Maybe I came off as disagreeing with you. Actually I wasn't, it's just when you said lydian is always IV. Which is true, but it's misinterpeted when it comes to seperating it for the melodic minor. Alot of people when they first learn modes, and I seen millions of questions just on this forum, think that modes are the same as the major scale. They don't understand and are confused by their function, and why there are even modes to begin with. Most trash them, even one of my theory teachers did until I explained to him what possibilties they open up.

A tip!
When you write:

Dorian - b7 or whole step down from root (for G play Fmaj scale) ii

Say "for G (dorian) play the Fmaj scale starting with G". It's alittle more direct to the point. Cause it sounds like playing the F major scale from F, is just like the G dorian. That's getting them mixed up.

I myself don't use modes or scales much either in the sense of complete composition. I use them more as an understanding of a chord progression and what kind of different flavors I added/or can add. I follow my ear, but I know when I harmonized a chord with a particular scale. And later I want to bring it back in an interlude/bridge, my understanding of what I did makes it that much easier. The basic composition is always easy, but sometimes you wanna go back and doctor it up a bit, put stuff in , take stuff out, whatever.

Originally posted by griphon2
Your example plus one: F#7 B7 Em7 A7 Dma7#11. You can play an entire D scale through this progression. I would just add just two notes to the scale, IF I wanted to. (A#, D#) It would sound perfectly legit and logical, either way.

Actually you can do any number of things with that chord progression. If you followed your ear, when you came up with that chord progression, and then harmonized over it using your ear. Say you noticed you played a melodic line in lydian dominant over the A7. Later you want to bring that back in a extended bridge, you play that same melodic line over a chord progression A7 D#dim Em. Then start a new part with Dmaj7#11. Whatever. The understanding is the key guided by the ear.

I noticed this with my theory teacher cause he was struggling and I asked him what was up. He had written a harmony over a chord, and he want the get that particular sound again when he brought back that chord. But he didn't want to use the same notes. Thats what I explained to him, and it worked.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 02-10-2003 at 02:30 PM]