The Minor Side of the Dominant Sound

 

    Here we will deal with dominant (V7) chords and use the melodic minor scale to color them.  For the purposes of this post we will call attention to two different types of dominant chords:

• Type I: a dominant (V7) chord that does not move to a chord whose root lies a perfect 5th below (or perfect 4th above) it
• Type II: a dominant (V7) chord that does move to a chord whose root lies a perfect 5th below (or perfect 4th above) it

    Check out the Gb7 in bar 6 of "The Girl from Ipanema":

 

    It moves to an F Major chord.  Since this dominant chord does not move to a chord whose root lies a 5th below, it falls under the category of a "Type I" dominant chord.  Some other examples of Type I dominants:

The Eb7 in Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon":

The Ab7 in the turnaround of Miles' "Freddie Freeloader":

The Bb7 in the 4th bar of "Lady Bird" by Tadd Dameron:

The Ab7 in the 3rd bar of Monk's "Round Midnight": 

    To hear the colors of melodic minor on these chords, play the melodic minor scale starting from the 5th of the chord.  For example, over the Bb7 in "Lady Bird", you could play F melodic minor.  This will give you the 1, 9, 3, #11, 5, 6, and b7 of the chord.  The #11 gives it a nice open sound.

    Here are some examples of "Type II" dominant chords:

The G7 before the turnaround at the end of "Lady Bird":

The Eb7 in the 4th bar of "Round Midnight":

    To hear the colors of melodic minor over Type II dominant chords, play the melodic minor scale starting one half-step up from the root of the dominant chord.  For example, over the G7 in "Lady Bird", you could play Ab melodic minor.  This will give you the 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, and b7 of the chord.  These are all the possible alterations you can have on a dominant chord, giving it a tense sound that begs to be resolved.

    The next time you're at a jam session and encounter a dominant 7th chord, determine whether you are dealing with a Type I or a Type II chord and address it accordingly.  It may just add a whole new dimension to your playing.