Re: What's this jazz about the modes?


<g@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1127937301.178974.184800@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
(some material snipped)
> He taught the concept of chords within the key and the scales one might
> use to improvise a melody over them. He started the class on some
> simple songs that stayed within the chords of one Major scale. But, as
> you might guess, instead of telling the class to improvise using the
> notes of that scale, he taught them to use a different mode over each
> chord, even though the notes were exactly the same.
>

For me "modal" means not tonal. So improvising on a modal piece like "So
What" does not involve functional harmony, only the D & Eb Dorian scales,
perhaps with pan-diatonic Dorian accompaniment, but certainly not ii - V - i
in D minor.

> As an example, let's take "Fly Me To The Moon", a fairly lame standard
> whose changes and melody are quite "standard" indeed. Except for the
> occasional E7 chord, it stays almost entirely within the same scale.
>
> Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7
> FMaj Bdim E7 Am7
> etc...
>
> So I wonder, how does it help me to think of that first line as A
> Aeolian, D Dorian, G Mixolydian, CMajor (Ionian) etc (yes, I had to
> look up the names), instead of just A minor, or C Major? I think the
> argument will be something like this: If I choose to play one of the
> notes from that scale, let's say B, it will function in different ways
> over each chord. The mode will help me understand its "function", i.e.
> how it will sound with that chord.
>
As this is a tonal piece, I find it easier to think of the C major scale as
the overall pitch universe with changing tones of importance - A, D, G, etc.
(chord roots). The scale used on the first chord is really C with an
emphasis on A, not A Aeolian, as the vi - ii - V - I functions are as
important as the melodic scale tones. And the melodic pitches are
ultimately aiming at C as well.

Not sure if this answers your question or further confuses the issue!

Tom


.

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