SlaveNewWorld0

Cheers guys, mos - yeh that's the only real piece I could find referring to it as "melodic major". meganutt - thank you yes that makes sense. Not sure if it's just me, but I have a habit of referring to each scale independent of its modal function. e.g. the "Spanish scale" is a mode of harmonic minor (known as Phrygian dominant), but it is also a scale in its own right if you see what I mean. To me it defines its function more clearly. In other words, I don't see "melodic major" (if like you say it can justifiably be called that) as necessarily being used as part of a larger modal function, but often just as an alternative for the tonic I chord.

I have been using this scale (major scale with b6 and b7) over what some people refer to as "backdoor" resolutions to a major tonic... e.g. iv VII I (Fm Bb7 C) And also over augmented chords. However, I don't see much material out there that refers to "melodic major". Why is this? Is that not the correct name for this scale? It has wonderful properties but there's not a lot covering its theory.