Music Theory - Basic, Intermediate, Advanced.pdf

Music TheoryBasic Level June 2005 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Intervals................................................................................................................................................. 4 Theory................................................................................................................................................. 4 Usage .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Chords .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Theory................................................................................................................................................. 7 Triads .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Four-note chords .......................................................................................................................... 8 Usage .................................................................................................................................................. 8 The Major Scale.................................................................................................................................. 10 Theory............................................................................................................................................... 10 Usage ................................................................................................................................................ 13 The Minor Scales ................................................................................................................................ 15 Theory............................................................................................................................................... 15 The Natural Minor Scale ............................................................................................................ 15 The Harmonic Minor Scale ........................................................................................................ 16 The Melodic Minor Scale............................................................................................................ 17 Usage ................................................................................................................................................ 17 References ............................................................................................................................................ 20 2 Introduction This document is part of a compilation of a series of threads that deal with music theory and that were originally published by Eowyn on www.mysongbook.com. The compilation has been reorganized into three separate documents: • • • Basic Music Theory – this document Intermediate Music Theory Advanced Music Theory This has been done for two reasons: 1. The size of one single file was too large for download 2. The material covered by the different topics is of varying levels of complexity and targets different audiences. The text of the original threads has been modified and/or extended in several places where it was deemed appropriate for increased readability. The rather crude layout of the original text (due to the limitation of the forum) has also been improved. Finally, the text has been proof-read by Arnold and Blackiel. This is by no means an exhaustive treatise about music theory and harmony. Much more modestly, the purpose of this series of topics is to give those willing to better understand what they are doing with their guitar, the ability to get this knowledge into a quick and concise form. The underlying objective is lead work and improvisation in a rock music context (broadly speaking), but most topics are of a more general nature and they can also easily be adapted to other musical genres. There are numerous books and web sites about general music theory and more specialised topics. Interested readers will find a short reference list at the end of the document. Copyright Notice The information contained in this document and this document itself can be freely downloaded, used and copied for private educational purposes only. Selling of this document is strictly prohibited in all circumstances. 3 Intervals Theory Intervals aren’t much fun to learn but they are essential and we'll need them: • • • in the context of scales in order to define chords to help in analysing phrases and solos and most importantly, we absolutely need to know how to play them. So please, bear with me and read on. As you probably know, the whole western musical system is built on 12 notes: C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B Some points worth noting: • Some notes have two names (e.g. C# - "C sharp", or Db - "D flat"). This is required for theoretical reasons that we will not go into but in practice they are one and the same note. • • This ordered sequence of notes is called a scale; this particular one is the "chromatic scale". We'll get into scales in future topics. Between any pair of consecutive notes in the scale above, there is an equal distance of a halftone (H); two halftones form a whole tone (W). Because of that equal distance of a halftone, this scale is called equal-tempered. Why there are only twelve notes and why there is that equal distance of a halftone between any pair of adjacent notes is a very complex subject that we won’t go into here. The "distance" between two arbitrary notes is called an "interval". When the notes are played sequentially, the interval is called "melodic". When they are played simultaneously, it is called "harmonic". The name of an interval depends on the number of notes it contains, including the end notes; for example, the interval C - F contains 4 notes (C, D, E, F), and will be called a “fourth”. The type of an interval depends on the number of H's and W's that it contains. An interval can be "minor" (m), "major" (M) or “perfect” (P); in addition, intervals can be “augmented” (aug or # or +) (raised by an H) or “diminished” (dim or b) (lowered by an H). When nothing is specified, the interval is considered to be major or perfect. Here's a table of the intervals you should know: Name Distance Example M2 H CDb 2 W CD m3 W+H C-Eb 3 2W C-E 4 2W+H C-F b5 3W CGb 5 3W+H C-G M6 4W CAb 6 4W+H C-A m7 5W CBb 7 5W+H C-B 8 6W C-C The “8” is not called a perfect eighth but a perfect octave or simply octave. Intervals can span more than one octave. A "9th" is a 2nd an octave higher, an "11th" in a 4th an octave higher and a "13th" is a 5th an octave higher. I've never seen intervals larger than a 13th being used in practice... and in blues and rock music, you'll rarely need more than the m7. 4 G.D. C# . A . • A diatonic H is when you raise (or lower) a note by an H and change its name.And finally this: make sure you know the difference between a "chromatic" H and a "diatonic" H: • A chromatic H is when you raise (or lower) a note by an H without changing its name. Interval-wise this means that between any two adjacent strings the interval is a perfect fourth (4). as long as you stay “under” the B string. the corresponding interval is an ascending (or descending) H.A# are all chromatic intervals. Playing the 3rd fret on that string produces a m3 (an F). two frets higher gives you an E.. where there it is only a major third (3). For example. Please note: C . and the note is an F#. C . whenever you move up (or down) by one fret on the fret board.G. C . 4. Damn theorists! Usage We'll use intervals a lot when we'll talk about chords and scales. two frets lower gives a C.C#. This diagram is valid anywhere on the fret board. : 5 . 3. and let’s take that as the basis for our intervals: • • playing the note one fret higher gives you an D# note (or Eb).Db. Db . and the resulting note is a G. F# . As a guitarist (especially lead guitarist). playing the 4th fret on the D string results in a 3. 