I felt like this as well, but with enough tinkering and listening I understand it now. It’s kinda like the major scale in that it doesn’t like to just be played up and down in steps, it likes to be articulated in thirds and arps and whatnot. As opposed to natural minor which can just be played up and down and still sound good. Your really need a chord or some kinda background harmony to get this sound in your fingers and ears especially at first . (Pardon my noob perspective) 😂
Well Jens...i do not just know what to say about your vidéo about minor melodic scale...l' ve been knowing it for a long time but never found its "melodic" approach on chords and now, listening to you and your phrasing i can "hear" it. It is for me a really great musical discovery and i can work it with fun and not boring tecnical manner...just playing musik (try...lol) with it, trying to "talk" by playing it. I am happy...just so happy and I thank you Jens for having giving me that fantastic emotion which is i think the basis of playing : pleasure, sharing, listening.... I think Metheny would be proud of your musical approach !!!!!! And Pat is not a pet !!!! Lool
The Most Important Scale Exercise In Jazz ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2Ze22BNftAA.html A jazz solo will usually follow the chord progression that it is played over, the most important way that you do that is by using arpeggios over the chords. You are probably already practice arpeggios, but chances you can do it in a better way than what you are doing now, and that is what I want to talk about in this video. Content: 0:00 Intro - The Tonic Minor Sound 0:25 Start with a Basic Version 0:50 Hearing the sound in the chords - Relating it to a song 1:20 What is a Tonic Minor Chord? 1:46 How It is built into Autumn Leaves 2:00 The Scale (The way we use it in Jazz🙂 ) 2:35 "Jazz Minor" and Classical Melodic Minor 3:26 Exploring the Harmony 3:45 Diatonic Triads 4:14 Diatonic 7th Chords 4:49 Finding Arpeggios to Use 5:53 Putting it into 3 Jazz Licks 8:13 Same Material for Altered and Lydian Dominants 8:59 Example 1 - Altered Scale 9:46 Example 2 - Lydian Dominant 10:52 What is your favourite arpeggio to use? 11:23 Like the video? Check out my Patreon Page
I found a good way to get some of the alt sounds in my head were to play any and all of the altered dominant triads over the V of a ii-V-I. The nat 7 is a really nice sound on the tonic that is underused.
I've been trying with arpeggios, but I'm still trying to memorize the scale across the neck. I only know it well in one position. I've noticed a problem in which I don't play unfamiliar patterns as often as I should and probably need to add that to a practice routine. Do you have any chord-melody example tunes perhaps using reharmonization for melodic minor?
This is in my priority guitar teaching list. I only have about less than thirty videos in this list. This is the first one I'm going to work on because it is the area of music that seems to be giving me the most difficulty learning. I've been working on the Major pentatonic scale over ∆7 root and m7 locrian rhythm vamps on my own. Sounds good, but I was wondering if you had any examples of this in Jazz where the pentatonic scale is used from the Major perspective.
Thanks for the great lesson Jens, I don't play a lot of jazz, but I really like using melodic minor mode 2 over a dominant chord to get the b9 and #9, less "outside" than the altered scale, more useful in a pop context.
Great lesson, Jens! This scale has such a beautiful and somehow mysterious sound. I often think of it in terms of tonic minor progressions, but also a half step below a V7 as the altered scale, and for some reason my ear really is driven to its use over a maj7#5 chord. Such a beautiful sound universe!
I think everyone should have a baseline of major+all modes melodic minor+all modes. Along side, symmetrical scales, pentatonics, harmonic etc. The longer you leave learning melodic minor the more alien it will become as your brain is so used to major/mode shapes. Between that and interval style you can cover any music type.
Jazz minor is awesome and jazz mentor too. Jens , you should make original material. Best jazz teacher online by far. Thank you for all that precious knowledge.
This isn't a critisizm but it's worth noting, Steve Vai, satriani, and Randy Rhodes have used this scale in rock and metal too. It's very versatile, and it sounds beautiful
i like using melodic minor together with other minor scales (blues / dorian / bebop / gypsy). i love it because it puts almost every note in your wheelhouse :)
I didn't find it to be absolutely clear. I understood some of it, but he seemed to leap over gaps in my 'education'. It certainly wouldn't be the least bit of help to a beginner/intermediate guitar player without a jazz-theory background. It didn't make it clear enough to me, and that is the test, frankly, of a teacher.
