Did I manage to confuse
@kevgermany ?
Maybe about tricks and substitutions....
If we think "modal" as an improvisation language, there are techniques that have been developed through the years. like (but not only)
Minor pentatonic 5th up
Minor pentatonic 2nd up
Pentatonics in&out
Dorian as a II of a 2/5/1
Dorian as a I
Approach notes
The whole book "A chromatic approach to jazz improvisation"
Harmonic superimpositions (also explained in the book)...
About substitutions, the harmonic approach:
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 can become
D7 G7 Cmaj7
D7 Db7 Cmaj7
Ab7Db7 Cmaj7
|Dm7 Eb7| Ab B7|E G7| Cmaj || (this is nasty)
Or all the rules you find on the internet and in books
Most of the tricks mentioned are actually a distraction when trying to play the right notes in the right place, but the final goal should be swapping from modal (horizontal) approach to harmonic (vertical) approach.
Then forget everything and play.