Playing this progression requires you to change scale EACH measure, or each chord. The progression is short and sweet, and simple, but will put your modal playing to the challenge the more you try and play through it.
It's in 6/4 time...you can think of each measure as two measures of 3/4 if you want, like: ||: 123123 | 123123 :||
6/4 ||: Dm | Eb7 :||
That's it.
You can break it out as two measure of 6/4 for each chord if you want also...6/4 ||: Dm | Dm | Eb7 | Eb7 :||
BUT ALL THESE EXAMPLES WILL BE one measure of 6/4 per chord.
These chords can be played MANY ways to bring out the Modal harmonies to tighten up you ear...
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Here's a few ways to play and extend the Dm:
Dm7 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm9
E-----------5------5----------------
B----3------6------6-------5-----10-
G----5------7------5-------5-----9--
D----3------7------7-------3-----10-
A----5------5------5-------5---------
E---------------------------------10
Here's a few ways to play and extend the Eb7 chord:
Eb7 Eb7 Eb9 Eb9/#11 Eb13 Eb7#11
E------------------6-------5---------------------
B----4------8------6-------6--------13------10-----
G----6------6------6-------6--------12------12-----
D----5------8------5-------5--------11------11----
A----6------6------6-------6----------------------
E------------------------------------11------11-----
The scales used would be D Aeolian for the Dm chord and Eb Lydian b7 for the Eb7 chord (also known as Eb Lydian Dominant).
Now, I can get into ALL KINDS of concepts about these scale but...
Notice the how similar the two scales are:
D Aeolian = D E F G A Bb C
Eb Lydian b7 = Eb F G A Bb C Db
Even though they look like to different scales, there are only THREE notes different between them.
This is D Aeolian:
E------------------------------
B------------------------------
G----------------------5--7--
D-------------5--7--8--------
A---5--7--8-------------------
E------------------------------
This is Eb Lydian b7
E---------------------------
B---------------------------
G------------------5--6--8--
D---------5--7--8-----------
A---6--8--------------------
E---------------------------
See the common notes: F G Bb C? See the differences: D Db E Eb? Use the appropriate "different notes" when the scale changes...you might ask "why?"...because THAT'S what changes between them. Those few notes ARE the "changes", hit them on the right chord and you will be "playing the changes".
Try this as straight quarter notes...remember we are in 6/4...so it's 6 quarter notes per measure...
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Dm Eb7 Dm
E----------------------|---------------------|----
B----------------------|---------------------|-----
G------------------5---|--6------------------|-----
D------------5--7------|------8--7--5--------|-----
A---5--7--8------------|---------------8--6--|--5--(and repeat)
E----------------------|---------------------|-----
See what happens when you repeat the progression...IT RESOLVES, you GOT TO NAIL THAT PART at the end with a chord tone until you get more fluent at playing through the change. Make sure you state a resolve point for a while...this is what makes it more "musical" than just playing scales.
Here's another simple scale line to help NAIL the chord change...this is using 6/4 time and 8th notes...so 12 notes per measure in 6/4...
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Dm Eb7 Dm
E------------------------------------5--|--6--5----------------------------------|----
B--------------------------5--6--8------|--------8--6-----------------------------|
G--------------------5--7---------------|--------------8--6--5------------------|---
D-----------5--7--8---------------------|------------------------8--7--5--------|-----
A--5--7--8------------------------------|---------------------------------8--6--|--5--
E---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----
Again this is NOTHING but both scales going up and then resolving. Simple...but damn is it effective!
How about finding a couple of little magical groups of notes...no rhythm here JUST patterns to use...Pentatonic-ish patterns at that...
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Dm Eb7
E---------------------------5--6--|--------------------------6--8--|
B---------------------5--6--------|--------------------6--8--------|
G--------------5--7---------------|--------------6--8--------------|
D--------5--7---------------------|--------5--7--------------------|
A--5--7---------------------------|--4--6--------------------------|
E---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
You can find little parallel areas to play out of...this is very Mclaughlin-ish:
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for Dm for Eb7
E-----6--5-----------------------8--6------------------
B-----------6--5-----------------------8--6------------
G-----------------7--5-----------------------8--6------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
You'd be suprised at how many modal players pick out nothing but these little parallel "pictures" and use them to create the modal movement.
This is actually a two chord vamp I made from a John Mclaughlin tune. He kills on it to. For us regular folks its a great Modal exercise to try and HEAR, and PLAY, the tension and release points...
loop the progression then try and NAIL the changes.
Have fun!
