Ok so I know that melodic minor is basically a Dorian scale with a #7 but where is it used??
I know that it apparently had something to do with not playing a certain interval in the melody a long time ago and I
read in a composition book that composers often mix melodic and harmonic minor with natural minor. I have always seen harmonic but I've never been able to notice melodic minor being used in music. Its used in Jazz all the time but clasically and choraly speaking where is it used? I would ask about the modes but I think those were invented by jazz musicians. :hey:

Bach uses the melodic minor a couple of times in his pieces. You can think of the creation of the harmonic minor and the melodic minor as a movement toward desiring qualities of the major mode in the minor mode. (Notice that the harmonic and melodic minor "borrow" notes from the major mode - the only note that is not allowed to change is the third scale degree of the minor scale, the "modal degree" which basically makes the minor mode when you create a tonic triad.)

Also note that it's called melodic minor because it's used in melodies. And I believe that modal harmony is a medieval invention. ;)

You don't really "write in" the melody minor, however, you "use" the melodic minor scale.

Well, you could write a whole song in melodic minor but I'm referring to where to actually use the scale.

For some reason, harmonic minor resolves to natural minor or major in the context of using either a V7 in a minor key or a iv in a major key (ex: Fm - C) (E7 - Am) These are based in harmonic minor to my knowledge but where to you get melodic minor chords? Would it be something like (Ab - E)? That sounds like the Hindu (Mixo. b6) scale so is that using melodic minor? How is it most commonly used?