5 and m7 with respect to any given note anywhere on the fret board. A .Db.Bb are all diatonic intervals. you have to be able to instantaneously locate the m3. but not theoretically. A distance of two frets on the fret board corresponds to a whole tone (W). except between the G and B string. In standard tuning a guitar is tuned EADGBE from 6th string to 1st string (the 6th string being the low thick string). As you probably know.. one fret lower gives a Db (or C#). playing the 5th fret on the D string represents a 4. For example. • playing the 5th fret on the G string (that’s two strings away) produces a m7 (a D) The following diagram represents all this information graphically. Gb . You will need this for fast and correct soloing! Let’s assume you are currently playing the 5th fret on the A string (that’s a D note).C# is musically identical to C .D. For example. for example: I strongly recommend you do this exercise for yourself for all the strings at all the fret positions. +2. This form of intervallic analysis is useful in relating a melody (or a solo) to the fret board of the guitar.Whenever the B string is involved (a note lands on the B string or the interval crosses that string) we need to remember that between the G string and the B string there is only an interval of a 3rd. +3. Play that melody on the guitar. if the melody goes C E G E G A G. Now write down the sequence of intervals formed by the notes of the song. and a minus sign otherwise. but take a simple one to start with. and makes it easier to memorize the melody. That changes the shape of the interval patterns. using a plus sign whenever the interval is ascending. -3. Take any melody you know. 6 . -2). +3. the corresponding sequence of intervals will be (+3. Another useful exercise I recommend you do is intervallic analysis. but the most frequent ones are the dom7. What that means exactly is something we'll talk about in another section. There are of course many different ways to build chords. you create a melodic line that needs to remain connected with the chord progression played in the background. Four-note chords are less frequent in rock. Two notes played simultaneously don't really constitute a "chord" but rather a harmonic interval (sometimes called a “dyad”). a 3rd. there is an equivalent formula. funk and jazz music. minor. 7 . when that first third is a minor third.. there are four possible types of triads: major. 5+ and b5. For example. R + 3rd + 3rd = 3 notes chord. Needless to say. Let's build the most important types of chords. But chords are also very important for the lead guitarist. jazz and other genres. a 5th and a 7th. we'll stick to the most common approach of stacking up intervals of 3rds (m3 and/or 3) above a starting note called the "root" (R). In other words. 5). then the equivalent formula will be (R. because the lead phrases must blend with the harmony and not clash with it.Chords Intervals are used to define chords. the chord is major. For now. Higher order extensions (chords with a 9th. the root). a 3rd and a 5th.. Theory You play a chord when you play at least three different notes simultaneously. let's look at the chords themselves. in which all the constituent notes are related to the root. Triads are the most frequent chords (in rock music at least) and consist of a root (R). when improvising. but abound in classic. knowing chords and how to build them is very important for the rhythm guitarist.. 3. maj7 and dim7. m7. because if you add a m3 on top of a 3 you get a 5 with respect to the starting note (i.. usually called a triad R + 3rd + 3rd + 3rd = 4 notes chord R + 3rd + 3rd + 3rd + 3rd = 5 notes chord . if the construction formula is R + 3 + m3. When the first third in the chord is a major third. The root gives its name to the chord.etc. There are seven possible types of four-note chords. These chords consist of a root. an 11th or a 13th) can be found in blues. For each chord type. but very rarely in rock. the chord is minor.e. and so on. However. E) A5 = (A. but can also be the 3rd string. and here we have an example where it isn’t! Usually. 3. E. 5th or 4th string. but this isn't necessarily the case. and suppose we want the 3rd (F) to be in the bass on the 5th string. Eb. the chord is said to be "inverted". dim7) Example A7 = (A. E.Triads Type Major Chord Minor Chord Power Chord Formula R + 3 + m3 R + m3 + 3 R + 5 + Octave Equivalent Formula (R. In other words. we have assumed that the root is the lowest note in the chord. C. C#. A) PLEASE NOTE: the power chord has no 3rd. you can change that order. 5) (R. proceed as follows: • • Find the chord's constituent notes first. C/G means a C chord with a bottom G. and is therefore neither major nor minor! Four-note chords Type Dominant 7 Maj7 chord Diminished chord th Formula chord R + 3 + m3 + m3 R + m3 + 3 + m3 R + 3 + m3 + 3 R + m3 + m3 + m3 Equivalent Formula (R. 5. the chord itself is major! Musical conventions are not always consistent. m7) (R. An inversion certainly changes the way a chord will sound. 5. 5. When the lowest note is not the root. Here we have the opposite: A7 means “an A major chord with a minor 7th”. 5. which brings us on the 4th string at the 7th fret The D can be played at the 7th fret of the 3rd string Finally. then the 5th of the chord. the interval is major. but does not change its quality: C/G remains a C chord. In all the examples so far. 5) (R. G) Am7 = (A. the "maj" refers to the interval of a 7th. C. when nothing is specified. m3. There are as many possible inversions as there are notes in the chord. We can work out a fingering pattern as follows: • • • • The F on the 5th string is at the 8th fret The A is a minor third higher. dim5. select a string where you'll play the root (or lowest note in case of an inversion). if fingering requires. E) Am = (A. there is a C note waiting to be played at the 8th fret of the 1st string . You can also double up certain notes at the octave (but never double a 7th). while Amaj7 means “an A major chord with a major 7th” and Am7 means “an A minor chord with a minor 7th”. C#. Gb) Minor 7th chord PLEASE NOTE: in "Amaj7". C. C#E. m7) (R. G) Amaj7 = (A.G#) Adim = (A. Usage In order to build a chord on the guitar. • Locate the 3rd of the chord on the next string. 3. m3. E. 8) Example A = (A. Next. m3. For example. 3. This is typically the 6th. it is not mandatory to play the notes of the chord in the order of the theoretical chord formula. Here is an example: suppose we want to build a Dm7 (D – F – A – C) on the fret board. Inversions are notated with the "slash" notation. 7) (R. The actual way you decide to play the chord is called its voicing. 9 . Excellent voicing and voice-leading skills are required for chord-based improvisations (frequent in jazz). and are also important in classical music.The resulting diagram is: The B string should not be played. and the way the various voices of the chords move when changing chords is called voice-leading. there are other major scales starting with C. This C major scale is not the only possible C major scale. However. we need to sharpen the F note. the scale will be "major". We'll get into to that later on. we check that the interval between each pair of consecutive notes corresponds to the prescribed pattern. and gives its name to the scale . in fact this is not the case. Some scales are neither major nor minor because they contain a minor third and a major third! Other scales don’t contain any third. We find that this is almost the case. we write down the plain notes: G A B C D E F (G) Next. First. the scale will correspondingly be "minor". let's build the G Major scale. . let us write the intervals between each pair of consecutive notes in the scale.so this is a C scale. If the first 3rd of the scale (with respect to the tonic) is a major third (3). if it is a minor third (m3). the resulting scale is: G A B C D E F# (G) As you can verify. So. but the Major Scale is the mother of most of them! Theory A scale is a sequence of notes organised in ascending pitch order. So the scale above is a "C Major scale". that gives us: W W H W W W H and leads to the following extremely important definition: For a scale to be major. and between F and G where we have the opposite situation. With that definition we can build all the major scales we want. its notes must be laid out according to the interval pattern (W W H W W W H). Let's start with the following scale: C D E F G A B (C) The first note of a scale is called the tonic.The Major Scale The chromatic scale is unquestionably the cradle of all scales. the only discrepancies are between E and F where we have an H instead of a W. For example. This is why we will call it the C major scale (more on the other “major” scales later on). Instead of writing the notes of the C Major scale. Although you may think that any scale is either major or minor. this scale now corresponds to the prescribed pattern. this particular C major scale has become extremely important in what is called tonal music. and has acquired a dominant position over all the other major scales. if we wrote F and F#. and sharpen up every note that needs it (according to the major scale pattern). So theoretically