A Question About Modes in Relation to Chords

[lingua latina]

I was reviewing a great old thread

 

here

 

and I was wondering if there is some sort of chart that will tell you which modes are acceptable to use for a given chord structure.

 

For instance take the chord CMaj7...obviously the C Mixolydian scale would be acceptable, but would any others be OK?

 

How about acceptable modes for C6?

 

C13b9b11?

 

A chart obviously would be cumbersome, so is there a method to know/memorize these things?

 

Thanks, Dudes!

 

:thu:

[__tony__renaud]

 

Originally posted by lingua latina I was reviewing a great old thread For instance take the chord CMaj7...obviously the C Mixolydian scale would be acceptable

 

 

There's no accounting for taste, but C mix over C ma 7 isn't the best choice. If you play a C mix over a C major chord, the Bb in the mix scale and the B in the C maj chord will clash something fierce.

 

However, there are ways to tastefully do this example in Jazz improvising, but that's advanced stuff and an exception to the rule.

 

As for a mode working over C6, this chord has an added tone and isn't really a diatonic chord, so there really isn't a mode assigned to it. C ionian would work well, as would C major pentatonic.

 

A lot of answers can be found in the Jamey Aebersold scale syllabus:

 

http://aebersold.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=JAZZ&Category_Code=_SCALESYLLABUS

 

I know it looks like a lot of material, but it's easier to hear this stuff than to sit and memorize it.

[seraphim7s]

C mixolydian would NOT be acceptable over Cmaj7! You'll get a horrible clash of B natural and Bb!

 

Try Ionian. It's generally advisable to use the 4th only as a passing note.

 

For C6 you could use Ionian or Mixolydian. The same rule applies about the fourth.

 

C13b9b11 is not a viable chord, since a b11 = a major third. Try the C altered scale over dominant chords (ie. C7) with alterations (b9, #9, b5/#11, #5/b13)

[lingua latina]

Originally posted by __tony__renaud There's no accounting for taste, but C mix over C ma 7 isn't the best choice. If you play a C mix over a C major chord, the Bb in the mix scale and the B in the C maj chord will clash something fierce. However, there are ways to tastefully do this example in Jazz improvising, but that's advanced stuff and an exception to the rule. A lot of answers can be found in the Jamey Aebersold scale syllabus: http://aebersold.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=JAZZ&Category_Code=_SCALESYLLABUS

 

Right, since C mix has only a b7 the B would sound atrocious...I knew that!

 

Great link...thanks!