Originally Posted by: Julian VickersIt very much depends on what notes you accentuate. It's a psychological thing too. While you could play Cmajor over a Dminor chord, it would sound strange because psychologically you are playing Cmajor......yeah it's hard to explain.

Heres an AWESOME trick. you will be amazed at how cool this sounds.
Over a Dminor chord, play the Eminor7 arpeggio

--5------------------------------------7---10-
--6-------------------------------8-----------
--5------------------------7---9--------------
--7--------------------9----------------------
--5------------7--10--------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Dminor7

It sounds awesomely jazzy because the notes you are hitting are all the notes that make the D dorian sound distinctive (D E G B) the 1st, 6th, 9th and 11th. I use this trick with my Jazz solos all the time. try it out

Yes, that is absolutly right.
You can also create a Dorian sound by playing an F maj7 arpeggio over an static Dm7.

e----1--------------0-----
B----1-----------1--------
G----2--------2-----------
D----0-----3--------------
A-------------------------
E-------------------------

And another Arpeggio you can use to create a D dorian sound, is a C maj7.

e----1-------------------------
B----1--------------0------------
G----2-----------0---------------
D----0--------2-----------------
A----------3--------------------
E------------------------------


0r you can play an E minor pentatonic scale over the Dm7 chord.

e----1-------------------------
B----2-------------------3------
G----2----------2---4-----------
D----0--2---5--------------------
A------------------------------
E------------------------------

Have fun!


;)