there are 24 different major scales. for example. this table only contains the most common forms of the major scales. there are 24 different notes. the following table lists them all: C major G major D major A major E major B major F# major C# major F major Bb major Eb major Ab major C G D A E B F# C# F Bb Eb Ab D A E B F# C# G# D# G C F Bb E B F# C# G# D# A# E# A D G C F C G D A E B F# Bb Eb Ab Db G D A E B F# C# G# C F Bb Eb A E B F# C# G# D# A# D G C F B F# C# G# D# A# E# B# E A D G C G D A E B F# C# F Bb Eb Ab In fact. In theory. So we "cheat" and we write E#! Finally. we can have only one occurrence of each note (name).In a G Major scale. we inspect the scale. since each note has two different names (F# can be called Gb. let's build the F# Major scale. you can use sharps or flats. please note that not all major scales are build with sharps. we would violate this rule. For example. and since each note can become the tonic of a major scale. the Ab Major scale is: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Similarly. This is called the "key signature" and it immediately tells us that the tune is written in G Major (or a relative of G Major . there are twelve different major scales. the F note will always be sharp. this is indicated at the clef by placing a sharp sign on the F line. The plain notes are: F# G A B C D E (F#) Starting with the tonic. on a music staff. for example. but by convention in any scale. Building a major scale can sometimes be a tad bit more complicated. but not both! Since the chromatic scale contains twelve distinct notes. The end result is: F# G# A# B C# D# E# (F#) Surprise! This scale contains an E# note! Isn't that strictly equivalent to F? Absolutely.more on this later). G Major (in this case) is the "key" or “tonality” of the tune. 11 . and C can be called B#). the F Major scale is: F G A Bb C D E (F) Tip: in a scale. and nor 12. sometimes you need to use flats instead. G. A) = Dm (E. all the other chords are minor (and the chord on the 7th degree has a flatted 5th). called the harmonisation of the major scale: • • • • • • • (C.We already talked about chords. you will also find minor chords notated IIm. F. The Roman numeral notation is very convenient. on each degree of the scale. D. stacking up 3rds). uppercase numerals indicate major chords. For example. E) = Am (B. B.e. B) = Em (F. in general: I ii iii IV V vi vii(b5) In this convention the Roman numerals represent the degrees of the major scale (of any major scale. but is diatonic to D major). we write. for example F# is not diatonic to C major. in that case the chords are: Imaj7 ii7 iii7 IVmaj7 V7 vi7 vii7(b5) In A major. E. since the notes of any major scale will correspond to the same interval pattern (make sure you fully understand this!!). This gives us the following series of chords. we can also use four-note chords. and lowercase numerals indicate minor chords (sometimes. and you should know this sequence by heart. the harmonisation of the A Major scale produces the following triads: A Bm C#m D E F#m G#m(b5) Instead of harmonising a scale with triads. we build a triad the way we did in the section on chords (i. A. and we restrict ourselves to notes belonging to the scale (notes belonging to a scale are said to be diatonic to that scale. 4th and 5th degree of the scale are major. C) = F (G. it will let you anticipate the chords to be expected in any given key. D) = G (A. So instead of writing the actual chord names. Here's one link between the two. Chords and scales are related in many ways. F) = Bm(b5) Let’s write them down in sequence: C Dm Em F G Am Bm(b5) As you can see. G) = C (D. we have: Amaj7 Bm7 C#m7 Dmaj7 E7 F#m7 G#m7(b5) 12 . This will clearly be the case for any major scale. Let’s take that C major scale again: C D E F G A B (C) Now. etc. the chords on the 1st.). C. in fact). IIIm. especially if you're after long lyrical melodic phrases like in classical music. You'll probably find out that the Major Scale is actually much more difficult to use for soloing than you may think . or the 5th.g. To obtain a basic harmonisation for a given melody: • • • Concentrate on the strong beats (downbeats) of each bar. Identify the melody notes that fall on the strong beats Pick up a chord from the scale harmonisation. or the 3rd. but that's too high for you to sing comfortably. D D E Em F F#m G G A A B Bm C# C#m(b5) A A B Bm C# C#m D D E E F# F#m G# G#m(b5) 13 . such that the melody note is either the root. each C#m chord in the key of A becomes an F#m chord in the key of D. D major): A Major Scale A Major Harmonisation D Major Scale D Major Harmonisation So. you can "translate" it note for note and chord for chord in another key (e. A second usage is harmonising a melody. Finally. Those are the 1st and 3rd beat of each bar. Say you have a tune in A major.Usage The first obvious usage of this information is transposition. the major scale can be used for improvisation. or the 7th of that chord. and so on.it is very easy to sound "cheesy" with it! The following diagram represents a very simple and compact “implementation” of the major scale on the fret board (there are of course many other possibilities). and to make that obvious I have represented the degrees of the scale instead of the names of the notes. This diagram is of course moveable along the fret board. Another possibility is as follows: 14 . let’s build the D natural minor scale. Conversely. we explore the minor scales. Every major scale has a relative natural minor scale whose tonic is located a m3 below the tonic of the major scale and containing the same notes as the major scale. For example. where we have a whole tone and we need a halftone instead. So we flatten the B. We first write the plain notes: D E F G A B C (D) We see that the only discrepancy is between the A and the B. We say that this scale is a relative minor scale to C Major. the note located a m3 below C is A. But we can also describe the structure of this scale. and whose notes are the same as those of the current major scale. given a major scale. every minor scale has a parent major scale whose tonic is located a m3 higher than its own tonic and containing the same notes as the minor scale. as follows: E F# G A B C D (E) So. giving: D E F G A Bb C (D) 15 . as we did for the major scale. in this case we find W H W W H W W That gives us another mechanism for building natural minor scales. Theory The Natural Minor Scale A smooth an easy way to approach the minor scales is to start from… the major scale! Here is the C Major scale again: C D E F G A B (C) Let's build a scale whose tonic is located a m3 below the current tonic. the E natural minor scale is a relative minor scale to G Major. since its first 3rd (A – C) is a m3. we can always determine its relative natural minor scale. and we’ll meet some new chords. Simply write down the plain sequence of notes first. Things are going to become slightly more complicated. it is minor by construction. and the new scale becomes: A B C D E F G (A) This scale is called the "A natural minor scale".The Minor Scales After the Major scale. so the new tonic is the A. For example. by writing down the series of intervals between each pair of consecutive notes. and then alter them so as to obtain the pattern above. or (equivalently) a 6 above it. which is (conversely) its parent major scale. these are just the exact same chords as for the major scale. as we did for the major scale: for example.5+) Caug Iv (R. As we will discuss in a future topic.5) Dm V (R. the harmonic A minor scale for example becomes: A B C D E F G# (A) Interval-wise. a chord with a raised 5th. as in the major scale on the third degree we have an augmented chord.m3.3.b5) Bm(b5) III(#5) (R. a 2 below the octave). but "shifted" by a m3. We lack this ability with the natural minor scale. We can also harmonise the natural minor scale. 