MODALMADNESS!ByJoeDeninzonOriginsofModalMusicModesareaveryeffectivewaytosetthemoodandaddcolortoyourimprovisations,regardlessofmusicalgenre.ThemodesofthemajorscalehaveoriginsthatcanbetracedtoancientGreece.Greekmusicaltreatisesdescribescalesystemssimilartothemodesweknowtoday.TheDorianscaleisnamedafteranancientGreeksubgroupcalledtheDorians.TheLocrianisnamedafterLocris,asmallregionincentralGreece.OthermodeswerenamedafterneighboringareasinAsiaMinorsuchasLydiaandPhrygia.InTheRepublic,PlatosuggestedthatsoldiersshouldlistentomusicintheDorianorPhrygianmodes(orharmoni)whenpreparingforbattle,andavoidtheLydian,Mixolydian,andIonian,whichwereconsideredweakorfeminine.PlatoandAristotlebelievedthatthemodesonelistenedtocouldshapetheircharacter,makethemfitforcertainjobs,andevencauseasocialrevolution.ChurchModesModessuchastheDorianandLydianwerecommonlyusedinGregorianchantandothersacredmusicinEuropestartinginthe9thcentury,whenearliertextswrittenbyascholarnamedBoethiusattemptingtotranslateGreekmusictreatisesintoLatinwerediscovered.ThemodesdescribedbytheGreekswereadaptedandusedbythechurchtodescribetheirsystem,whichinvolvedwhatweknowastheDorian,Phrygian,Lydian,andMixolydian.In1547,aSwisstheoristnamedHenricusGlareanus,andlater,andItaliantheoristGioseffoZarlinoaddedtheIonianandAoleanmodesandsolidifiedtheconceptofthechurchmodes.ThemostimportantcharacteristicsoftheChurchmodeswerethe“final”(therootnote),andthe“dominant”(the5thfromtheroot,orIsomecasesthe4th).Thefinalandthedominantwouldoftenbedronedwhilethemodalchantwassungbytheprimarysingers.

ModalJazzInthelate1950’s,jazzartistslikeMilesDavis,pianistBillEvans,JohnColtrane,andHerbieHancock,re-discoveredmodalmusicandwereamongthefirsttoincorporateitintojazz.GroundbreakingalbumslikeMilesDavis“KindofBlue”,JohnColtrane’s“Impressions”,andHerbieHancock’s“MaidenVoyage”createdthetemplateforModalJazzandcontainsomeofthegreatestjazzcompositionseverwritten.ModaljazzwasareactiontotheBebopmovement,whichwaspopularinthe1940’s.WewilldiscussBeboplaterinthisbook,butthestylewascharacterizedbymanychordchanges,chromaticlines,andoften,breaknecktemposshowcasingthevirtuosityofthemusicians.Modaljazz,however,sloweddownandsimplifiedtheelementsofbebopandmadejazzmoreaccessibletothemassesledtoacommercialresurgenceofjazzinthefiftiesandearlysixties,withartistslikeGeorgeShearingandDaveBrubeck.Insteadofhavingmanyfast-movingchordchangeswithintheformofasong,therewouldusuallybe2,3,or4chordstoworkwith.Eachchordwouldlastformultiplemeasuresandthechallenge,asintheblues,wastocreateinterestingsolosusingalimitedmelodicandharmonicframework.Modeslaterbecamepopularinrock,pop,folkmusic,andheavymedal.TheDorianmodecanbeheardinSimonandGarfunkel’s“ScarboroughFair”,PinkFloyd’s“AnotherBrickintheWall”,Sting’s“BeStillmyBeatingHeart”,amongmanyothers.AgoodexampleoftheLydianandIonianmodescanbefoundinFrankZappa’ssong“IncaRoad”.TheGratefulDead,Phish,andmanyotherJamBandshaveincorporatedmodesintheirextendedimprovisations.Locrian,Phrygian,andAoleonmodesarepopularinhardrockandmetal.SongslikeMetallica’s“MasterofPuppets”areanexamplewherethePhrygianmodeisused.Formorerecommendedlistening,seetheextensivelistattheendofthischapter.

Becauseoftheslowharmonicmovementofmodalsongs,Iliketousemodalmusicasawayofintroducingstudentstothetechniquesofplayingoverchordchanges.3WaysofLearningtheModesMethod1:UptheCMajorscaleTherearethreemostcommonapproachesforlearningandinternalizingthemodes.TheeasiestistolearnthembasedonthenotesoftheCMajorscale(allthewhitekeysonthepiano).IfyouplayaCmajorscale,thisisknownastheIonianmode.ThatsamesetofnotesstartingandendingonDisknownastheDorian,etc.Eachmodecorrespondstoachord.Inthefollowingexercise,Ihavewrittenoutthearpeggioofthechordthatcorrespondswitheachmode,followedbythemodeitself.Ex1:ModesoftheCmajorscalemovingupthescale

