Little late watching this but great material. Harmonic and Melodic minor sound so good with that minor 3rd/major 7 sound. Another approach, is to play the 5th degree of Harmonic minor (Phyrgian Dominant) over the 2 and 5 chord. So with a Dm7b5 G7b9 Cm you would play the G Phr Dom scale then resolve to a chord tone whatever with a triple enclosure thrown in for good measure that resolves to a Cm chord tone. Rather than trying to sit and figure out G is the 5th of which harmonic minor it is much easier just to play a G Phyrgian minor and sharp the third to get the same thing.
This is a great video that gives food for thought, but I can't help thinking that what leads to a jazzy sound here is not the scale itself. For me it's more the chords underneath, along with the swung phrasing. And particularly that m6 as a I chord, which contains a tritone arguably as unresolved as one built on a dominant. I've always just thought of the harmonic minor as an adjustment to the natural minor scale which allowed people as long ago as Bach to use a Major chord on the dominant, where otherwise a minor chord results. The raised seventh degree of the scale is the raised third of the dominant chord. The dominant seventh chord (i.e. with a Major 3rd) contains a tritone, which makes for a stronger perfect cadence from V to I.
Thanks very much Nick. I’ve been working on the first 8 bars of Autumn Leaves and harmonic minor scales with my teacher. It didn’t dawn on me how the two fit together until your video. Great explanation and very useful to me right away.
Good stuff. I use this over Alone Together and Black Orpheus and Softly As In A Morning Sunrise. Easier to play one scale over these tunes when the minor ii V and I alternate over and over.
This is that. If you are playing C harmonic minor, when you start on G (the V chord root) you are playing the 5th mode of the C Harm Minor scale. Make sense?
Nick, I'd say it's NOT the minor 3rd that makes the scale sound different, but rather the augmented second. Now, I know that's enharmonically the same, but thinking of it that way avoids potential confusion with the blues scale and the pentatonic scale (which have "genuine" minor 3rds).
Nick refers to the minor third interval between the minor sixth and the major seventh, not about the minor third that is the third degree of the minor scale. Now, i am interested to understand why you refer to the third degree as an augmented second and not a minor third....
@@didiermarchetti216 In C harmonic minor you go from Ab to B natural; that's an augmented second (the B is the leading tone in C). A minor 3rd from the blues scale is C-Eb, or in the pentatonic A-C. That's why it sounds strange to most people. Try playing augmented 2nds elsewhere, and it will still sound strange.
Great lesson.
What was the next lesson where 6th was discussed,explained?
You really do learn something every day.
Little late watching this but great material. Harmonic and Melodic minor sound so good with that minor 3rd/major 7 sound. Another approach, is to play the 5th degree of Harmonic minor (Phyrgian Dominant) over the 2 and 5 chord. So with a Dm7b5 G7b9 Cm you would play the G Phr Dom scale then resolve to a chord tone whatever with a triple enclosure thrown in for good measure that resolves to a Cm chord tone. Rather than trying to sit and figure out G is the 5th of which harmonic minor it is much easier just to play a G Phyrgian minor and sharp the third to get the same thing.
This is a great video that gives food for thought, but I can't help thinking that what leads to a jazzy sound here is not the scale itself. For me it's more the chords underneath, along with the swung phrasing. And particularly that m6 as a I chord, which contains a tritone arguably as unresolved as one built on a dominant. I've always just thought of the harmonic minor as an adjustment to the natural minor scale which allowed people as long ago as Bach to use a Major chord on the dominant, where otherwise a minor chord results. The raised seventh degree of the scale is the raised third of the dominant chord. The dominant seventh chord (i.e. with a Major 3rd) contains a tritone, which makes for a stronger perfect cadence from V to I.
This is now on my practice plan for today
Great and easy explanation on how to deal with minor II V I sections. Thanks a lot Nick
Very welcome!
Thanks very much Nick. I’ve been working on the first 8 bars of Autumn Leaves and harmonic minor scales with my teacher. It didn’t dawn on me how the two fit together until your video. Great explanation and very useful to me right away.
Happy to help!
That is a great concept presented in an easy to understand way! Thanks!
You're very welcome!
Always great to hear your musical knowledge!
Thank you kindly!
Gracias maestro, magistral explicaación, nunca la habia visto.
Good stuff. I use this over Alone Together and Black Orpheus and Softly As In A Morning Sunrise. Easier to play one scale over these tunes when the minor ii V and I alternate over and over.
Thank you
Please do a video on 5th mode of harmonic minor. Thanks.
This is that. If you are playing C harmonic minor, when you start on G (the V chord root) you are playing the 5th mode of the C Harm Minor scale. Make sense?
@@nickmainella yes, thanks Nick.
@@RockRabot007 right on 👍
And do you only play it over G7 chord?
@@nickmainella
@@RockRabot007 nope you can play it over the ii chord as well 👍
Hi Nick, your vids are very helpful, so thank you for the content!!. May I ask, what ligature you are using with the Soyos on this vid
Thanks Mark🤓
Vandoren Optimum 👍
Nick, I'd say it's NOT the minor 3rd that makes the scale sound different, but rather the augmented second. Now, I know that's enharmonically the same, but thinking of it that way avoids potential confusion with the blues scale and the pentatonic scale (which have "genuine" minor 3rds).
Nick refers to the minor third interval between the minor sixth and the major seventh, not about the minor third that is the third degree of the minor scale. Now, i am interested to understand why you refer to the third degree as an augmented second and not a minor third....
@@didiermarchetti216 In C harmonic minor you go from Ab to B natural; that's an augmented second (the B is the leading tone in C). A minor 3rd from the blues scale is C-Eb, or in the pentatonic A-C. That's why it sounds strange to most people. Try playing augmented 2nds elsewhere, and it will still sound strange.