I’ve been interested in chord theory lately. In browsing the gypsyjazzguitar forums, I ran across this thought that Breandán Ó Ruaidh left:
“There is a certain amount of crossover between the diminished and minor modes. I haven’t done the maths on harmonic minor yet, but on melodic minor (ie. key of C: C, D, Eflat, F, G, A, B, C) the seventh mode is sometimes called the diminished/wholetone scale due to this phenomenon. Think about it intervallically: the spaces between B, C, D, Eflat and F are half, whole, half, whole, then between F, G, A and B, whole, whole, whole. The harmonic minor seems to be closer still to the diminished scale due to the interval between the 6th and 7th.”
This is very interesting, obviously, so I decided to research the whole tone scale.
I came up with this segment from Jazz Center which seems to answer all of my questions, and mabye yours. Talk about an epiphany!
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Wholetone Scale
The wholetone scale like the octotonic scale is built in a very orderly fashion: from the root a whole step up, a whole step up, a whole step up etc. Of course that’s why the scale is called a wholetone scale. Due to this structure you can only built two different scales. So, practice the wholetone scale of C and Db and again: you’ve practiced them all!
The C-wholetone scale again serves as the example scale:
C D E Gb Ab Bb
You can use this scale on the following chords:
C7, D7, E7, Gb7, Ab7 and Bb7
You accomplish a pure wholetone sound: 9, b13
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Minor Melodic Scale
This is no doubt the scale I use the most; I just love it. Not only does it sound great, it also gives you insight in a otherwise complex considered theoretical subject!! The minor melodic scale is in fact nothing else but a Ionian (major) scale with a minor third. So in C you would get:
C D Eb F G A B
You can use the C-minor melodic scale scale on the following chords:
- Cmin6/minMaj7
Very natural sound.
- Cmin7
Theoretically this is not “right”, because the chord has a minor 7 in it and the scale a major 7, but if you consider the major 7 in the scale as a passing tone or a lead tone to C it sounds great! In fact: I use this scale more often than the C-dorian scale (which is the same as a Bb-ionian scale!)
- Amin7b5 (diminished chord)
Theoretically the best choice for this chord!
- F7
Mixolydian#11 sound. Very nice!
- B7
Altered sound. This is in fact the altered scale you’re using now!
Now for the theoretical subject I was talking about. If you take all the chords this scale fits too except for the Cmin7 you can make the following rule: Cmin6/CminMaj7 = Amin7b5 = F7mixo#11 = B7alt. Yes! These chords are all the same, only the bass-note, the root is different. This “rule” is extremely handy when it comes to voicing the different chords: one voicing fits all.
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I wanted to add the following myself, but I’m not entirely convinced that its true yet, and thinking about it confuses the hell out of me. Compare the diminished chord in the paragraph above to the following chord, and tell me how they relate. Do you notice anything special?
- Fb7b9 (the gypsy-ish Fdim7)
A great choice in gypsy jazz.