Scale/Mode for Bm7 - E9 progression

There are several of ways you solve problems like this...

1. Root motion. E9 is a dominant type chord, so it's driving the movement. E -> B is moving down a perfect fourth, which you can look at as a plagal cadence (IV-I). That view makes B the root, and you can play minor type scales with a B root (you'd want a minor scale type to match the minor I chord). But E9 isn't "native" to Bm, because it's got a G# note in it. The good news is Bm7 doesn't have a G note. So if you substitute G# for G, you get a very workable scale: B Dorian (B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A)

2. Dominant tension. Dominant type chords "want" to move down by a perfect fifth: E -> A. So you could see A as the scale root. A dominant E chord could put you in either A major or A harmonic minor (melodic minor isn't as good a choice here, because of the F# in the Bm7 chord). Using A major might look just like answer #1, since A major and B Dorian are "related", but there's a difference - using B as the root gives you a sense of mode; using A as the root will lead your ear to hear it as a ii7-V7-I7 progression that doesn't really get to the end of the line. (If you do treat it this way, you could alter your last Bm7 a chord a bit, playing Bsus or B5 - using A as the final note of the solo will make it sound like you're resolving to A6/9)

3. Chord tones. Bm7 is B-D-F#-A; E9 is E-G#-B-D-F#. Put those together and you have B-D-E-F#-G#-A. You can use any scale that has those tones... a B minor hexatonic (pentatonic + G#) - or you can fill in the missing C with either C natural or C#. C# gets you B Dorian; C natural gets you the "Dorian b2" - some people think of this as the second mode of the melodic minor scale, because the tones are the same as A melodic minor. I don't see any particular advantage to thinking that way, but if that's what floats your boat, there's nothing wrong with seeing it in those terms.

Thanks. I'll give B dorian a try.

Noteboat,

Cant thank you enough for your help. B dorian works GREAT! It opened many doors for me, now I can sound a little jazzy and bluesy in the same solo. I especially like landing on the b7. I am wondering if the mixo would work it has a b7?

I have another question...

What mode(s) works with D-Am7-C2-G?

Thanks again!

You follow the same basic logic, although your progression is a little trickier this time around.

Since you don't have a dominant chord, you don't have a tension - the progression doesn't naturally pull in any specific direction. But the first thing that stands out to my eye is D-C-G - and since you're ending on G, you've got a V-IV-I progression going on.

The Am7 is really a C chord (functionally). It's got the same notes as C6. C2 isn't a standard chord name - most charts will call it Cadd9.

If I had to improvise over this, here's the logic I'd take:

D -> C -> G wants a G major scale root

V-IV-I implies a blues type of progression, but the Am7 (C6) followed by Cadd9 add up to a C6/9 - hardly ever used in a blues except as a final chord. I'd go with a major type sound.

Every chord tone in the G major scale is present in at least one chord: G (in Am7, Cadd9, and G), A (D, Am7), B (G), C (Am7, Cadd9), D (D, Cadd9, G), E (Am7, Cadd9), and F# (D).

Bottom line, I wouldn't consider this a good candidate for any mode - I'd stick with the G major scale, or something even simpler (G pentatonic, G hexatonic)

Hexatonic??

Hexatonic...I got it a #6 or b7.

hexatonic = 6 notes in the scale.