& c wwwwC IONIAN

3

œ œ œ3œ œ œ

CMaj7

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

8wwwwD DORIAN

3

œ œ œ3œ œ œ

Dmin7

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

15wwwww

F LYDIAN

E PHRYGIAN œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ

Emin7b9

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

22wwww

G

MIXOLYDIAN

3

œ œ œ3œ œ œ

FMaj7#11

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

29wwww

A AOLEAN

3

œ œ œ3œ œ œ

G7

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

36wwww

B LOCRIAN

3

œ œ œ3œ œ œ

Amin7b13

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

43wwww 3œ œ œ3œ œ œ

Bmin7b5

w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

Modes of the C Major scale moving up the scale

Chapter 2: Ex 1

Thismayseemliketheeasiestapproachtoconceptualizethemodes,butyoushouldalsothinkoftheminthefollowingways.Method2:ModesoffofthesamenoteModalmusicisdifferentfromtonal/diatonicmusic,sincethechordsdonot“resolve”andstayinoneplacemostofthetime.Thereareno“cadences”andcommonmotionslikethatfromthefive-chord(dominant)totheonechord(tonic).Inthefollowingexercise,playALLthemodesoffofthesamenote.Inordertodothis,payattentiontotheINTERVALSbetweenthenotes.Inthefollowingexercise,Ihavewrittenouttheseintervals.MyadviceistoMEMORIZEtheseintervalssothatyoucanplayanymodeinanykeyatanytime.Ex2:Modesoffofthesamenote:C

& cC IONIAN WHWH H WH

œ œ œ œWH WH H

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3

3

D Maj7

wC DORIAN

WH H WH WH

5

œ œ œb œWH H WH

œ œn œb œ œ œb œ œb œ œb3

3

D min7

wC PHRYGIAN

H WH WH WH

9

œ œb œb œH WH WH

œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œb œb œ œ œDMin7b9

wC LYDIAN

WH WH WH H

13

œ œ œ œ#WH WH H

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ3

3

DMaj7#11

wC MIXOLYDIAN

WH WH H WH

17

œ œ œ œWH H WH

œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œb œ œ3

3

D 7

wC AOLEAN

WH H WH WH

21

œ œ œb œH WH WH

œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œb œ œb3

3

Dmin7b13

wC LOCRIAN

H WH WH H

25

œ œb œb œWH WH WH

œb œb œb œ œ œb œb œb œ œb3

3

Dmin7b5

w

Modes off of the same note (C)

Chapter 2 Ex 2

Method3:Groupingmodesinto“families”ThethirdwayIrecommendlearningthemodesistogrouptheminto4familiesbasedontheirmostdefiningcharacteristics.The“Major”family:IonianandLydian.Thesemodesarecharacterizedbywholestepsbetweenthefirstthreenotes,andaraised7thdegree.BothcanbeplayedoveraMajor7thchord.DefiningNotesThedefiningnoteoftheLydianistheraised4thdegreeofthescale,alsoreferredtoasthe#11.IfyouseeachordinachartthatsaysCMaj7#11,youknowthatyouwillbeimprovisingwithaCLydianmodeoverthatchord.IfyouonlyseeCmaj7,youcanplayanIonian,butarestillfreetothrowinaraised4thforaLydiansound,whichalwaysworkswellandgivesthemusicadreamyatmosphere.The“Minor”family:DorianandAeolianThesearetwomodesthathaveawholestepfollowedbyahalfstep.Bothsoundlikeminorscalesandareaccompaniedwithminorchords.DefiningNotesWhilebothscalesstartwithamajorsecondintervalfollowedbyaminorsecond,theirdefiningnoteisthe6thdegreeofthescale(alsoreferredtoasthe13th).InDorian,itisraised.InAeolian,itisflatted.IfyouseeachordinachartthatsaysCmin7(alsosometimeswrittenasaC-7),Cmin9,orCmin11,youwouldimproviseusingaCDorianmode.IfyouseeaCmin7b13,Cmin9b13,orCmin11b13,youwouldimproviseusingaCAeolianmode.

TheDominantfamily:theMixolydianTheMixolydianisbasicallyamajorscalewithaflatted7th.Thechordthatcorrespondswiththisisalsoknownasadominant7chord.Inmostnon-classicalmusic,itissimplywrittenasa7chord.IfyouseeaC7inachordchart,itmeans“dominant7”.PlayaCMixolydianifyouseethefollowingchords:C7,C9,C13,orCsusTheb9family:PhrygianandLocrianThetwoscaleswheretheseconddegree(alsoreferredtoasthe9th)isflattedarethePhrygianandLocrian.ThePhrygianismostcommoninSpanishFlamencomusicandheavymetal.IfyouseeachordinachartthatsaysCmin7b9,Cmin11b9,orCsusb9youwouldimproviseusingtheCPhrygianmode.TheLocrianmodeismostcommonlyusedinaii-V7-Iprogressioninaminorkey(seechapter4).IfyouseeachordthatsaysCmin7b5(otherwiseknownasChalfdiminishedorCø),youwouldimproviseoveraCLocrianmode.Wewillcoverthismodemoreinchapter4.Insummary,hereisalistofthemostcommonchordsyouaremostlikelytoencounterwhensomeonehandsyoualeadsheetorchordchartand.Ihavealsolistedwhatmodessoundgoodplayedagainsteachgroupofchords.AllofthesemodesarewrittenoffofC.