16 . early music theorists of the XVIIth century have invented the harmonic minor scale: it is similar to the natural minor scale. This is a very unstable chord. we now have: W H W W H WH H A side effect of this modification is a more complex harmonisation of the scale. as expected (D is located a minor third lower than F).m3. this has two main disadvantages: • • the W step from the 7th degree to the octave is relatively difficult to negotiate for a singer when going up the scale compared with the major scale. The Harmonic Minor Scale To compensate for this.5) F vii(b5) (R. and therefore one of the strongest features of the major scale.This scales happens to contain the same notes as the F major scale.P) Am ii(b5) (R. the ascending H melodic movement from the 7th degree to the tonic is one of the strongest and most conclusive ways to establish a tonality. the natural minor scale lacks a clear resolution from 7 to tonic.3. harmonising with triads gives us: Chord Formula Example I (R. In the natural minor scale the 7th degree is located a m7 away from the tonic (or equivalently.e.m3. with triads or four notes chords.m3.5) E VI (R. except it has a raised seventh.b5) Gm(b5) Two things to note: • • the fifth degree now supports a major chord. in A minor we have Triads Four notes Am Am7 Bm(b5) Bm7(b5) C Cmaj7 Dm Dm7 Em Em7 F Fmaj7 G G7 Generalising that as we did for the major scale. i. and using the roman numerals notation: Triads Four notes i i7 ii(b5) ii7(b5) III IIImaj7 iv iv7 V v7 VI VImaj7 VII VII7 As you can see.3. m3. With the harmonic minor scale we have again this conclusive melodic H movement from 7th degree to tonic but we also have a nasty WH interval between the 6th and 7th degree! This was not considered very convenient. this is dominant seventh chord (e.5 III aug R.m3. G7). 7 Am(maj7) ii7(b5) R.m7 IIImaj7 R.5 vi(b5) R. Usage As stated previously (and should now be obvious).5.g. this chord is not build in thirds only.m7 V7 R.3.3. 5.b5 vii(b5) R.m3. but they also offer much more expressive power than the simpler major scale.5. the 6th degree of the harmonic minor scale was in turn raised by a H.b5 and the four-notes counterpart: imaj7 R.m 7 Dm7 E7 Fmaj7 R.3.m3. giving birth to the melodic minor scale: A B C D E F# G# (A) Compare this scale with the A Major scale: A B C# D E F# G# (A) As you can see.3. IIImaj7( #5) R.3.5. the only difference is the flatted third .m3. 6) as the tonic chord.b5.5+.m3.7 IV7 R.7 ii7 R.5.m3. m7 Bm7(b5) Cmaj7( #5) Again.3.b5.5 V R. a couple of remarks: • • the first degree supports a new chord: a minor chord with a major seventh on the seventh degree.m3.m3.3. the minor scales are significantly more complex than the major scale. m7 G dim iv7 V7 VImaj7 Vii dim The Melodic Minor Scale To address the nasty WH interval problem in the harmonic minor scale. 17 .5 Ii R.m3.7 R. we have a fully diminished chord.5.Harmonising with four notes chords gives: Chord Formula Example imaj7 R.#5. in which all the notes except the root are lowered by a H (unlike the m7(b5) where only the 5th is lowered).3.b5.m7 vii7(b5) R. The triad-based harmonisation of the melodic minor scale is: I R.m7 R.b5.7 R.m7 vi7(b5) R.5.m3. which is characteristic of the melodic minor scale.5.m7 You will also often see i6 (R.5. and has led to a third version of the minor scale.m3.#5 IV R. apart from the m3.m3. but highlights the sixth of the scale.the melodic minor scale sounds very major.3. their usage was extremely codified: one would use the melodic minor scale only for ascending movements. Nowadays.The natural minor scale was very popular in the western middle-ages (as we will see later. it corresponds to the old Aeolian church mode). the major scale and its relative minor scales are of course completely equivalent. and vice-versa. The two other minor scales are a more recent invention of the classical period. If you use triads. Therefore. and only use the harmonic minor over the V chord. and is a simple adaptation of the major scale pattern described previously: Another fingering (similar to the second diagram of the major scale) is as follows: 18 . so you won’t upset anyone by playing it. you will probably stick to the natural minor scale. When the harmony is minor. in practice. You can therefore use a relative minor scale over a major harmony. and the natural minor scale for descending movements (for that reason. except over the V chord. the melodic minor scale is sometimes called the ascending melodic minor scale). the possibilities are: 1st Degree i7 imaj7 2nd Degree ii7(b5) ii7 3rd Degree IIImaj7(#5) 4th Degree iv7 IV7 5th Degree V7 6th Degree VImaj7 vi7(b5) 7th Degree VII dim vii(b5) From an improvisation standpoint. The natural minor scale enjoys a new popularity. you are free to use and mix all these scales as you want. The following diagram represents one way of playing the natural minor scale. you have the following harmonic options: 1st Degree I 2nd Degree ii(b5) 3rd Degree III III aug 4th Degree Iv IV 5th Degree v V 6th Degree VI vi(b5) 7th Degree VII vii(b5) If you use four-note chords. This gives you a lot of freedom. For example you will probably find that the harmonic minor scale doesn’t sound very well. In fact. you really have to take the harmonic constraints into consideration and choose the scale with care. the rules for using the minor scales aren't so strict anymore. 19 .You can easily find the fingering patterns for the two other minor scales (harmonic and melodic). musictheory.net www.com www.References Books: Clefs Pour l’Harmonie - Jo Anger-Weiler Internet Sites www.dolmetsch.teoria.schenkerguide.com www.com www.tonalityguide.com 20 . Music Theory Intermediate Level December 2005 . ....... 15 Theory.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Theory........................... 17 Augmented chords .......................................... 4 Theory......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Pentatonic Minor Scale .......................................... 24 The CAGED system ............................................................................................. 23 Usage ................................................................................................................................... 11 Non-diatonic progressions ..................................................................................... 15 Recommended Movements ............................................. 4 Phrasing ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Chord migration ..................................... 16 Usage .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Chord Progressions and Tonality .................................................................................................................. 16 Diminished and Augmented Chords ..................................................................................................................... 4 Characteristic Notes .. 20 Pentatonic and Blues Scales .............................................................................................. 3 Target Notes ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Theory..................................Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Melodic Movements ............... 8 Diatonic Progressions ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Dominant 7th Pentatonic Scales....................................... 5 Usage ............................................................................. 11 Dominant Substitutions....................................................................................................... 15 Forbidden Movements ........................................................................................................... 25 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Chord families ............ 21 Blues Scales .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Usage ................................................................................ 15 Tolerated Movements ................................................................................................. 21 Pentatonic Major Scales ...................................................................................... 17 How to build them.................. 9 The role of the bass .................................................................................................... Selling of this document is strictly prohibited in all circumstances. the purpose of this series of topics is to give those willing to better understand what they are doing with their guitar. the ability to get this knowledge into a quick and concise form. used and copied for private educational purposes only.mysongbook. Copyright Notice The information contained in this document and this document itself can be freely downloaded. 