Using Dorian mode over 12-bar blues changes

[Uncle Clownmeat]

I need some guidelines how to start putting in Dorian licks into my blues playing.

If I'm playing blues over chords C, F and G, what Dorian modes will work?

Thank you!

[stanron]

It could be argued that this is the wrong approach. The arrangement of notes in the Dorian mode is pretty much the same as a minor pentatonic scale plus a major second and a major sixth, and this is pretty much the same scale as used by such blues players like Lightning Hopkins and lots of others whose names escape me right now.

My point is that if you need "guidelines how to start putting in Dorian licks into my blues playing" perhaps you should start by listening to some blues players and trying to copy bits of what they do.

Think of it as trying to play music rather than trying to play notes.

[jseth]

Along with Stanron's excellent reply, I would add:

It comes down to what SOUNDS GOOD to you, what you are trying to do with whatever tune you're playing, it really isn't about "throwing in a few licks"...

Listen closely to what your favorite blues players do (and what their favorite players do!), see if you can get a feel for what you want to do with your playing.

Just the fact that you're asking the question in this thread indicates that you don't actually know enough to go down that road... if you try to "put Dorian licks into your blues playing" without knowing what you're about, the results won't be what you want, I'm guessing.

If you want to use the modes and modal playing, then take the time to learn the modes, learn how and why they even exist and what they mean... it's not all that difficult to grasp.

Of course, you could always just learn a few licks and throw them in to the songs you play...

[min7b5]

I guess to nerd out a bit, you could use the G Dorian over the C7, C Dorian over F7, and D Dorian over the G7. Basically you'd be just getting the mixoydian starting on the fifth ...and there's a few other ways to spin that too, kinda just semantics.... Along those lines, I'd probably rather hear E Locrian over C7, A Locrian over F7, and B Locrian over G7, just because I'd rather hear the third on the down best instead of the five... Overall though I'd rather hear those respective arpeggios, stitched together with the blues scale, and a fresh local IPA to really impart a blues vibe.

[FwL]

Originally Posted by Uncle Clownmeat

I need some guidelines how to start putting in Dorian licks into my blues playing.

If I'm playing blues over chords C, F and G, what Dorian modes will work?

Thank you!

Two ways to consider:

You can play C major pentatonic and you can play C minor pentatonic over that progression. If you combine the two together you get a hybrid Dorian/Mixolydian scale 1 2 b3 3 4 5 6 b7.

If you play C minor pentatonic over that progression you just have to add the D note and the A note to get C Dorian. Figure out where those notes sit in and around the minor pentatonic scale. Try adding them in as passing tones as you noodle around with the pentatonic just as you might throw in the b5 here and there.
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[Mr. Jelly]

Here is a fun way to go at a lead line. Play any note anywhere on the fret board to either make sense or not "BUT" you must hit the root note of the chord on the first beat of the chord changes.

I've done this a time or two when I knew had a scale geek the audience. I've had them come up and tell they have to do more work on their scales after hearing what I did. Fact was they know ten times what I do about scales.