So many, “Aha!!!!” Moments when i watch your videos! A lightbulb going off in my head. Thank you for the videos. Also, Ibanez should contact you so you can have your own signature guitar. The Jens Larsen Special. The JL2000 haha
The cool thing about melodic minor is that there are no “avoid” notes like in the major scale (ex: F in the key of C major). Any lick, scale or sequence you use over one of the chords in the key can be used over any of the other of the key’s chords.
Maybe it's because I never write in Ionian mode but why exactly wouldn't you want to play an F? It's just the fourth of the scale so it could be used as a sus4, maj11, passing note or even a pedal type effect for F Lydian (hell if you're thinking with the Lydian chromatic concept it's one of the most important notes). And obviously as the root of a major IV chord if necessary. Maybe I'm out of my element here lol, I just want to know the truth maaaan
@@newusernamehere4772 It’s a subjective idea, but Charles Cornell has a good video that touches on it. Look for his video breaking down Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar. He rants about a melody line using the 4 on a major chord.
Nice guitar! and great lesson, I love learning jazz from you, its opened me up to new things and made my soloing on funk (that's the kind of band im in) much more interesting! (not just pentatonic lol). Im pressed for cash at the minute but once I get a few more paychecks I'm definitely gonna become a patreon. How do I do it? Never done it before. Thanks again!
I'm into metal, but I love the melodic minor and min7b5 sounds. My goal is to be able to dip into both of those at well during improvisation. I hear some melodic minor in metal, but not enough. Either that or I haven't come across good examples yet. I'm going to learn your lines, fingers crossed!
Interesting: 1. I just watched one of his videos where he says you don't need to know modes, but at the beginning he mdntions only different modes. 2. He has a video about NOT using playbacks? But he plays himself with playback???
He also 1. Reads the comments and 2. Has to live with when someone on RU-vid doesn't understand the point of the video 😂 You can go back and figure out what I am saying in those videos, or you can just go with how you didn't get it, that is all up to you, I guess that is about how motivated you are to learn?
How the hell can i hide the UI bar while pausing the video? I can't see shit of the tabs cuz the progress bar wants to be seen constantly (and no, it doesn't help going full screen or theater mode). Please,, help,, me,, aargh
Another great video thanks Jens. One arpeggio that I'm very much enjoying these days is the 7th b5. It sounds great in all contexts: B7b5 over B7 alt, F7 #11 and even the tonic Minor (C Min). What's even cooler, is that it's the only chord that i can think of that belongs to Melodic Minor, Diminished AND whole tone scale.
I was lost with this info. Before this I just can play a few licks. Thanks a lot, Jens! XD Hey, I am laughing but I am serious. Its just I became a self learning player for years and you are resolving basic stuff that is helpfull and works with simple explanations. Your work is great. Keep on going! Still learning untill I die
Man your videos are awesome. Now Im improvising over Autumm Leaves in Em, and the melodic minor over the dominant and the first degree minor sounds great. Thanks!
Hello Jan's I play guitar and sax and I have some parker style approaches at command but you have a lesson I cant find that teaches the sounding more out side approach. I think with sharp 4s 6s and 2nds in soloing. Can you help
I love the thirty minute practice . I have very little time anymore to practice and sometimes just focus ing on something is a chore. Thanks for the already thought out focus
Dun let Dat 2, 5, 1 jargon scare ya. It like Bruce Lee when he taught duh Kung Fu secrets and everyone got mad at him. Here's what it means: you're resolve to a G chord right? Uh 2nd mode from G is A. ( you count duh note you're on ). So start at A. That duh 2. Then, counting from G, you get duh 5. D is five notes higher. Then finally you land on the 1 which is G.
Hi Jens. Thanks for everything that you do! At 9:10 you are using Autumn leaves as the example for Lydian dominant. you have the chord listed as F# but I always thought it was just an F7 at that part of the song. Did you change the chord or is it supposed to be an F# alt in Autumn leaves? If it is in fact just an F7 how would I best understand when to change that to play over F#? thanks.
Every one of your vids shows me a new way of looking at things, Jens. I had previously heard the half-diminished sound in it, but didn’t recognize the relationships/application as you demonstrated. Funny how modes and scales play different roles, serving different melodic goals, as applied to jazz harmony! Thank you!
