I understand your point of view. For me there are a couple of things that make the difference...how to use the 6th...so important. You know right away what is the main key. Of course, you can bring more than 1 color inside your improvisations...if you switch between them...better. I'm thinking mainly about a bluesy language or pentatonic scales.

Not sure I'd be using the 6th at all with pentatonic blues licks.

How's this twist for your Gm7 ...Dm7b5?

Gm7 add an Eb bass GBbDF/Eb=EbMaj9
Dm7b5 add Bb bass DFAbC/Bb=Bb9

Your progression becomes EbMaj7..Bb9, or I , V
Many ways to interpret a progression

Steve A

How's this twist for your Gm7 ...Dm7b5?

Gm7 add an Eb bass GBbDF/Eb=EbMaj9
Dm7b5 add Bb bass DFAbC/Bb=Bb9

Your progression becomes EbMaj7..Bb9, or I , V
Many ways to interpret a progression

Steve A

Yeap, that's it...and that is also why I called this Gm7 a IIIm7 and this Dm7b5 a VIIm7b5...because it is all in relation with Eb...the I chord. But when you play this phrygian mode in Gm it's important to keep in mind the note G as a "root"...or resolution.

I like to start progressions on something else than I...lol. It's not commercial but I don't care.

If you say Gmi is the resolution, then it should be labeled
i....v in G phrygian. Chord numbers aren't necessary based on the Major key.
The value is visualizing the chord functions on the Stick fretboard, how they relate to vocabulary, like scales, arpeggios etc. combined with a creative ear and technique

Steve A

I'd say it's the general point of view but there are other ways to play with this. I give you a simple example. Tango music...many times this style of music finish on a V7 chord...it's a suspended feeling...kind of. We don't ear the Imaj after and it's ok.

The example I give with this Gm is a Im but as a phrygian mode and not like aeolian or dorian. I like to play with modes and give different colors of the melodies I can write or improvise on it. Maybe I break the rules but maybe not. What is so interesting in this Gm is the scale I use on it. The Ab note following the G is just right what I want to ear. On the other side I cannot end a phrase on this Ab when I'm in Gm. Just logical. I stay conscious about the chords behind my improvisation or if I write a melody. I like to give to the listener a sensation of sound instability. Is there a musical law saying that we can't do it? I don't think so. You can do what you want in music. As soon as you can explain it clearly, everything's possible.

If I want to note it the way you told me I'do it this way

Gm -- Dm7b5
Im -- Vm7b5

Cm7 -- Ab6/9 #11
IVm7 -- II6/9 #11

Fm7
VIIm7

It works but so complicated to read at sight. And to respect the phrygian mode.

You're right...I was not thinking about a blues progression when I wrote this.

That's what I go for. And that's more modus operandi.