Modal Helper

evolucian

These tracks were done a while ago, and their quality is not great. But they should help nonetheless.

Now what I did was take a I-IV-V progression from the root of the scale needed to explore. I added pics of the chords used. Though it is a brief outline, it should help the beginners or mostly anyone interested in exploring different sounds.

You can use different scales on some of the progressions (where a major scale can be substituted for a minor scale) but I leave that up to you for now.

PS: I feel that some of the chords may have been wrong but the idea is still applicable. And please remember the quality is poop. They will be redone,and available on my site with a decent download speed. Here are the box net links in the meantime. Enjoy and I hope it helps at least one person ?

Tab: http://www.box.net/shared/f36zypy7rt

Mp3: http://www.box.net/shared/zclguona7r

***EDIT***

Forgot to clarify a few things. All the modes start on C so you will be using C Ionian, C dorian, C phrygian... etc etc.
So in effect you will be learning 7 keys you wouldn't have normally learned. For added quality, play the chords yourself, learn how their sound is. Then play the scale over it.

When playing the C Locrian scale, it is very difficult to not land on Db in order to resolve. Our ear naturally wants to do that. However, here the track makes sure you can not land on Db because it would sound unresolved!

Locrian is very very dark... and playing too much on this one is depressing, lol. You feel a bit out of it after jamming too long on this one. Warning given ?

Also, take these tracks and loop them through your recording programme. Windows media player loops these badly in that it loses the beat.

Please feel free to comment or negate. All is welcome

MikeM

<3 Karma'd!

NorioDS

Wow, lots of effort went into this - Awesome! Thanks!

Renesongs

Very nice indeed - Your tracks have that great Mclaughlin Davis Fusion head music feel. I tried substituting relative modes but your firm rooting of the c note in each case make me stray back, loved the Lydian Locrian grooves two modes I frequently neglect because of their close proximity to Phrygian and Ionian 8)

evolucian

Renesongs wrote: Very nice indeed - Your tracks have that great Mclaughlin Davis Fusion head music feel. I tried substituting relative modes but your firm rooting of the c note in each case make me stray back, loved the Lydian Locrian grooves two modes I frequently neglect because of their close proximity to Phrygian and Ionian 8)

Thanks dude ?, thats the coolest comp I've ever had. I'm glad you guys liked em.

On a side note Rene... The ionian jam is the jam I discovered that dorian/blues/maj3rd scale concoction works well here. I didn't wanna give it away in the beginning of the thread but I guess I did now, lol. ?

[deleted]

Hi evo, also loved the Lydian. Lot's of fun singing the normal C major scale over it to see how it fits in. Really good fun.

evolucian

Thanks Viccy ? glad you enjoyed it.

To anyone who has trouble working out the scale diagrams (the complete fretboard) to the various keys used in this modal expedition... I've included them on a page on my site, here's the link http://www.stonethrow-music.com/lessons/modes.html

So to anyone who is lost with all this mumbo jumbo... patience is a virtue. Your ears will eventually get used to the sound. Ear training is the vital point to be made here... and that can't be rushed at all.

Jack-Flash-Jr

Very cool evo... I will heartily recommend your site.

NorioDS

Very nice, Evo ? Thanks!

Squonk

Good Stuff EVO

Makes quite a lot of sense, the good part is having the backing track for practicing over.
Very good site! The E-Book looks pretty good as well ?

arjunmenon

Good stuff, Cap'n Evo.
Loved the Lydian-Locrian.

:goodtimes:

Squonk

Good Stuff Evo

Practiced the Lydian tonight with the MP3 and it makes it a lot easier.

But I do notice that some notes sound a bit off when playing with the Chord Sequence C F#m 7/5 and Gsus2. Does that mean there are certain rules to each chord or do you use your ear to judge?
Sorry for real dumbass sounding questions, this is my first attempt at practicing modes.

evolucian

Its a good question dude, not dumb at all. Does it sound off when you hit the #4 against the C? Thats the note that sparks the lydian for what it is, compared to the major scale.

I think my chord melody may have hampered the use of the #4 against the C... but you can still use it. Lydian has a very mysterious quality to it, the #4 flavours all three chords to an extent.

In C its the #4/#11 (more of this just now), against the F#m7b5 its the root and against the Gsus2 its the maj7.

The C while being played has a moving melody to it of G, A and B which is, in essence, Cmaj7, Cmaj7 add13, Cmaj7... how the F# note relates to those extra notes would be a minor2/b9 interval between the G, a 3rd to the A, and a perfect 4th/11 to the B. This is a strange scale to begin with... its sound is literally special. It drools. A good example would be Steve Vai's "The Riddle", although he widdles into oblivion on that track.

I would say that some notes would sound strange... and the lydian is one of those scales that requires quite a bit of study and ear training (there was a book written on the lydian alone, although it included chromatics [George Russels Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization] *nowhere near to completing it*).

Others may feel differently about it though and may offer a different insight. Just the way I see it, is the Ionian followed by mixolydian... aeolian, dorian, phrygian, locrian and then lydian.

Phrygian and Locrian are seperated by one note but their sound is virtually the same except for the b5 in locrian.

The Lydian and Ionian are also seperated by one note... being the #4. It offers a world of difference. Don't really know why but the sound says it all.

I could try make a simpler backtrack to the lydian without all the fluffy notes I added.... This way you would be able to play the #4 without consequence and be able to hear it properly.

My apologies if it messed anyone else around.

evolucian

Squonk, I made a little jam on the lydian track. I hope this may help a bit.
http://www.box.net/shared/e6uah93gle

The entry of it I just play the scale str8 over it in order to let you capture the sound of the lydian scale. After that I played a little... bum notes/playing and everything. The fade out is because the track follows up with chromatics and I didn't wanna confuse the issue here so I took it out.

I hope this helps a little dude, ?

chris77

Reading these posts make my eyes water! ? And to think most of my guitar playing buds ask me for advice because they think I know a lot of theory. Man, if they only knew.... ?.

Squonk

Cant wait to try again tonight

Thanks Evo.

@ Chris77 - my head was hurting just attempting all of this.