Can you explain the concept of the backdoor dominant? I've hunted around for explanations, but still don't quite get it. Thanks - great video, btw, as always!
Try this playlist, especially the 5 chord progressions and modal interchange videos: Jazz Theory Videos - Harmony and Analysis: ru-vid.com/group/PLWYuNvZPqqcESn9hbd13K1eMuPkcxf-iA
Thanks Jens. I never could figure out how the scale could be useful for anything other than cheesy classical lines. But you showed realms upon the realms of sounds with this scale
I have no idea what you are talking about, but it sounds beautiful. I play by ear and know little theory, but I'm going to subscribe and learn as much as I can. Thank you.
@@JensLarsen Thanks! It'll be interesting to try that. I'm obviously not a jazz player, but I've recently learned Major and minor 7th chords, and am trying to put them together properly in the Major scale. I enjoy your lessons.
I really dig the augmented triad because it is super easy to get the inversions out of it and the whole tone scale creates some nice runs as well. I have used them in jazz and metal. I really like your videos. Thanks for making them.
Hey i really dug this lesson ...i think you're on the right track becoming more concrete in your explanations N applications Minor Melodic scale is the key 4 real cool jazz phrases ...maybe you could do a lesson on how o mix & match into a successful improv symetric scales (dim & augm) with minor melodic in order to get a even more complex harmonic mixtures like R doing the True Masters of the Art -- Keep up! this is wonderful what you're doing 4 the online jazz community ^^
6:57 "targetting the Bb, the 3rd of the chord", but it's a B (not a Bb) right? There's also a little symbol stating it's 'restored' to a B. Btw, this melodic minor sound is awesome (and the video too)
Miles makes great use of the melodic minor on his solo over Autumn Leaves with Cannonball Adderley. He toys with the maj6th over Root minor chord and it really lifts his improvisation to an intriguing place.
From the example where Jens is superimposing Bbmaj#5, Em7b5 and D maj over Gm6, I was sitting at my desk and just messing around with the D maj triad and Em7b5 without any backing. *Who can name the Radiohead song that practically plays itself when noodling with those two triads?*
On Lydian dominant recently I studied Tetratonic scale that is on D7 going to Emaj7 or Dbmaj7(as in Blue bossa, sub for Ab7) for instance: CB G# E CB- G#E CB EG# or on G7 alt in Blue bossa for instance Tetratonic scale (almost pentatonic) BbAb EbDb Bb Ab > EbDb BbAb EbDb we play with our band a special on Blue Bossa we call that Hybrid Bossa because we use some rythm aspects from Salsa, but the special contain's mostly those licks
Why is the Melodic Minor Scale not called a Flattened 3rd Major Scale? Are there arrangements where a Flattened 3rd Major Scale would be a more appropriate terminology? I understand that the Tonic chord being G minor, with Major chords appearing only at the IV and V tones, is a very likely reason; but the minimalist in me likes to do as little work as possible, so remembering one change (flattening the 3rd) to existing knowledge (the Major scale) is logically better than remembering two changes (raising the 6th and the 7th) to existing knowledge (the Minor scale). I suppose it might help as an aid to memory, but doesn't really fit in with the theory too well, in which case I have just answered my own question. Thank you for yet another brilliant and thought-provoking lesson Jens.
First of all many thanks again for your great clip. What arpeggio nails meldic minor? I think it's the I minor maj7. It's a very special sound. A bit spooky, with a very pleasant kind of tension. Reminds me of the soundtrack of Pixars Incredibles. A greeeat choice for crime- movies.
Such a great lesson! Jens, your lessons over the years keep getting better and better. Clear. To-the-point. This one in only 11 min covers so much material, all super clearly presented (played slowly and the graphics help too). I think I remember reading (Maybe Mark Levine) that All the diatonic chords in the Melodic Minor can be interchanged (unlike the Major Modes where it sort of has the Tonic oriented I iii vi and the Dominant oriented ii IV V and vii) Is that how you see it? Do you do a lesson on that sort of thing with you interchanging and inverting all the chords embedded in the melodic minor in your chords, lines, arps etc. THIS lesson was great. After internalizing this one I'd like to explore doing the same thing with all the other positions and fingerings, and then I'd like to learn how to playing around by putting them ALL over one chord. Phew, you see I need to learn how to edit my ideas better to be shorter like you have! LOL
I was just working on this scale yesterday and getting lost in understanding the diatonic chords that are associated - lo and behold RU-vid throws this video at the top of my feed this morning. These smart devices are getting scary….
