Modes of the Melodic Minor as Applied to Major and Minor Chords (#2)

John Stowell and Mike Godette continue their conversation series on the modes of the melodic minor — this time applying them to major and minor tonalities, using melodic minor arpeggios and chord voicings as extensions of the underlying harmony. This is session two; their first session covered the four modes that generate tensions over dominant chords.

What's covered

• The third mode, Lydian augmented (#11, #5) — the one melodic minor sound over major, heard as the relative melodic minor (A melodic minor over C major)
• Mixing the basic major arpeggio with the melodic minor arpeggio so the tensions are heard as extensions of the foundation
• Mike's shortcut: taking your usual Lydian vocabulary and raising the fifth
• The implied V idea — alternating A melodic minor (Lydian augmented over C) with Ab melodic minor (G7 altered) for tension and release
• Applications of melodic minor and Dorian minor sounds over minor chords

John points out that the major-augmented sound has been part of the jazz vocabulary since at least the 1960s — Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Keith Jarrett were all referencing it — making this harmony worth knowing for any modern jazz player.

Mike Godette is a guitarist from the New Haven, Connecticut area with a degree in Jazz Studies from Western Connecticut State University. He has toured with his former progressive jazz-metal group Mid Atlantic Title, performed with artists including Aaron Goldberg, Myron Walden, Jimmy Greene, Jumaane Smith, and Ralph Lalama, and is on the faculty of the Litchfield Jazz Camp, Fairfield School of Music, and Continuo Music.