Just so you know... J. S. Bach was using this scale 300 years ago.
Not sure when this "tradition" of ascending Melodic Minor / descending Natural Minor started.
Anyway, it is what it is.
Probably the most used mode is the Seventh Mode of the Jazz Minor, or often called the Altered Scale. What's sometimes difficult to understand is that this scale needs some enharmonic spellings to make it obvious to pair with a Dominant Seventh with Altered 5ths and 9ths.
Example: Pair a C7 Alt with a Db Jazz Minor
C7 Alt: C, E, Gb, G#, Bb, Db, D#
Db Jazz Minor: Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db.
Now... with some enharmonic changes AND starting on the 7th scale step: C, Db, D#, E, Gb, G#, Bb, C
Presto! Now you have the chord tones to the C7 Alt.
That's ONE application.
Pretty sure Bach didn't use this mode.
The next "most" used mode is the 4th mode of the Melodic Minor / Jazz Minor. This mode is usually called the Lydian b7. This scale can be paired with a V7(#11), with the Major Ninth and Thirteenth.
Example: C7(#11) is paired with C Lydian b7, the Fourth Mode of G Melodic Minor / Jazz Minor: C, D, E, F#, G, A, Bb, C.
West Side Story and
The Simpson's Theme utilize this sound.
One needs to know where these Dominant sounds are resolving to (if at all). Knowing this will help you decide on the extensions, that then will give you the Pitch-Collection (or scale/mode). Or, your can settle into one of these Modes and build/compose/improvise within this "sound".
Thank you for the information everyone!
As far as Stick_Players post goes, I am aware of when and where to apply it, to some degree(reading theory and chord books on jazz minor). Perhaps you can enlighten me with some simple/basic information to get me up to speed? I'd be very interested in learning and get a better understanding especially from a bassists point of view
I have read up and wondered about this scale when I was a young warthog but never knew how to apply it as I never was given a situation to apply it let alone learn it. Now, I am curious as I have developed my ear into more of this sound as well as wanting to play with a unique sound compared to other musicians. For me, I utilize the bass not only as a means of providing the meat and potatoes for the music but as a solo instrument for my own pleasure.
As I have studied over the years, on my own of course and with the use of books and my own ear/transcriptions/etc. I understand the major, minor and their modes and would like to pull away from it. Quite honestly, it's become mundane and dry to me and I'd like a different approach to music, hence my interest in learning and applying the jazz minor and its harmony. I am very fond of the unique sound and harmony it offers and feel that it's now in my best interest to develop this or else I will not be moving forward for my own personal gain.
My question in the first post was how everyone approached studying not just the jazz minor but any scale and I think Schlyder hit the nail on the head. I am not asking how to make music with scales but just how others, compared to me, and what I am doing, how they approach in learning new scales/modes more specifically the jazz minor. I don't just want to play scales up and down the fretboard, to me this particular scale, like any other, has their own sound but I feel this one is especially useful in the jazz setting, which is why I am interested. I am not a straight ahead jazz player but one who enjoys and dabbles in the virtuoso world of the electric bass. With that being said, my interest in jazz minor and understand not just the scale, modes, harmony applications, etc does not end there, it will go above and beyond to understand harmonic minor and more and more unique and exotic scales for my own education and enjoyment.
Schlyder, I have applied your information and it has been helpful in getting the finger and sound but also making music out of it too. I started to do the spider technique to allow my fingers to adjust to the different fingers on the different modes and possibly allow for better dexterity.
