Originally Posted by: Drew77C Ionian? This is were I have issues. Maybe I just need to spend more time memorizing the notes of scales and then it wouldn't take me so long to figure this stuff out...

The only note C Ionian i mising is Eb in the Dm7 chord. Maybe there is a better mode, I couldn't find one. it have to be like...


C-D-Eb-E-?F?-G-A-B... too many... Should I just be paying attention to the chords as I-V-VII or Should it be I-III-V-VI like I am now, because that doesn't seem to work. The actual order is I-V-VII-III (the order ascending anyway If that matters at all...) so I don't really know how you go about matching something up to this...

The Dm7 chord = 1-b3-5-b7 (D-F-A-C)
The FMaj7 chord= 1-3-5-7 (F-A-C-E)
The CMaj7 chord= 1-3-5-7 (C-E-G-B)
Yes, all of the notes are in C Ionian, but will that be the best choice to compliment the progression? In my opinion, no. My focus is to emphasize that minor 7th chord to the max!!!!!! Notice how the b3 note in the Dm7 chord is the 1st note of the FMaj7 chord and the b7 note is the 1st note of the CMaj7 chord along with the 5th note of the FMaj7 chord. With that in mind I would look at the D Dorian mode = 1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7 (D-E-F-G-A-B-C). Notice how the intervals follow suit.
So my choice would be the D Dorian mode.