Originally Posted by jazzfunkboy

i think alot of it is just by ear. like your question about the Am7b5, you could use the locrian mode. but there are tons of other scales you could use also (second and fourth modes of the the harmonic minor scale, etc.). i think alot of it is personal preference. im finding more and more everyday that jazz theory is so complex because its so abstract. alot of it is just doing what you feel.

now i have a question: nt sharp 9 chords? do they include the major third as well as the sharp 9 (minor third)?

example: E7#9 = E G# B D G?

i think its just an excuse to play in the dorian mode without saying it .