3 . This is by no means an exhaustive treatise about music theory and harmony. Interested readers will find a short reference list at the end of the document. The size of one single file was too large for download 2. the text has been proof-read by Arnold and Blackiel. The material covered by the different topics is of varying levels of complexity and targets different audiences. The text of the original threads has been modified and/or extended in several places where it was deemed appropriate for increased readability. Finally.com.Introduction This document is part of a compilation of a series of threads that deal with music theory and that were originally published by Eowyn on www. The compilation has been reorganized into three separate documents: • • • Basic Music Theory Intermediate Music Theory – this document Advanced Music Theory This has been done for two reasons: 1. Much more modestly. The underlying objective is lead work and improvisation in a rock music context (broadly speaking). There are numerous books and web sites about general music theory and more specialised topics. The rather crude layout of the original text (due to the limitation of the forum) has also been improved. but most topics are of a more general nature and they can also easily be adapted to other musical genres. so the characteristic notes of the chord are the notes 1. As a lead guitarist. The rules are only there to provide guidance. you will have to make do with the chord progression currently played by the band. In the topic after that we’ll discuss the general “rules” regarding melodic movements. Cm7 all have the same root note C. In the next topic we will explore chord progressions themselves. where the third and the seventh can be minor or major. and so forth. the fifth can be perfect. It is neutral because it remains the same in a very large number of chords: C. In most cases however. Fundamentally. In order to create a good solo it helps to be a good composer. The 5th in the chord is called a second-order characteristic note. 3. And improvisation can be learned! I have broken down the theoretical aspects in three topics: • • • In this topic we will address the problem of selecting the target notes of the solo based on the chord progression. When you are composing a piece of music. All the chords mentioned previously actually . You will recall that chords are usually build by stacking up thirds. but still pretty stable across different types of chords. This might be called constrained composition. in many cases they can be broken. Cmaj7. C7. augmented or diminished.Target Notes I like to define improvisation as "instantaneous composition". The root of the chord is a neutral tone. however. Theory Some solos are purely rhythmic and chord oriented. 9. with all the implied musical skills. 7. etc. But guidance is useful when you learn something new. it is less uniform than the root. you are of course totally free to pick any harmony you want.. Cm. the lead player is expected to create a melodic composition that blends with the harmonic structure of the piece of music currently played by the band. 5. this boil down to two separate but related aspects: • • Note selection (characteristic notes) Phrasing Characteristic Notes The characteristic notes of a chord are the notes that help uniquely identify and characterise that chord (hence the name). but additionally you must be able to act on the spot in front of an audience – despite the stage fright and the stress! Those who have tried it know that this is far from easy. and poses two related challenges: • • Select the right notes at the right moment Play as musically and meaningfully as possible Music is and remains an art. The notes of the lead lines will inevitably interact with the chords played by the background and we want to make sure this interaction is as smooth and musical as possible. The root does not characterise the chord very well. and the theory is only there to acknowledge and establish what seems to work well. and the effects applied to it. the first note of the bar is strong. its rhythmic value. but also on its placement in the bar. Phrasing The impact of a note in a solo not only depends on its pitch and function. In ¾. As we will see shortly. snare on the 2nd and 4th beats. 3rd and 5th always sound right. and are frequent in jazz music but you're not likely to see them as often in rock music.Eb. while the 2nd and 4th beat (the upbeats) are definitely weak.G#) and Cm(b5) = (C. In other words. the rule above is of high importance for quarter notes and longer. In a 4/4 bar. or else the 5th or the root. it will cause less aural damage than if it's a longer note. because it will resolve very quickly in harmonically more acceptable sounds and go almost unnoticed. these notes play a fundamental role in improvisation.E. In practice. The general rule when soloing is to place characteristic notes on the strong beats of the bar. the theory requires you to try and place the 3rd or the 7th of the underlying chord on the downbeats. In rock music. while the seventh adds a lot of colour and accounts for totally different functions in the harmony. 5 .Gb) are examples. This together is called "phrasing". so we'll focus on that. the 1st and 3rd beats (the downbeats) are strong (although the 3rd beat is slightly weaker than the 1st). and slightly more flexible for short notes (8th notes and faster). while the other two are weak. you will want to handle the 7th with care: the major 7th may sound too jazzy. the root. and the minor 7th may require an unwanted resolution (see next topic). The third immediately tells whether the chord is major or minor. But there are certainly C chords with a different fifth: Caug = (C. Higher order chord extensions such as the 9th (not to mention the 11th and 13th) are also considered first order characteristic notes. Rhythmic Value If a bump note is an 8th note or a 16th note. you will typically (although not systematically) avoid the 9th and higher order extensions. Placement Rock music is predominantly 4/4 (four to the beat) music. This simply means that the 1st and 3rd beats get more emphasis than the other two beats. You can clearly hear that if you listen to a typical percussion track: bass drum on the 1st and 3rd beats. The 3rd and 7th in a chord are the first-order characteristic notes of the chord. These become your target notes. On the other hand. • Therefore.share the same 5th (G) in addition to sharing the same root. they give the chord its colour. this technique produces a very driving effect. Don’t be discouraged if you find this hard to do: it is very hard to do and requires a lot of practice! 3. you may decide to start on the second half of the first beat. However. Mentally select the characteristic notes you will play. As you get comfortable with this. Everybody needs to learn. Effects We guitarists are happy to have several fretting-hand and picking-hand effects at our disposal: slides. beyond that. or on the first upbeat. applying effects on characteristic notes will dramatically enhance their role and importance. bends. A very effective trick when you’re not sure about the target notes is to start your musical phrases slightly after the downbeats. create longer and more complex phrases. this sequence of target notes becomes the melodic backbone of your solo. the distance becomes too large for the ear to be sensitive to the relationship between the notes. that way you will always know where you are going. rakes. when you're asked to play lead in a chorus: 1. Usage Granted. so it will do no harm constructing your solo on the principles mentioned above. pull-offs. strictly speaking the rule above is only valid when the notes are within an interval of two octaves. 5th and 3rd of the chords. and place them on the strong beats. You “think” the melody you want to play. Playing only long characteristic notes with expression and effects is much preferable over a waterfall of fast but meaningless notes! 6 . Fluency comes with practice. not running up and down some scales. its impact will be much less dramatic due to its more favourable position in the bar. Moreover. you name it! Again. In general. if you’re not yet a seasoned lead guitarist I strongly recommend sticking to the rule. 2. when using 8th notes.initially try to use as few notes as possible. For mainstream rock music. and try to be consistent with the melodic flow of the target notes: you want to tell a story. For example. tapping.