Abstract In this paper the Selective Modal Analysis (SMA) method is used for reproducing the eigenvalues involved in subsynchronous control interactions (SSCI) between DFIG-based wind farms and series compensated transmission lines. The SMA method provides a reduced system matrix containing a desired part of the eigenstructure of a system without computing the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the full system. The key concept for obtaining such reduced matrix resides in an appropriate identification of a subset of state variables and eigenvalues of the system. The intrinsic problems in identifying the corresponding subset for analyzing the SSCI phenomenon are explored and illustrated using a simplified radial system. In addition, a systematic approach for obtaining a subset with minimum dimension is proposed. The methodology consists in a two-phase iterative procedure that reduces the computational load and promotes the convergence of the SMA method to the desired eigenstructure. The proposed algorithm is validated on a relative large power system derived from a practical network.