EX3:Themodal“families”Ifyouseethischord…

CMaj7 CMaj7#11 Cmin7 Cmin7b,Cmin7b6

C7,C9,C13,Csus

Cmin7b9,Cmin11b9,Csusb9,DbMaj/C

CMin7b5(Cø)

Playthismode

CIonianorCLydian

CLydian CDorian

CAolean CMixolydian

CPhrygian CLocrian

& c"Major" family: Modes with raised 3rds and 7ths.

IONIAN œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œCHORDS: C Maj7

œ œ œ œ œ œ3

3

Modes with lowered 3rds.

LYDIAN

6

œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ

CHORDS: C Maj7#11

Also sounds good over regular CMajor 7

œ œ œ# œ œ œ3 3

"Minor" family

DORIAN

11

œ œ œb œ œ œn œb œ œ œb œn œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œCHORDS: Cmin7, Cmin9,, Cmin11

œb œ œb3

3

Dominant family Mixolydian mode: raised 3rd, flat 7th.

AOLEAN

16

œ œ œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œ œbCHORDS: Cmin7b13

œ œb3

3

b9 familyModes with flatted 2nd degree of scale, also referred to as "b9th", as well as lowered 3rd.

MIXOLYDIAN

21

œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œCHORDS: C7, C9, C13, Csus

œb œ œ3

3

PHRYGIAN

26

œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œbCHORDS: Csusb9, Cmin7b9

œb œ œ œ

LOCRIAN

31

œ œb œb œ œb œb œb œ œ œb œb œb œ œb œb œ

CHORDS: Cmin7b5

œ œb œb œb œ œb3

3

The Modal "families"

Chapter 2: Ex 3

raised 4th (also referred to as #11)

flatted 3rd flatted 7th

flatted 3rdflatted 6th flatted 7th

flatted 7th

flatted 2nd

(or 9th)

flatted 3rd flatted 6th flatted 7th

flatted 3rdflatted 2nd

(or 9th)flatted 5th

flatted 6thflatted 7th

& c .. œ œ œ .œ jœG7

œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œC7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œG7

˙ ‰ œ œ œb

5

œ œ œ œb œ œC7

œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œG7

˙ Ó

..9œ œ œ œ œ# ŒD7

œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œC7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œG7

˙ ÓC7

Mixoyldian Blues in GJoe Deninzon

Chapter 2 Ex 10

RecommendedListening:Dorian“SoWhat”(MilesDavis)“Footprints”(MilesDavis)“Impressions”(JohnColtrane)“Invitation”(BronislauKaper)“KingKong“,CosmikDebris,BlessedRelief(FrankZappa)“BeStillMyBeatingHeart”(Sting)“ScarboroughFair”(Simon&Garfunkel)“EleanorRigby”(TheBeatles)“LightMyFire”(TheDoors)“BillieJean”(MichaelJackson)“BorntobeWild”(Steppenwolf)“Rooster”,“DowninaHole”(AliceinChains)“YYZ”(Rush)AnotherBrickintheWall”(PinkFloyd)“Fêtes” (Claude Debussy) “15 Step” (Radiohead) “Give it to me Baby” (Rick James) “Reptilia” (The Strokes) “Little Sunflower” (Freddie Hubbard) (“A” section is Dorian, “B” section is Lydian/Ionian) “Equinox” (John Coltrane) “Actual Proof” (Herbie Hancock) “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (Marvin Gay) Phrygian“FortheLoveofGod”(SteveVai)“WhiteRabbit”(JeffersonAirplane)“CallingtoYou”(RobertPlant)“WhereverIMayRoam”(Metallica)“SullenGirl”(FionaApple)“Would?”(AliceinChains)“Caravan”(DukeEllington)(“A”section)“LondonCalling”(TheClash)“WhiteRabbit”(JeffersonAirplane)“SymphonyofDestruction”(Megadeth)

Lydian“Divertimento”(TorrieZito/EddieDaniels)“LordsofKarma”,“FlyinginaBlueDream”(JoeSatriani)“Dreams”(FleetwoodMac)“ReelingintheYears”(SteelyDan)“ThemefromTheSimpsons”(DannyElfman)“ThemefromTheJetsons”(HoytCurtin)“Maria”from“WestSideStory(LeonardBernstein)“IncaRoad”(FrankZappa)Mixolydian“NorwegianWood:(Beatles)“MaidenVoyage”(HerbieHancock)“AllBlues”(MilesDavis)“MercyMercyMercy”(JoeZawinul)“DancingintheStreet”(MarthaReeves&theVandelles)“YouReallyGotMe”(TheKinks)“BabaO’Reilly”-violinsolo(TheWho)“ShakeYourBody(DowntotheGround”(Jackson5)“SweetChildofMine”(GunsNRoses)“BornThisWay”(LadyGaga)Aolean“SmellsLikeTeenSpirit”(Nirvana)“SelfEsteem”(TheOffspring)“One” (Metallica) “Losing My Religion” (REM) All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)