• Also. It is very commonly used in blues. Fill in the "gaps" with short connection phrases . a solo should ideally flow naturally as an instant composition. and only use 7th (especially major 7th) sparingly. even for short duration notes and high pitches. But beware of clichés. Quickly analyse the harmonic progression (the chords you need to play over). Other genres will have their own stylistic requirements and opportunities. and here it comes on the fret board… But as you will probably acknowledge if you have tried it. you will probably want to stick with the root. harmonics. or downright on the upbeats. hammers. Even if the first note you play is off. muting. Try to locate and visualise those target notes on the fret board a little before you play them. and identify their characteristic notes. there is quite a distance between your brain and your fingers. This is because the human ear tends to remember the first note much more than the other notes.It should be obvious that all the notes of a C chord (in whatever order) will work on the first bar. The combination of a C chord and an Em7 chord would produce a Cmaj7(9) chord – very jazzy indeed! We will explore all this in more details in the next topic. you might decide to play an Em7 chord (E G B D).. when the band plays that C chord./ G7 . Please make sure you only relax the rule when you have become sufficiently comfortable with it! Here is a very simple example. you will be able to enrich the arpeggios with compatible chord extensions. 5./ G7 . When the length and complexity of your solo phrases increase./ Dm .... similarly.. 7 . you will occasionally produce very pleasant phrases. You may even decide to play chord substitutes. it remains critical to select your starting notes carefully. Take the same progression as above: C . whenever that happens. An arpeggio is simply a chord whose notes are played sequentially instead of being played simultaneously. for example./ C .4. repeat that phrase. exploit it and create all sorts of variations for it../ C . Suppose the chord progression of the song is: C .. especially if the tempo is fast. but the importance of the other target notes decreases somewhat. a simple melodic fragment using only quarter notes or longer could then be: efgb/a---/gad-/c--Another simple and very effective approach to soloing is to play arpeggios.. Referring to chord theory (see Basic Level material). not chords).....One possible backbone for the lead could be: e–g-/a---/g–d-/c--(lower case indicates notes... etc. When working out your solos this way. all the notes of a Dm chord (in whatever order) will work on the second bar. Based on this sequence of target notes./ Dm . Chord Progressions and Tonality We are now going to discuss the "rules" that govern harmonic progressions. after the most successful musicians have established them (usually by breaking the existing rules!). only a half tone away from the octave). making innovative music consists in creatively breaking the rules! But as always.C interval These facts account for a large part in the theory of chord progression.B interval will want to become an E . you have to learn how to walk before you can run. In the harmonisation of the scale: . Please make sure you've read the sections on Major and Minor scales before moving on. owing to the presence of the leading tone (the 7th degree of the scale. or a 4th above it 2. while the upper end will move a halftone up. stretching the augmented fourth into a perfect fifth. but the discussion below also applies to the harmonic (and melodic) minor scales. so for example the F . and tonal harmony in general. In particular. bearing in mind once again that in music theory most of the rules really come after the facts. Remember that the harmonic minor scale was invented to benefit from the same sort of strong conclusive movements that are possible in the major scale. as follows: the lower end will move a halftone down. Diatonic Progressions We will concentrate on the major scale here. and wants to resolve into a stable consonant interval. an augmented 4th interval (often called a tritone) such as F .B is extremely unstable (dissonant). remember the basic scale harmonisations: Major Harmonic minor Melodic minor imaj7 ii7 IIImaj7(#5) IV7 V7 vi(b5) vii7(b5) Imaj7 imaj7 ii7 ii7(b5) iii7 IIImaj7(#5) IVmaj7 iv7 V7 V7 vi7 VImaj7 vii7(b5) viidim Theory Before looking at the chord progressions themselves. Making technically acceptable music consists in following the rules. the 7th degree (called the "leading tone") has a very strong tendency to move a halftone upwards towards the tonic 3. here are three fundamental facts about tensions and note movements that you should be aware of: 1. a note always has a tendency (however faint) to move and resolve into another note located a 5th below it. in a major scale. Rules in music theory usually acknowledge best practices from their time. called the subdominant chord. For example: G -> C the V7 chord contains the so-called tritone. They are very unstable in the sense that they imply a resolution on the tonic chord. Dsus2 (D – E – A) also belongs to the tonic group. Therefore. These chords are collectively called "tonic chords". He very often opens the song. The chord on the 5th degree (dominant chord) has one single supporter: the vii(b5) chord. Imaj7.. etc. you will always have this power game between the I chord (who currently reigns).) are called "subdominant chords". C6 (C – E – G – A) does not contain the 4th nor the tritone. All the chord sequences in the song tend to progress directly or indirectly towards the I chord.. has one main supporter: the ii chord. Similarly. they are somewhat less stable (tonality wise) than the tonic chords. • the I chord is the strongest of the three. he himself or one of his delegates. The strongest supporter and herald of the I chord is the V chord. 2. The iii7 and vi7 have several notes in common with the I chord. and therefore belongs to the tonic group. they are very stable chords.• taken together. All the other chords which are not build strictly out of thirds can always be associated with one of these three groups. 4th and 5th degrees contain all the notes of the scale (you may want to verify this). Chord families The entire tonality is divided into three political parties. ii7. the I chord rules. by definition they contain neither the 4th degree of the scale. etc. in C Major. nor the tritone. In any scale.). the I chord is also a bit suicidal: its own root is attracted a 4th upwards. chords in this group contain the sub-dominant as well as the tritone. I6. towards the IV chord. Because they contain the subdominant. Because of its instability. 9 . They are self-sufficient: the simplest melodies can be harmonised with these three chords only. They form the "dominant group". for the same reason. while its upper end will move up an H towards the tonic. For example. Whenever you hear the V chord. The strongest way to establish a tonality is to play the progression V7 -> I However. For that reason they are sometimes called "generator chords". These chords and their variants ( IVmaj7. Consider this: • • the root of the V chord calls for a resolution onto the tonic in a descending 5th movement or ascending 4th movement. He also shows up at regular intervals during the execution of the song. and the I chord itself can come in several varieties (I. 1. the triads on the 1st. supporting one of the generator chords. 3. The chord on the 4th degree. the tritone needs urgent resolution: its lower end will move down by an H. a very unstable interval of an augmented 4th (and the only interval of its kind in the major scale). He represents the tone centre of the song. this is the interval (F .B). in the kingdom of tonality. the I chord is usually on its way. and almost always terminates it. and the IV chord (who wants to take control). by definition they contain the 4th degree but not the tritone. ../ G ..IVmaj7 / V7 . all the chords in a given group are equivalent. Example 1: Enrichment Suppose we have the following chord progression: G .. which is a bit dull./ I ./ V7 .This is the (in)famous I – IV ./ IV ./ I ./ I .IVmaj7 Or we might choose to do both.. Here are two examples. So the progression becomes: I ../ D7 .Em7 which are equivalent tonic chords in G Major (they all belong to the tonic group). giving: I ./ IVmaj7 – ii7 .vi7 / ii7 .../ IV ...Of course...../ iii7 – vi7 . we could (for example) decide to replace the second bar with: Bm7 . in that case.