Thankyou, that was very helpful, been months trying to find a video in which I could feel into the minor melodic scale with a bit of easyness and I really found that in your video. Very funny how so naturally you just say things like : "so after the diminished arpeggio you just resolve on the 9th of the BMajor" Hahah that cracked me up I can tell you really have a lot of experience and vocabulary in your playing. Thank you a lot for your video!!
Great explanation Jens, well what I use a lot when using the melodic minor in alt situation is the halfdim arp on the 7th of the original dominant getting the 9- and 13-. The tritone substitute like Db7 oveŕ G7. Fdim an Gdim as traidpairs over G7. Db and Eb as traidpairs over G7. Bbmi penta over G7. B lydian augmented as you explained here. Greetings Vic.
Hey Jens, what about providing a classification of the tons of material you have published on YT? I mean, something that can lead the follower through the topics in a logical and progressive approach. Sort of an index. That would really help.
Hi Marco, I have made a few study guides on my website, but in general I think it is really important to point out that the videos are not made as a complete course and will not work like that. RU-vid doesn't work like that in the way that an online course platform might where you can really make a longer path of coherent teaching building on previous information.
Thanks for this Jens, lots of great ideas here. I have one question though, about how we think about lines: At 10:27, you describe the first four notes over C7 as a BbMaj7#5 - essentially, another chord in root position, on top of a C7 harmony (using that G Melodic Minor vocabulary in another context). I understand how any particular scale can "give us" lines that are useful in other contexts, like the F# Altered, or C Lydian Dominant as you show...but I'm not really sure how I should integrate this into my playing. For instance, it's much easier for me to see those first four notes as simply "the C Lydian Dominant sound, descending", rather than thinking "BbMaj7#5 arpeggio, which we got from the third mode of G Melodic Minor". What's the use of thinking about these lines a few steps removed like this? If I want to play a Lydian sound over a C7, isn't it just simpler to think of everything in reference to C Lydian, rather than referring to a different harmony (or a different scale?) Thank you!
You're welcome Greyson. I see it like this: The C7 is a C7 Lydian dominant, so that is the scale that fits the chord in this context (Which is the same as G melodic minor). Within G melodic minor you have all the diatonic arpeggios: GmMaj7, Am7, Bbmaj7(#5) and you can use those arpeggios if you think they sound good on the chord. Each arpeggio is a set of notes and also a melody. Referencing that is giving me something I can hear more than just a name for the available notes.
Greyson, I get where you're coming from totally; I find it easier/more natural to think of altered tones as how they apply directly to the"chord of the moment" rather than "thinking" of a different chord or scale concurrently. It makes more sense (to me) to just think of Ab, Bb Db, Eb, over G7 as just the b9, #9, b5 and #5 OF G7 rather than thinking of the tritone sub of Db7lydian. I like to relate every note to the chord I'm on, how it applies to that chord. That is more natural for me than having to think of Ab MM as it relates to G7. Whatever way or method works for you is the right way, even if you're the only one it works for.
I just discovered that if you have a song that has a 5 chord like Edom7ALT you can substitute this 5 chord with ANY of the altered scale chords in other words any chord in F melodic minor. and it resolve to tonic wonderfully OR even a few of them strung together
Really great video, my only question is how do you apply that to playing it on the go freely? I mean i like an approach that lets me play music not just understand its theory, like if i have to think about each concept when i play it will be impossible to be free and just improvise, how can you possibly think about so much whilst you are playing. I dont understand, maybe you could do acourse where you apply the concept in a way that is simpler to process so we can take the information which you so passionately share and actually use it. For example keep it alot simpler for those who can understand you and then show how to apply it without thinking about its process but explain the process after, i dont like theory i like application, even if theory is neccesary. For example when you drive a car you dont think about the theory behind changing gears or the parts in the engine you just drive. Kind of like that
Like everything else, you practice this so you don't have to think about it, this video shows you what to practice and how to find out what to practice. Nobody thinks in details when they are playing. I have a lot of videos that show how this material is applied in many different ways, take the recent videos on Minor Blues and Bernie's Tune, but no video I make will take away the need for you to internalize this if you want to use it, and me showing how I don't think about it won't teach you anything.
