Lr$$0rft Jl.n oNTHECD :!

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l€t's find out what sets this scale apart.

Example l demonstrates the sound of
Dorian bz over a m7 vamp: the only

lulelodic ]ulinor difference from the Dorian is the bznd -

but it makes quite a difference.
So where could it be used? One option is

t":! Pete Callard nears the end of his leisu rely strol
through the modes of the melodic minor scale
I
as an outside sound over m7 chords
alongside Dorian and melodic minor
(Example 2). Or it could substitute for
Phrygian, with thebznd ard maj6th giving
with mode two, otherwise known as Dorian b2... us an il]leresl ing mix of Phrygian and
^-a Doriar (Lrample 3). But it would be nice to
find a place that Dorian b2 will truly fit.
Okay, well remember that the two
intervals that set it apat from any other -
arethebzndand maj6th (inA, the notes
Bb and F#). That means to really pin down
the sound ofDorian bz we need to find a
chord or sequence that highlights these
intewals. If we simply add them to an Am7
chord we getAm4bg (Example 4),
although I rather like the faintly flamenco
approach of moving from Am7 to Bbaug/A
(Example 5). When it comes to chord
sequences, a few which workwell for A
Dorianbz are:
Am7 - C7 - D7 (Example 6)
Am7 - D/A - Gm/A - D / A(Ex z)
Am7- F#m7bS - C7 - EmZbS (Ex 8)
Next month we'll be concluding this
particular series with some ideas for
getting the Dorian b2 scale into your
playing more quickly, by adapting ideas
from different players to erpandyour
soloingvocabulary. I hope you'llioin me
forarousing send- off! E

JJ Dorian b2 may not bning

you popularity, bnt it will
guanantee you a leve! of
@ little harsh. as Dorian bz is a perfectJl exclusiviw unimaginable
presentable scale; it'sjust more ofa'niche'
aaOa Modetate/Advanced scale than the frankly promiscuous with the pentatonic scale!tt
Mixolydians of this world. Dorian bz may
not bring you popularity, but it will
g Hamony lnowledge guarantee a level of exclusivity
GETTHETONE
TEMPO: Various , i'
Scale voca bulary unimaginable with the pentatonic scale!
CD: TRACKS 39-53 t.,azz soloing

OVER THE PAST few months we've been

zig-zagging our way around the seven
modes of melodic minor. Rather than
attacking the modes sequentially, I thought
it would be more useful to start with the
most usable scales and work down to the
scalic misfits and outcasts ofthe bunch.
Having already exhausted the other si{
modes, tlis leaves us with the runt ofthe
litter to finish - mode two. Actually that's a
The intewals are:., b2,b3,4,5,6, b7(inA:
Ae Bb, C, D, E, F#, G - Diagram r), giving us
Dodan mode but with the 2nd flattened. Y"
SS
The first step in using any new scale is to
find out what chords it will work over, and You can useany sound thatyou feelis
to do tlis we need to harmonise ttre scale appropriate for these examples. Fora
(build a 1h chord by taking the 1st, 3rd, sth good general.jazz tone, use the guitar's
and^h notes ofthe scale). This would give neck pickup with the tone rolled offand
us the inteNals 1, b3, S, b7 (in A, that's A, C,
E and G), making a minor 7th chord, telling
us that Dorian bz will work over m7 chords guitar, but neither is essential.
(see Diagram z).

TBACK REcoRD 77re modes ofMelodicnho? are widely us8d in lazz, s0 our listening rooommendations could oncompass many things. Some
players worth chockinEout includeJohn ilclaughlin (Trio livcAtTie noyal Festiyal llall), Pat l{etheny (ousstions & Answep), Pat Martino ([ive
At Yoshi's) and,rohn Scofield (Blue Matt0r),

72 Guitaflbflmiques November 2008

 lrltl0Dl0 ll/lltl0R lil0Dt 2 LrAfl!ililG Z0ltr

Dorian [2 Dorian b2
(3 notes per string shape) (CAGED shape)

DIAGRAM HARMONISING THE A DORIAN b2 SCALE

EXAMPLE 1 A DORIAN b2 SCALE GD TRACK 4()

Heret the sound of A Dorian b2 played over AmZ The only difference between Dorlan b2 and Dorian is the b2nd, but it makes quite a differencel

Am7

d lbt t ' -n .tbtd

E
B

EXAMPLE 2 A DORIAN I A MELODIC MINOR CD TRAGK4'T

This example demonstrates A Dorian b2 used as an 'outside' sound alongside A Dorian and A melodic minor over an Am7 chord.

A Dorian (CAGED shape) Alvlelodic Minor (CAGED shape)

d ll+' -n It+'-'

EXAMPLE 3 A PHRYGIAN CD TRAG( 4.5

Here we compare the sound ofA Dorian b2 and A Phrygian over an A 6th in Dorian b2 (Phrygian has a b6th), making it an jnteresting mix
Phrygian vamp. The only difference between the two scales is the maj between Dorian and Phrygian. A Phrygian is shown below:

November 2008 GuitarTechniques 73

EXAMPLE 4 DORIAN b2 CHORDVOICINGS CD TRACK 48
Am]3b9 contains all ofthe essential intervals ofthe scale (in fact, if the entire scale), and l've voiced it in four diffelent ways somemore
you played every note that should be in the chord it would aonsist of

Here we have two voicings - Am7 followed by Bb aug over A that couple of areas ofthe neck.
between them highlight the component parts ofthe scale, played in a

B[,aug/A

cl
lTt
t

Following on from Examples 4 and 5, the remaining three examples the harmonised A Dorian b2 scale.
feature chord sequences that specifically work for Dorian b2, taken from

Am7

Em7r5