- 10 ../ I .. you need to do that in agreement with the other musicians! Simultaneously playing a chord and a substitute of that chord will usually not produce very good results! Example 2: Simplification Suppose we have the following chord progressions: Imaj7 – iii9 . That means they can usually replace each other.../ V7 . we could have replaced the bar with the IV chord with ii7 .. In order to make it more interesting./ V7 ..vi7 .... But the progression dwells over the I chord for two bars.We could have chosen to highlight the subdominant chord (C) instead....Such a rich harmony will not leave much room for the lead guitarist to be creative..V progression in G Major./ Imaj7 . when you want to alter an existing harmonic progression./ G ./ iii7 . for example in order to give the lead more room and emphasis.. or simplify an harmonically complex progression.... so for the duration of chorus we may decide to simplify the harmony into the harmonically equivalent sequence: I ./ iii7 .../ C . and we can take advantage of that to: • • enhance a somewhat dull and boring chord progression.Harmonically. . If the ii chord is voiced ii/5 (A in the bass) and the V7 chord is voiced V7/3 (B in the bass). and the second movement is reduced to a second (from D to C).. Using the basic principle of the V ... Let’s analyse its impact (assuming root position for all chords): • • the first chord change implies a strong movement of a 4th (from the 2nd to the 5th degree. from classic to jazz./ Dm .I cadence.the strongest possible movement (from G to C in the example)! The overall effect of this progression is quite strong..The role of the bass The actual effect of a substitution will depend primarily on the movement of the bass (which does not need to be the root of the chord. the effect will be moderate if the bass moves by a 2nd. The effect is much less dramatic. Progressions that enforce and establish a tonality are called "cadences".For example: Dm .. Look at the following progression: C . and the progression becomes very soft..... a 5th or an octave. the first movement disappears since the bass will stay on the D note../ V7 . Here's a progression that should be familiar to you: ii ./ C . Non-diatonic progressions In the previous discussion... the amplitude of the bass movement is limited to seconds (from A to B to C).. we can actually go a step further. substitutions have a very strong effect if the bass moves by a 3rd or m3..../ Am . that is G7/D). we have seen that the V .This progression (called "two five one") is pervasive in all musical genres./ G7 ./ E7 ..- 11 . the effect will be subtle You can control this impact by carefully selecting the voicing of your chords: the larger the movement in the bass..I progression is an extremely strong and effective way to establish a tonality.. the more dramatic the effect../ I ./ G7 . If you invert the V7 chord into a V7/5 (a V7 chord with its 5th in the bass. that is from D to G in the example) the second change implies a movement of a 5th ./ C .. of course): • • • if the bass moves by a 4th../ A7 . | vi . because that vii7(b5) chord really doesn’t sound so good (although you may have a different opinion.. From a harmonic analysis standpoint..| V7/ii . Let's have a closer look at what happens here...| ii ./ Dm .. but we have introduced additional local tone centres in the harmonic progression../ A7 ../ V7/ii .. and not just the V7? For the case above...e.... And yet. especially since it is preceded by the ii chord.. Now./ C . and the Dm chord is preceded by its own V7 chord in the D harmonic minor tonality (that is to say A7)./ C .. this will be represented as follows: I .Harmonically..V7/vi | vi .| V7 . this is not a very frequent substitution./ Am .. Ab. we seem to have a problem. The Db7 chord is made of the notes (Db.. Everything happens as if Am and Dm temporarily became the new tone centres...The main tonality is and remains C Major throughout.| I . that gives us (for example): C . but the E7 and A7 chords contain notes that don't belong to C Major (E contains a G# and A7 contains a C#)!!! What happens here is that some chords are preceded by their respective V7 chords. ii -> V7 -> I is even better! So how about also introducing the ii chord of the local temporary tone centre../ I Dominant Substitutions We know that vii7(b5) is a dominant chord (it belongs to the dominant group) and it can therefore be a substitute for V7... Those foreign V7 chords are called "extended dominant chords". we analyse this progression as follows: I . But look at this: C . the Am chord is preceded by its own V7 chord in the A harmonic minor tonality (that is to say E7). So. if V7 -> I is a great way to establish a tonality.By the looks of it.. the halftone bass movement in particular is very interesting and soft. even though they are not diatonic to the original tonality../ Dm ... this progression sounds great. Db7 replaces a G7: it is located at a place where you would expect a perfect cadence (i. 12 ../ Db7 .| ii7/vi . of course)... V7 -> I). F../ V7 .. in that Db certainly doesn't belong to C Major.| V7/vi ... B)./ Bm7 – E7 ..... But again../ G7 .There is apparently something very wrong with it: it looks like a C major progression. However.../ ii . Chord migration We have seen that chords can be subdivided into three basic categories: tonic. In general. But you should also be careful to select the other notes so as to avoid chord migrations. At this point we also need to link back to the previous section (characteristic notes)..etc We analyse this harmonic progression as follows: • • The extended dominant for Fmaj7 (first chord of the second bar) is C7. since by definition they belong to the chords.g. there are quite a few possibilities! All these extensions and substitutions and bass movements can be used to spice up the harmonic structure of a song. you can replace E7 with Bb7. Then Dbm7 is the ii7 in the tonality for which Gb7 is the dominant chord! Pfew!! Usage As you can see. they will always sound OK. The target notes are always characteristic notes. we can apply a similar trick with substitution dominants. and as such calls for the urgent resolution we have already described. in A major. at least technically. and is therefore functionally equivalent to it. subdominant and dominant. How much spicing is a matter of taste. We have seen above that it is possible to associate the local ii chord to an extended dominant. While chords of a given category can always be freely substituted for one another. but you can't really dissociate the chords (harmonic background) from the melody. I suggest using these harmonic devices with care in mainstream rock music. it is always possible to replace a V7 chord with a major chord rooted a halftone above the tonic of the current key. and the ii – V – I cadence then becomes Bm – Bb7 – A. The progression can be affected by these extensions. the substitution dominant is Gb7.Bbm7 Eb7 / Dm7 . So this chord actually creates the same effect as a V7 chord. This is called a "substitution dominant".. We have concentrated on the chords and their progressions here. for example: Cmaj7 . Melody notes do cause chord extensions (e. Although you are ultimately the only judge. similarly. an A note over a C chord will actually create an overall C6 chord. and you need to consider the whole thing globally.Dbm7 Gb7 / Fmaj7 .So this chord actually contains the (unstable) tritone in C Major (F – B). they should never be replaced by chords of another category. because they will quickly start to sound very jazzy. The Db and Ab notes being foreign to C Major will also be more than happy to resolve one halftone down onto C and G respectively. 13 . For example. a G note over an A chord will result in an A7 chord). Please note that this is different from playing the 4th instead of the 3rd: in that case. avoid the leading tone (7th) On dominant chords. Similarly. we effectively transform it into a Dm6 chord. Playing the tonic (C) over G7 will in effect resolve the chord and destroy the resolution effect that was planned by the band. since the chord now contains the tritone (the interval F – B is now part of the chord). these rules apply mostly for downbeats and relatively long notes. consider the following: • • • On tonic chords. to avoid chord migration. the harmonic effect of this is disastrous. 