Symmetrical Diminished mode B use

[David Grima]

Hi Richie,

Trust you are well and hope you can clarify the use of the symmetrical diminished mode be for me.

In relation to “when improvising using the symmetric mode (mode b), always use the scale with a root located a half step below the the diminished 7th chord’s root”, (workbook vol 2 page 73) do the intervals from the diminished chord’s root apply or those of the chord a half step down?

For example, if I use B symmetrical diminished to solo over Cdim7, should I be thinking of the bb7 in relation to the C root or the B root?

Thanks
David

[David Grima]

So I guess the way I’d approach this is to think of the symmetrical diminished scale instead of the actual diminished chord and target the 3rd, 5th and b7, which in the context of the diminished 7th chord are the chord tones (b3, b5 and bb7).

[Richie]

Sorry David, I missed this one!
I think you are over complicating things by trying to view the half-whole (mode b) from the perspective of the whole-half (mode a). Forget the analysis of the whole-half (1,b3,b5,bb7) when doing this.

For example, if you have a Dbdim7 chord use C half-whole (mode b). This way you simply view the notes for what they are in relation to C which is now the root. So Db is now the b9, D# is the #9, E is the 3rd, F# is the #11, G is the 5th, A is the 13, and Bb is the b7. It’s basically a C7b9/#9/#11/13 chord! You can do this for any diminished chord. Because it is symmetrical in nature, any of the notes can be the root. You can therefore make the new root 1/2 step below any of them and apply the half-whole or mode b scale.

Let me know if this answers your question.

[David Grima]

Thanks Richie,

Yes that does make sense now. If I think of it as soloing over the C7b9/#9/#11/13 chord then that works for me.

Only a few modules to go and learning so much.

Cheers
David

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