Double Bass Boulevard of Broken Dreams - harmonic minor

[redwookie]

Any jazz standards other than 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' where Harmonic Minor, or any of it's modes, are particularly useful or even essential?

Recently, after gigging 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' a bunch of times, I was running through the song in my daily practice, decided I was tired of playing what have been 'not quite right' notes whenever I strayed from root/5th, and determined the song is primarily written in the Harmonic Minor scale.

Which led me to studying up on playing the Harmonic Minor modes in the A section, particularly lots of the 5th mode Phrygian Dominant over G7 (chart is in Key of C-).

In the B section: I'm my chart, 2 measures of subdominant C7 leads to 2 measures of F-. I seem to like playing C Dorian to F- Dorian over these. Anyone else play it this way or have any other scales they would use? I tried the 4th mode Altered Dorian here and a few others, but no joy with the b5.

In the next 2 measures, I have Bb7 in our chart. I think it should be C-b6/Ab since the previous F- appears to be a subdominant for C-, C- is the 2nd mode of Bb7 anyway, and the harmonic minor scale for C- sounds great over these 2 measures.

I've created some exercises (basic 3rds) for the 1st mode Harmonic Minor and 5th mode Phrygian Dominant. So I'm on my way.

Also, I've discovered Phrygian Dominant is really useful when playing Bye Bye Blues and Blue Bossa. So back to my main question, any other jazz standards which might give me a workout with these 2 Harmonic Minor modes?

 

[Sean Riddle]

Nardis is one you should definitely spend some time with. Also, one of my teachers once had me work on minor ii V i's using the Phrygian dominant (or major as my Balkan music teacher insists) as a way to navigate that resolution.

 

[redwookie]

Nardis. I agree, it's a good tune for Phrygian Dominant. Spent some time running Phrygian Dominant over minor ii-V-i in a few other songs. Both are xcellent suggestions, thanks.

Very few songs I play, mostly Trad/Gypsy Jazz, have much ii-V-i going on so I've simply been outlining the chords. It works, but especially when I'm woodsheding I'm very aware of that limitation. So I jumped on this. Always nice to expand my choices.

 

[lurk]

I've always enjoyed using Fharm minor for material over the A of What is This Thing/Hot House.

 

[Carl Hillman]

You can use the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale over any dominant b9b13 chord.

You'll often find those "flavors" of dominants leading to the vi chord (and sometimes the iii chord). As long as there's not a #9 or #11 in the chord, Phrygian Dominant will work.

 

[redwookie]

You'll often find those "flavors" of dominants leading to the vi chord (and sometimes the iii chord).

Starting to see that now. Thank you for that reply. I'm finding some subtle applications of this with Gypsy Jazz Standards like 'Blue Drag', 'Anouman', and 'For Sephora'.

Played 'Out of Nowhere' on Friday's gig and found this useful with the iii-VI chord for some flavor supporting a 6-piece-no-drummer jazz group.

In particular, Caravan's A section seems to be Harmonic Minor. I've always just played that song's A section by ear 'freely' with chromatic runs. Much nicer to know the structure behind it.