@@JensLarsen first of all thabkyou for your reply, now i have a question for you, lets say i learned the melodic minor throughout the whole neck, and then learned each arpeggio derived from each scale degree linked with the melodic minor (which would take me agess) would i simply be able to just create lines on the go with that information, and if thats the case when you showed that line as an example in your video, you went through 4 or 5 different arpeggios in one line i think, is that really neccesary?would you just say that you are playing the melodic minor phrase over that chord instead, i mean im just wondering since you talked about the phrase like it includes that many arpeggios rather then just play it and then say here is a phrase using the melodic minor scale over I think Gm6 it was? Which would be alot more easy for people to process then here is 5 arpeggios this phrase goes through i mean surely when you making the line you dont sit there thinking this arpeggio then this arpeggio and this arpeggio, you just think ok melodic minor heres a minor 6 chords. Also those arpeggios are ultra different by the way, its already hard enough trying to remember triad minor major, diminished, -7b5 but then your adding new arpeggios that ive neverseen before so id have to learn them in different positions, but even first id have to learn the 7 degrees of the melodic minor in different keys and apply them to a tune then learn the new type of arpeggios over the inversions of the new chord types that you talk about, all of this then make arpeggios from them with 4 - 5 different arrpegios over one line. I mean that your example how can you expect anyone to learn from that? Im not judging just using common sense better start with a simple phrase using the melodic minor, then show an example or the new type of arpeggio used in a melodic minor scale degree. Also for the alteres scale its too much information. I just mean im an advanced student with 20 years of guitar playing so i imagine those who have less knowledge trying to understand what you are saying and im sure they would get ultra lost and not be able to use it in there playing. The only reasson i understand is that i had to study jazz in the past and did all of this for the normal modes, but your introdu ing a total different scale with new inversions, arpeggio types, and shapes to remember all over the fretboard. So its better to keep it simple. That say i dont even know where to begin i guess i could start just learning the melodic minkr all over the fretboard. Im just saying as a teacher, you shouldnt go too deep, but only as deep as someone can take, you cant throw out that much information or else you might as well be talking to someone that already knows the information but just needed a refresher do you know what i mean. Thanks again for the time you put into your videos and also great material, i just thought id give you my personal impression and some constructive criticism so you can help more people woth you amazing videos. Thanks again
@@florentdevos If you look at how this video has 150K views and that most people really like the video then I would say that it actually hits the spot pretty well for a niche topic like this, wouldn't you? I can't tell for sure, but you may also want to think about how you make everything you practice into an attempt to learn everything in all positions and separate things, instead of focusing what you need and what you use by linking the material together, but that is just from what you write of course. It's probably also not that useful to have a long discussion on how we think other people perceive the lesson, especially not since, to me, you are creating a problem that I don't see in the reception of the video in terms of audience retention, comments, views, and likes.
@@JensLarsen ok did not mean to make a problem. Im sorry if it comes across through typing that way. Actually i think its great material And the fact you took the time to make it for peopleis highly appreciated, so i have nothing to say, im humble learning everyday. Just take the good and bad from my comment, I genuinely think it would help even more people if you made things slightly less complicated. Anyways thats all thanks.
@@florentdevos I don't think you are at all. At most, your comment is a little long :) But as I said, having a discussion on how you imagine it works doesn't make a lot of sense when the video is in fact doing incredibly well. I have other more beginner melodic minor videos, you can just look those up if you want to see that because you seem to assume I didn't make that already.
I've altered it some and tailored it to fit my fusion style. I used to play a lot of straight jazz standards, but I decided to make this thing my own. Cool stuff.
Thanks for the tutorial! I am not a jazz composer (however I like jazz) but I used melodic minor to smooth transitions between scales in one piece. So very concrete: piece starts in D# minor goes many bars in that scale, then I took a couple of bars and used classical melodic D#m (concrete notes B and C# are also pushed to become C and D), to extend notes portfolio (instead of 8 notes I have 10). After ascending arp. of 5-th chord (when the ear already accepts new scale), I had changed scale to D# major and continue in D# major. D# major changes in this context only F# to G. If I would go directly from D# minor to D major, I would have to change 3 notes at the time of scale change, what might be not very pleasant. Generally I recognize, that variants of 4-th and 5-th chords helps to switch minor (over melodic minor) scale to major or vice versa, what is cool, when the piece needs such a change of feelings.
