Originally Posted by: CSchlegelAbsolutely! :) Of course, the more you do this sort of thing, the quicker you can assess the possiblities and lessen the time between data gathering & application.

Yay! I would hope this to be true, lol.

My video you mention is about a common classical & jazz technique. The idea is to prepare for the arriving chord. You can do this to any degree you want. If you can play fast enough, you could do this for every chord! Or you can do it 2 or 4 measures at a time. Or you can do it to match phrases. You can do it only when an actual modulation occurs. The choices you make in this regard is (or is what becomes) your own style. This is why Tatum sounds like Tatum, Bird sounds like Bird, Coltrane sounds like Coltrane, Martino sounds like Martino. etc. :)

I can only do this when a modulation occurs... now: do you mean I can only do this when the melody has to be changed to fit the chord? Or, would a modulation also occur if a chord being played has a note that does not fit in the given key (in this case, key of A minor)?

Consider the very next chords:

C# dim7 (vii of ii) - D min7 (ii) - G7 (V7) - C6 (I)

Quite obviously we are in C major here. Ergo, D minor doesn't work as well as D dorian (being the 2nd mode of C major).

Notice that anytime the song uses an E chord with a major 3rd (G#) this implies the modulation to A harmonic minor. And when the song uses a G7 this implies A natural minor or C major.

Okay, so are you saying D dorian fits because it works with the chords? Isn't that the same as an A minor with emphasis on the D? Are there any other scales that would sound nice against that chord set?

Okay, I get how G7 implies an A minor - because G7 is the 7th of A, and the 7th of a minor scale is a dominant chord. It's the exact same with the B half-diminished in the first chord set.

D minor scale contains these notes (D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C-D). Relative minor of F major; 3rd mode is indeed A phrygian. But it doesn't fit the song's melody or chord progression (there is no B-flat note; the song doesn't emphasize D minor or F major as a home key or strong key center).

So, you can of course play it, it will add a certain amount of dissonance. Just be aware of that fact.

Hm,
Amin7 - A, C, E, G
Dmin7 - D, F, A, C
G7 - G, B, D, F

Ah, I see it - a Bb is a minor second from B natural, and that's an ugly sound. So I could play an A phrygian scale, but I would want to revert back to A minor or the D dorian once the G7 chord comes up.

Notice there is a modulation to D minor later on in the B section m.21. This is a very important "pivoting point" in the song in helping to change focus of tone center. Suddenly E7b9 (functioning as V7 of A) becomes Emin7b5 (functioning as ii of D minor; A7b9 as V of D minor).

Yeah, I noticed that actually - that Bb is played on the second "verse" of the melody. So this is definitely an instance in which A phrygian scale (d minor) works.

However, if you wanted to get really bebopish, you could imply D minor scale right before any and all D minor chords regardless of the chord or key that is happening right before the D minor chord.

For example, in m.5 while the A min chord is happening, you could play notes from D minor scale that imply Emin7b5 (D minor) and then A7b9 (V of D minor). This sort of clashing dissonance with the A minor chord being played at the time is typical of some jazz. And some argue that it is actually an integrated idea or approach because it suggests (or "points to") the eventual arrival of the D minor key later on (which actually does happen). And some jazz guys would then find something else dissonant to play when the D minor modulation actually does arrive! Whew!

Make sense?!

Yeah, actually it does, lol.

Okay, so in m.5, during the Amin chord, I want to add in that Bb, which is in the D-min scale. That'll lead naturally to the Emin7b5 chord. The one thing I'm not sure of is A7b9 being the V of the Dminor scale - or rather, the notation. A7 is a major chord with a minor seventh. So where does that major third come from, since both Amin and Dmin have the A chord as a minor! Unless that's intentional dissonance to make the Dmin7 resolve better.

And on the "some jazz guys.." - the idea is lead up to the Dmin scale by using that A phrygian. So leading up to the chord, it's slightly dissonant, but it makes the chord resolve much better. And then, just as the chord resolves, I want to jump to a new scale?? So basically keep teasing baby, and keep that candy juuuuuust out of reach. :P

How does D dorian go over that Amin7-Dmin7-G7 chord set, though?