You can play pretty much anything, depending on context and what has been established both melodically and harmonically.

All modes derived from the mayor scale are commonly used:

• Lydian easily fits any mayor chord
• Locrian can be played over V (VII m7b5 as diatonic substitution of V7)
• Phrygian can easily fit any minor chord (using that b2 as leading tone is common)
• Aeolian fits minor harmonies just as easily as Dorian or Phrygian

So, during minor chords and harmonies (ii, for example) you can go Aeolian, Phrygian, Dorian; but also Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor. And both Melodic and Harmonic Minor can be harmonized upon, so now you have all the modes derived from Melodic and Harmonic Minor to choose from, some of them will better fit dominant, subdominant, or tonic functions, same as the modes derived from the mayor scale.

Diminished scales sound awesome on V7s. Pentatonics can fit almost anywhere. Scales are just one part of your melodic toolbox, arpeggios are as important to consider. A diminished 7 arpegio can sound beautiful over V7s. Triads on melodic extensions can sound amazing too.

Instead of trying to gather a catalog of which scales play over which chords, try to learn the color, feel, and quality of each scale you learn, and apply them when you need that specific color, feel, or quality. Many teachers avoid teaching improvisation through "play Dorian over minor chords" because it promotes playing with your fingers and mechanically, rather than playing with your ear, from inspiration, while making a personal statement.

It's important to know your scales and arpeggios, but relating them to a specific chord has limited usefulness. A lot of the color comes from using notes that are outside of the "main" scale, chord, or harmony, and musicians do things that shouldn't sound good in theory that sound amazing in practice. This happens all the time.

Instead, build your scale and arpeggio pallete, relating them to specific colors, feels, and qualities, and use them when you feel like it. Any scale can be used over any chord, if it sounds good depends more on the harmonic and melodic context and the statement you are trying to convey, than if you are successfully applying some mechanical rules.

You can play pretty much anything, depending on context and what has been established both melodically and harmonically.

All modes derived from the mayor scale are commonly used:

• Lydian easily fits any mayor chord
• Locrian can be played over V (VII m7b5 as diatonic substitution of V7)
• Phrygian can easily fit any minor chord (using that b2 as leading tone is common)
• Aeolian fits minor harmonies just as easily as Dorian or Phrygian

So, during minor chords and harmonies (ii, for example) you can go Aeolian, Phrygian, Dorian; but also Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor. And both Melodic and Harmonic Minor can be harmonized upon, so now you have all the modes derived from Melodic and Harmonic Minor to choose from, some of them will better fit dominant, subdominant, or tonic functions, same as the modes derived from the mayor scale.

Diminished scales sound awesome on V7s. Pentatonics can fit almost anywhere. Scales are just one part of your melodic toolbox, arpeggios are as important to consider. A diminished 7 arpeggio can sound beautiful over V7s. Triads on melodic extensions can sound amazing too.

Instead of trying to gather a catalog of which scales play over which chords, try to learn the color, feel, and quality of each scale you learn, and apply them when you need that specific color, feel, or quality. Many teachers avoid teaching improvisation through "play Dorian over minor chords" because it promotes playing with your fingers and mechanically, rather than playing with your ear (head, imagination), from inspiration, while making a personal statement.

It's important to know your scales and arpeggios, but relating them to a specific chord has limited usefulness. A lot of the color comes from using notes that are outside of the "main" scale, chord, or harmony, and musicians do things that shouldn't sound good in theory that sound amazing in practice. This happens all the time.

Instead, build your scale and arpeggio pallete, relating them to specific colors, feels, and qualities, and use them when you feel like it. Any scale can be used over any chord, if it sounds good depends more on the harmonic and melodic context and the statement you are trying to convey, than if you are successfully applying some mechanical rules.

You can play pretty much anything, depending on context and what has been established both melodically and harmonically.

All modes derived from the mayor scale are commonly used:

• Lydian easily fits any mayor chord
• Locrian can be played over V (VII m7b5 as diatonic substitution of V7)
• Phrygian can easily fit any minor chord (using that b2 as leading tone is common)
• Aeolian fits minor harmonies just as easily as Dorian or Phrygian

So, during minor chords and harmonies (ii, for example) you can go Aeolian, Phrygian, Dorian; but also Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor. And both Melodic and Harmonic Minor can be harmonized upon, so now you have all the modes derived Melodic and Harmonic Minor to choose from, some of them will better fit dominant, subdominant, or tonic functions, same as the modes derived from the mayor scale.

Diminished scales sound awesome on V7s. Pentatonics can fit almost anywhere. Scales are just one part of your melodic toolbox, arpeggios are as important to consider. A diminished 7 arpegio can sound beautiful over V7s. Triads on melodic extensions can sound amazing too.

Instead of trying to gather a catalog of which scales play over which chords, try to learn the color, feel, and quality of each scale you learn, and apply them when you need that specific color, feel, or quality. Many teachers avoid teaching improvisation through "play Dorian over minor chords" because it promotes playing with your fingers and mechanically, rather than playing with your ear, from inspiration, while making a personal statement.

It's important to know your scales and arpeggios, but relating them to a specific chord has limited usefulness. A lot of the color comes from using notes that are outside of the "main" scale, and musicians do things that shouldn't sound good in theory that sound amazing in practice. This happens all the time.

Instead, build your scale and arpeggio pallete, relating them to specific colors, feels, and qualities, and use them when you feel like it. Any scale can be used over any chord, if it sounds good depends more on the harmonic and melodic context and the statement you are trying to convey, than if you are successfully applying some mechanical rules.

You can play pretty much anything, depending on context and what has been established both melodically and harmonically.

All modes derived from the mayor scale are commonly used:

• Lydian easily fits any mayor chord
• Locrian can be played over V (VII m7b5 as diatonic substitution of V7)
• Phrygian can easily fit any minor chord (using that b2 as leading tone is common)
• Aeolian fits minor harmonies just as easily as Dorian or Phrygian

So, during minor chords and harmonies (ii, for example) you can go Aeolian, Phrygian, Dorian; but also Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor. And both Melodic and Harmonic Minor can be harmonized upon, so now you have all the modes derived from Melodic and Harmonic Minor to choose from, some of them will better fit dominant, subdominant, or tonic functions, same as the modes derived from the mayor scale.

Diminished scales sound awesome on V7s. Pentatonics can fit almost anywhere. Scales are just one part of your melodic toolbox, arpeggios are as important to consider. A diminished 7 arpegio can sound beautiful over V7s. Triads on melodic extensions can sound amazing too.

Instead of trying to gather a catalog of which scales play over which chords, try to learn the color, feel, and quality of each scale you learn, and apply them when you need that specific color, feel, or quality. Many teachers avoid teaching improvisation through "play Dorian over minor chords" because it promotes playing with your fingers and mechanically, rather than playing with your ear, from inspiration, while making a personal statement.

It's important to know your scales and arpeggios, but relating them to a specific chord has limited usefulness. A lot of the color comes from using notes that are outside of the "main" scale, chord, or harmony, and musicians do things that shouldn't sound good in theory that sound amazing in practice. This happens all the time.

Instead, build your scale and arpeggio pallete, relating them to specific colors, feels, and qualities, and use them when you feel like it. Any scale can be used over any chord, if it sounds good depends more on the harmonic and melodic context and the statement you are trying to convey, than if you are successfully applying some mechanical rules.