Modes: The Final Thread

[Bassist4Life]

Ok; you got me, of course this won't be the final thread on modes. However, this could answer many questions and greatly reduce the high volume of modal traffic that comes through General Instruction.

I don't know if you've ever heard of the bassist Bunny Brunel, but he has a website that can help with modal confusion. His website has several lessons with sound clips, notation, and a video where he demonstrates and explains things.

Go to http://www.cyberschoolofbass.com/lesson3/
to learn the major modes and one way to apply them in bassline construction. At first glance, it may look like another website showing more of the same information you've seen before. The video is where he ties the knowledge and the application together. Near the end of the video, Bunny creates a bass line using all of the notes in a given mode, then transposes that same bassline into the rest of the major modes. The "flavor" of the line changes a lot. It's a real eye/ear opener.

I hope a lot of people are able to benefit from this website.

Joe

[Bassist4Life]

Sly,
Yes, we all know that the modal thread is ongoing. I was hoping to lead as many people interested in modes to Bunny Brunel's website. It has the potential to answer so many questions. In lesson 3, Bunny shows ONE application of the modes in creating a bassline.

In the early 90's there was a CD out called "Chant". It was a CD of monks chanting and the chants were identified on the back of the CD by their mode. There was no accompaniment with the chants; only the chant. Each one had its own character and flavor. It wasn't my cup of tea, but it certainly opened my eyes up to some authentic/historical use of the church modes.

It was also cool to learn that when the modes extended beyond the ocatave range, they were called "hyper". When Mixolydian extended below it's root, it was hyper-mixolydian.

The amount of music theory out there is amazing. We could probably study it our entire lives and never really make a dent.

Joe

[jadesmar]

Hmm.. Does Dmin13 have a B natural?

[Correlli]

I'm always happy to share my knowledge on modes to anyone who has a question about it.

[Richard Lindsey]

I'll add that to really get a handle on how the sounds of the modes differ from each other, it's useful to practice them all from the same starting point (a cool tip I got from John Scofield):
Ionian (major): C D E F G A B C
Dorian: C D Eb F G A Bb C
Phrygian: C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
Lydian: C D E F# G A B C
Mixolydian: C D E F G A Bb C
Aeolian: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Locrian: C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

You can do the same thing with the modes linked with other scales, such as the "jazz minor" (ascending melodic minor). I don't recall all the names of these, if they even all have standard names:

Ascending melodic minor: C D Eb F G A B C
Dorian b2: C Db Eb F G A Bb C
Lydian #5: C D E F# G# A B C
Lydian dominant: C D E F# G A Bb C
? Mixolydian b6: C D E F G Ab Bb C
Locrian #2: C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
Superlocrian (altered): C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C

Then add to these the various associated chords slybass kindly listed, but reference them all to a C root for the purpose of this exercise. Thus the C lydian dominant mode above would be associated with C7(9, 13)#11, and the C mixolydian listed farther above would be associated with C7(9, 13) and Bb(maj or maj 7)/C.

This can of course be done in keys other than C; I just use C for convenience.

[sknkh]

Great thread with lots of good info. Thanks alot, and keep it up!