Melodic Minor

Applications Over Dominant 7th Chords Bb

the scale has a naturally beautiful contour, which invites compelling melodies. Take a look below at a
C melodic minor scale

&4
8
œ œ œ œ 4
œ œ bœ œ 4

Because it contains two tritones (Eb-A; F-B), it easily and naturally moves in and out of tension,
folding and unfolding into resolution. If you were to just improvise using the notes of the scale,
you could find lots of cogent sounding melodic possibilities. it offers a different perspective in
understanding natural, as well as altered, harmony over dominant 7th chords. Look at the example below:

B7 EŒ„Š7
2
œ nœ #œ
4
&4 œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ #œ œ Œ
œ
This is how the melodic minor is typically applied over dominant 7th chords in modern jazz. I’m using a
C melodic minor over a B7 chord (the scale one half-step above the root of the dominant 7th chord, which
is commonly referred to as the “jazz” minor scale). If you analyze it you’ll see there is a good amount of
harmonic tension. In fact, it contains all 6 “tension” tones over the dominant chord that seek resolution,
specifically: F (functioning as the raised 11th), A (7th), C (lowered 9th), Eb (functioning as the 3rd),
G (lowered 13th), and D (functioning as the raised 9th).

But now take a look at the other examples below, using the exact same melodic pattern formed from the
C melodic minor as it is applied to other dominant 7th chords
F7(#11) B¨Œ„Š7 bœœ œ
œ b œ nœ nœ b œ
4
œ œ
& nœ œ œ Œ

G7(b13)
CŒ„Š7
6
œ
& nœ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ nœ Œ

8 D7[âÄ]
œ GŒ„Š7
œ œ
& œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ #œ œ Œ
œ

A7[ìðîëÔ] DŒ„Š7
œ
10

& œ nœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ #œ œ #œ Œ
œ
2

You can analyze each of these V-I patterns to see that the harmonic functions of each note of the minor scale changes
in relationship to the dominant chord. Play through these patterns and you’ll hear 5 different colors of tension to
resolution, some with lots of altered harmony.

When applying the melodic minor scales to dominant 7th chords, its useful tend to think of them as if they were in
the “second octave above” the diatonic notes of the dominant chord scale. the F7 chord is used here as an example:

œ œ œ œ
12 F7
œ bœ œ
F7(#11)
œ œ nœ
& nœ œ œ bœ œ Œ
In the first two measures are the notes that are natural to the F7 chord (the Bb major scale). In the second two
measures (going into the “second octave”) this scale is replaced with the C melodic minor. In this particular example,
the only real change is that the ‘B’ is made natural in the second octave (functioning as the raised 11th relative to the F7).
The rest of the notes are in common with the Bb major scale. And of course you can do the same thing with the
other keys used above as examples (I’ll demonstrate this more precisely below). In doing so, you’ll find varying
degrees of harmonic alteration relative to each dominant chord, as well as tones common to the diatonic
scale of the dominant chord.
For each dominant 7th chord there are 5 different melodic minor scales that can function in this “second octave” manner.
These 5 scales function as so because they contain various altered and unaltered notes that tend to move toward release
to the tonic, yet don’t have a raised 7th, which would compromise the essential quality of the dominant 7th
(unless it is used as a passing tone, of course). There is a simple formula for finding the minor scales that relate to
the dominant 7th chords. You can find which scales fit over any given dominant 7th chord by thinking of the roots of
the minor scale in relation to the various degrees of the chord itself:

œ bœ
From the 5th degree of the dominant (e.g., C minor over F7), which contains the 3rd, 7th and +11 as tensions.
œ œ
16 F7
œ œ œ nœ
& œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ Œ

bœ œ
From the 4th degree of the dominant (e.g., C minor over G7), which contains the 3rd, 7th and -13 as tensions.
œ œ
œ œ œ
œ nœ nœ œ
20
G7
& œ œ nœ œ Œ

œ
From the 7th degree of the dominant (e.g., C minor over D7), which contains the 7th, -9 and +9 as tensions.
œ œ œ
œ
24
D7
œ bœ œ
& œ nœ #œ œ œ œ nœ Œ
From the lowered 3rd degree of the dominant (e.g., C minor over A7), which contains the 7th, +9, +11 and -13
œ bœ œ œ œ
œ œ
as tensions.
28 A7
œ #œ œ œ
& œ œ #œ œ Œ
From the raised root (lowered 2nd) of the dominant (e.g., C minor over B7), which has 3rd, 7th, -9, +9, +11 and -13
32 B7 as tensions (again, the “jazz minor” scale containing all 6 tensions).
œ œ œ
œ œ b œ nœ
& œ #œ #œ nœ œ Œ
œ # œ #œ
 3

This was one of the ways the great and highly influential tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh, approached altered
harmonic tensions (he taught his students to think and hear this way, as well). It lends a melodic/scalar
context to altered notes and invites a more linear conception to improvisation.
Mastering and understanding these scales in relation to dominant chords can open up a world of melodic
possibilities when you improvise over harmonic forms, as well as when you improvise without chord changes.
(Note: The above examples are only intended to show the relationship of each minor scale to the natural
scale of the dominant chord. The “second octave” concept is one purely of understanding these relationships.
You can play the notes in any order that makes musical sense to you when you improvise.)

The melodic minor scale is very useful is in that you can combine the various scales that relate to any given
dominant 7th chord to create interesting, modern sounding melodic colors. By combing C melodic minor and
F# melodic minor over a ii-V-I progression in the key of Bb (both scales relate to the F7 chord), to create a
unique melodic shape with lots of tension, contour and release through voice leading:
36 C‹7
b œ œ œ œ#œnœ œ œ œ œnœnœ#œ#œ#œ nœ
F7 bœ œ
B¨Œ„Š7
œ œnœnœ œ œ
& œ œ b œ œb œ Œ
Triads have a very strong tonal implication, and pairing them together can add lots of tension and energy to
your improvised lines. you can organize the C melodic minor scale into a triad pair pattern that will work nicely
over the 5 different V-I chord progressions mentioned above. Look at the example below, where a pattern is formed
by combing a D minor triad (formed from the second degree of the scale) and an Eb Augmented triad (formed from
the third degree of the scale):
œ œ œ œ nœ b œ œ œ œ œ œ
F7
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
40

&
43
œ œ bœ œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
œ
Play this a few times to get it in your ear and under your fingers. Then, by taking various portions of this pattern
(exactly as it is), see how you can apply it over the V-I progressions already outlined
46
œœœ
B7 #œ œ #œ#œ œ#œ EŒ„Š7

& œ œb œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ nœ#œ#œ œ#œ#œ
nœ Œ
50
œ n œ œF7nœnœ œ œb œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ B¨Œ„Š7
œ b œ nœ œ œ œb œ
& œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
G7 CŒ„Š7
54
œ œ
b œ œnœ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ#œ œ œ œ œ
& œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ#œ Œ
œnœ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ
D7
œ œ œ œb œ œ#œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
GŒ„Š7
œ
58

& nœ Œ
62 A7 DŒ„Š7
bœ œ nœ œ
& œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ#œ nœ #œ œ#œ#œ œ Œ