Re: new (to me) happenin' dominant lick
Whenever I see a chord, I'm not limited to the chord as it exists solely on the chart or in the tune. So when I see a C7 which is our topic here, I immediately try to think up all of the C7 "type" chords that I know.
Naturally, you would never compile a list like this in the middle of a performance, but rather this is something you would do while wood shedding! My list of C Dom 7th "type" chords looks like this:
7th chord variations
C7 : C E G Bb
C7b5: C E Gb Bb
C7#5: C E G# Bb
9th chord variations
C9 : C E G Bb D
C7b9: C E G Bb Db
C7#9: C E G Bb D#
11 chord variations
C11: C E G Bb D F
C7#11: C E G Bb D F#
13th chord variations
C13: C E G Bb D A
C7b13: C E G Bb D Ab
The above is a list of most of the possible variations of C dom 7 type chords. I say most because the list does not contain some variations (like C7#9b13 for example).
Now I take a list of pitches from all of the chord families above and I compile them into an ordered list. What I wind up with looks surprising like a chromatic scale. The only difference being that B (the major 7th) is not included.
Scale taken from combining all of the chords above and placing the notes in order:
C Db D D# E F Gb G G# A Bb
This scale I just created now contains all of the harmonic tones of my original C7 chord but it also contains all of the C7 chords extended harmonic tones as well (all of the variations of the 9th, 11th, and 13th).
The notes of this scale constitute a universal set / super set of notes that are compatible with just about any C7 harmonic idea. Every possible note is included! I therefore named a set of this type with a phrase I coined myself called "The Domain of C7".
If I now create a melody from the pitches in the scale (aka domain), then I'm guaranteed that every note in my melody will either be a member of the original base chord (C7) or a harmonic extension of the chord. In other words my melody will not contain any pitches that are outside the chord. This is a different way of looking at harmony, because in traditional music theory notes like F, F# or Ab would be considered and explained away theoretically as simply being "passing tones". But we no longer live in Mozart's day! We have a new modern approach to how music is made. So in my way of thinking, F, F# or Ab are extended harmonic tones that are just as much part of C7 as C, E or G! So please welcome your chord's extensions to the family why don't you. You'll find your melodic patterns will start to become more complex! Hello Alan Holdsworth, Frank Gambale, Sean Lane, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Greg Howe and Scott Henderson, George Benson et al!
Furthermore, the same scale/domain can be used for all C7 type chords. So if you're reading a chart and you see a C7b5 or C7#9 or a C13 (or whatever) then the scale or domain will work for all of those!
At first glance it looks like a lot of information to absorb! But once you get it under control and study a little bit concerning voice leading and melodic curve then you can start putting together cool chromatic licks.
All this is because you begin to instinctively know where all of your chord tones are ( 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, b5, b7, +9 and so on).
Now notice so far that I haven't talked about any modes! I personally don't think about them most of the time because this system already informs me as to every possible note I can play against a chord. Furthermore, the modes are at a disadvantage because there is no single mode that you can find that contains all of the possible chord tones for a given chord! The domain however is complete by its very nature!
However, If you insist on using modes then you have probably asked the following question at least once in your life:
How do I know which mode(s) I can play against a given chord? Well, the answer is that if you know a chord's domain such as the one I've described then every possible mode that is related to that chord will be a subset of that domain! Keep in mind though that some of them will work better than others depending on the context in which you use them. So let's do an example:
C7's domain : C Db D D# E F Gb G G# A Bb
If you look closely at the domain you will see the usual suspects like C myxolydian:
C D E F G A Bb
But I can see a D dorian in there and a G aeolian. There is something in there that looks like a Bb Major and a Bb Minor scale as well. I'm sure if you explore you can find many modes that you already know from keys that you would never have suspected were compatible with C7. There are a few Phrygian looking structures in there. Hell, you can even create your own scales from the set/domain and give them names like Alan Holdsworth does! There are also arpeggios in there like Bb Maj7 arp and D min 7! I'm sure you can find many more!
This should give you enough flexibility to play everything from bebop to fusion to heavy metal to avante garde! LOL!
