How To Get A Hip Soundin` Dorian Mode

Hello players, my name is Miguel Mega and I am here to help you to learn some different ways to approach scales and modes. On my new CD release "Coastline", I use a lot of these approaches in the majority of the tunes. This time we will learn how to spice up a bit our old pal: the Dorian mode.

The Dorian mode is the second mode of any Major scale. Examples:

• G Major scale: G A B C D E F# G
• A Dorian scale: A B C D E F# G A
• A Minor 7, 9, 11, 13

Let's say you are jamming with your bass player and he is just grooving on A minor.
You can use the A minor 7 and A minor 6 blues pentatonics for your solos. See graphics below:

               
                     A minor7 blues scale (MP3)

---5---8------------------------------------------------E
----------5-6--7----------------------------------------A
-------------------5---7--------------------------------D
---------------------------5--7-8-----------------------G
-------------------------------------5-----8------------B
-----------------------------------------------5-----8--E

                    A minor 6 blues scale (MP3)

----5---8----------------------------------------------E
-----------5-6--7--------------------------------------A
--------------------4--7-------------------------------D
---------------------------5-7-8-----------------------G
----------------------------------5-7------------------B
--------------------------------------5---8------------E

Another good way of "thinking" (this is the key word here), is to use a Harmonic Minor scale on the fifth degree of the Dorian mode. For an example, let's take A Dorian: A B C D E F# G A. Take the fifth degree which is E and play E harmonic minor over an A minor 7, 9 ,11, 13. The E harmonic minor scale is: E F# G A B C D# E. If you compare the notes of the two scales, you'll notice just one little switch that goes from an original D (fourth degree) to a D# (flat 5) (the 'blue note' of the pentatonic scale).

To finish, here's an example of this concept on a George Lynch-type lick (MP3) using triplets on the 1st and 2nd strings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------G
------------------------------------------------------------13(pull)----B
------17-14-15-17-15-14-15-12-14-15-14-12-14-11-12-14-12-11-------------E

Thank you very much, and do not forget to visit my web page at www.miguelmega.com.br.