I was always taught that in order to differentiate between the minor modes in a chord voicing you need to include its characteristic minor seconds.

Using C as a common root for easy comparison,

C Dorian would be best voiced as Cm13 or Cm69
C Natural minor would be Cm9b13 (which isn't available so you can use D7susb5b9/C instead)
C Phrygian would need the root/b9 and the 5/#5 s which is also unsupported so you can use C7susb9b13

If you're using moving chords over a static root to define the mode it's possible to outline these characteristic minor seconds in other ways. For C Phrygian for instance, you could use DbMaj7b5/C alternating with G7susb5b9/C, or DbMaj7b5/C with Fm9/C I'd suggest rapidly alternating these chords as Fm9/C used on its own too long wouldn't suggest C Phrygian.

As for creating phrases to go with the backing I presume you mean using the soloist to come up with material.
If so there might be a way of doing that. If you go to the part of the soloist dialogue that deals with 'melody influences solo' and choose 'custom', then click on the '+' tab then you can get the soloist to track the notes of the mode as long as they appear firstly in the melody channel. Simply input them first, they don't have to be rhythmically accurate as you can ensure that the soloist doesn't match the rhythm of your notes only the pitches themselves. Ty it and see what you come up with.

The other thing you can do is to use the Soloist Maker part of the dialogue box, and Press 'edit'. Make sure the 'outside range' option has values of 1 to 1 only. Remember that its the notes the soloist stresses on the strong beats that will determine how 'inside' it sounds. A sixteenth note phrase that includes just one chromatic passing tone en route to a chord tone will not sound 'outside' the harmony IMHO.

Alan

Last edited by alan S.; 08/26/12 07:01 AM.