
G7b9 chord and could play a G Diminished or altered scale or a Mixolydian b9 scale over it.
Over the A13b9 chord in bar 8 we could play the A Diminished or Mixolydian b9 scales.

5. Dominant 7th Lines/Licks: -

This section of the tutorial contains a series of lines based around the chord progressions
and scales we’ve seen in the tutorial so far. Use these lines as a basis for constructing your
own phrases and lines. Good luck! You’ll find all of the licks over page and played on the
accompanying video.

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