DR JOHN’S JAZZ CLINIC Part 3
Based on the earlier parts of this clinic now have 5 scales to play over D7:
C lydian C D E F# G A B
C lydian b3 C D Eb F# G A B
C lydian #5 C D E F# G# A B
C lydian #9 C D# E F# G A B
C lydian #9#5 C D# E F# G# A B
The C lydian chromatic scale written to show the intervals of each note with reference to C is:
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Note | C | G | D | A | E | B | F#/Gb | C#/Db | G#/Ab | D#/Eb | A#/Bb | F |
| Interval | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 7 | #11 | #5 | #9 | 11 | ||
| bb7 | b5 | b9 | b13 | b3 | b7 |
Another melodic minor-sourced mode can be derived by swapping the inner position 6 with the outer position 11 to give the lydian b7 (lydian dominant) mode whose notes are C D E F# G A Bb. This mode’s source scale is G melodic minor. (Remember that the source scale for the C lydian #5 mode was A melodic minor.) The combined sound of the C lydian b7 with D7 is that of D7(b13).
Next we swap inner positions 5 and 6 for outer positions 10 and 11 to produce C lydian b3b7 whose notes are C D Eb F# G A Bb. This mode’s source scale is G harmonic minor and it is the 4th mode of this scale. (Remember that the source scale for the C lydian #9 mode was E harmonic minor.) The combined sound of the C lydian b3b7 with D7 is that of D7(b9 b13).
To summarise so far:
There are 7 lydian-style scales with tonic C that can be played over D7 to good effect based on modes of the 4 conventional 7 note scales (major, melodic minor, harmonic major and harmonic minor):
C lydian C D E F# G A B (D7)
C lydian b3 C D Eb F# G A B (D7(b9))
C lydian b7 C D E F# G A Bb (D7(b13))
C lydian b3b7 C D Eb F# G A Bb (D7(b9,b13))
C lydian #5 C D E F# G# A B (D7(#11))
C lydian #9 C D# E F# G A B (D7(b9,9)
C lydian #9#5 C D# E F# G# A B (D7(b9,9,#11)
Interestingly, it is not only C lydian-based scales that sound good over D7 but also a couple of C locrian-based scales. These work because they contain the notes C(1) D(9) and F#/Gb(#11/b5) and in spite of their inclusion of an F(11). Thus, we can add to the above list:
C locrian n9n13 C D Eb F Gb A Bb (D7(b9,#9,b13,no11))
C locrian n9 C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb (D7(b9,#9,#11,b13,no5)) (ie D7alt)
where n9 means natural 9 and no11 means there is no 11th in the scale.
These scales are sourced from Bb harmonic major and Eb melodic minor respectively. There is a fair amount of position swapping going on when we use the locrian-altered scales as a substitute for the Lydian scale. In the first case we drop position 2, swap position 5 for positions 10 and 12 and swap position 6 for position 11. We do all that plus swap position 4 for 9 in the second case. This produces edgy sounds.
In PART 4 we will look at the role of 8 note scales in this lydian-dominated universe.
END OF PART 3
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