14 . avoid the subdominant (4th) On subdominant chords. we make that chord a member of the subdominant group (since it now contains the subdominant) and the result will be far from pleasant. you are playing a sus4 chord (whichever way you go after that). If the current chord is Em (another tonic chord). this chord belongs to the subdominant group. If we play a long F note over it. This implies a resolution that is not likely to happen (the next chord the band is going to play is probably not a C). If we happen to play a long B note over that chord. Let us now consider what happens when the current chord is the V7.Suppose the harmony is in C major and currently rests on a Dm chord. which belongs to the dominant group. suppose the current chord of a C major progression is C. because the subdominant will clash with the 3rd. avoid the tonic (because playing a tonic will unduly anticipate the resolution: you will be playing ahead of the harmony) Again. the subdominant note (F) will introduce the tritone and the chord will now belong to the dominant group. So. augmented 4th. despite being clearly very large. The “theory” of melodic movements is very old. Originally it aimed at determining which intervals would be considered appropriate (and feasible) for the human voice to sing. it is recommended that one of the two resulting intervals be a 2nd. we will limit our study to the most important aspects. and for the human ear to hear. and what makes up a good melody. For example.e. Recommended Movements All the movements implying intervals that are easy to sing are favoured. In general. step movements are preferred over leap movements. if only one intermediate note is used. But before breaking the rules. Forbidden Movements All movements implying large intervals (from major 6th upwards) or dissonant intervals (augmented 2nd. Some parts of this theory may be considered outdated by today’s standards. the melodic movements of several voices simultaneously). the melody is said to make movements. major and minor 7th) must be avoided. other intervals will be tolerated. in C major. it is very easy to sing. In this section we will try to analyse why this is the case. Large intervals such as a 7th or a 9th should be broken down in two (or more) smaller intervals. There are two types of melodic movements: • • Step movement: the melody moves from one note to an adjacent note by a 2nd Leap movement: the distance between two consecutive notes is larger than a 2nd. and a few intervals will in principle be forbidden.Melodic Movements While some melodies sound great others are just average (to say the least!). it is useful to at least understand them. As an exception the octave is also accepted. major or perfect. or applicable in specific genres only (mostly classic). This is clearly useful to a lead guitarist who wants to play melodic solos. As this is a fairly complex subject. it is equally important to songwriters who want to write the next summer hit. those intervals can be minor. some intervals will be favoured. and it is even important to bass players (we have already briefly touched upon this subject in the previous section). This theory also constitutes the foundation for the study of harmonic movements or voice leading techniques (i. the ascending interval (C – B) should be broken down into (C – A – 15 . when the melody contains leaps. Theory When two (or more) distinct notes are sung or played sequentially. but will typically be small or moderate (from the minor 2nd to the minor 6th). For example. the major 6th is in principle to be avoided (too large). or if the leading tone does not belong to a V chord. To make it tolerable. this time you need to resolve the dim 5th on a C (a note located a step away from B and that is part of the interval). The same tolerance and the same rule apply to the dim 4th (which you won’t find in the major scale but can occur in the harmonic and melodic minor modes). and also to the minor 7th (which is found in the harmonic minor mode). for example. in C major. Double leaps implying larger intervals than the major 3rd should be avoided. 16 . (B – E – B) would be accepted. as such. from the F you need to proceed to a note belonging to the interval F – B and located a step away). in E major. you will find that most of them actually stick to the rules quite well. • For example. • For example.e.e.B) (or possibly (C – D – B) although the first solution would probably be preferred by most listeners). its normal resolution would be a C note. always with you”. • For example. whereas (B – E – A) would not. you need to “resolve” the dissonance onto an E (i. this movement is not acceptable. except when the next chord does not contain the tonic note. The diminished 5th interval is in principle forbidden (see above) but it is tolerated if it resolves by a step movement onto a note belonging to that interval. however. Usage It is extremely instructive to analyze existing melodies. The leading tone (7th degree) should always be followed by the tonic. However. let us consider the (descending) movement F – B. that B note is free to go anywhere it wants. except when the last note is an octave away from the first note. suppose the movement goes from B to F (aug 5th) in C major. or if the next chord is not a C chord. movements consisting of half tones) are accepted. if B is part of a G chord. or at all the songs composed by the Beatles.F needs to be resolved onto an E. in D harmonic minor (relative of F major). You will find very few exceptions to the “rules” described above. and I suggest you do that for as many melodies as you can. Tolerated Movements Chromatic movements (i. • Similarly. when the movement is from the first degree of the tonality to the sixth degree then the interval is accepted (and only then). As indicated above. the movement C# . take a look at Satriani’s “Always with me. if B is part of an Em chord. B) giving birth to Fdim7.Diminished and Augmented Chords When we harmonised the major scale we met a strange chord: the chord build on the 7th degree. Abdim7 and Bdim7. C. Eb) Adim = (A. Eb. Gb. Third group: Ddim7 = (D. b5. The general chord formula for a dim chord is: (R. 17 . C) Gbdim7 = (Gb. Please grab some tablets. Those dim chords are chromatic to the major scale. F) doesn't belong to C major. but diatonic to the harmonic minor scale. It is a minor chord with a diminished 5th. C. and his cousin the augmented chord. G#dim7 = (G#. the resulting interval with respect to the root is a diminished 7th. D. Eb. WARNING 2: the explanations below can cause severe headaches. Ab. the note Bbb is of course equal to A. Gb.. because all the other ones are inversions of those three! First Group: Cdim7 = (C. In practice. Bbb = A) Ebdim7 = (Eb. A. but is the vii in the A harmonic minor scale (which is a relative minor scale of C major. b3. And there is more good news: there are really only three different dim chords. as you will remember). B. don't even think of reading this!!! This is classical and jazz harmony stuff. as you can easily verify. G. bb7) Note the notation (bb7) meaning yet a halftone lower than a minor 7th. Gdim7 and Bbdim7. F. WARNING 1: if you're a mainstream rocker. Gb) Second Group: Dbdim7 = (Db. and we have seen that it belongs to the dominant group. Bb) This one gives birth to Edim7. For example. the diminished chord.. How to build them Easy: simply stack up minor thirds. A. But here we will talk about his even stranger brother. This chord is sometimes called semi-diminished. E. just in case. when it is part of an ascending cadence It is written biiidim7.- As passing chords Dim chords let you chromatically link two diatonic chords.. and they will be written: Idim7 #Idim7 iidim7 #iidim7 iiidim7 IVdim7 #IVdim7 Or biidim7 biiidim7 bVdim7 .I hope! Now for the difficult part. If this isn't 100% clear yet. etc. when it's part of a descending cadence.. it will become clear in a moment . So what’s the difference between a #iidim7 and a biiidim7? • • A dim chord is written #Idim7.. etc. of course).But with these chromatic chords. read on. Example: • • C . For example: • • Dm7 . we can create a whole lot of new functions in the major scale. 18 .C .. biidim7.F#dim7/ G . chords don't have to be in root position: they can be inverted....Gbdim7/ F ../ F . But of course... we could have: IVmaj7 #IVdim7 V7 or V7 bVdim7 IVmaj7 and so on and so forth. The resulting bass movement of a halftone is smoother and harmonically richer than the whole tone movement between the bass notes of the diatonic chords (assuming root position. How to use them As approaching chords Any chord can always be approached from above or from below by a dim chord located a halftone away from it. That opens up a can full of worms! For example: • Dm7 D#dim7 C6/E where the dim chord resolves on the I/3. #iidim7. #iiidim7.D#dim7 .Em7 Em7 Ebdim7 Dm7 Similarly. . Take the following chord: A7(b9) = (A.C#dim7 / Dm7 . Ab. Eb. For example.. there are always two tritones. and the resulting V7 chords are C7(b9). But as a dominant 7th chord.D#dim7 / Em7 Where: • • C#dim7 is a subs for A7(b9).. C#. in Ddim7 = (D. A). Gb7(b9) and A7(b9)./ Dm7 . F. Bb) which is C#dim7 ( = Edim7 = Gdim7 = Bbdim7). A7(b9) resolves on a D or Dm chord (the fact that it is extended by a b9 doesn’t change its fundamental nature of dominant chord)..B). So. Example: Find all equivalent V7 chords for C#dim7. G. Now.. Eb7(b9). Hence: • • • • C#dim7/C is equivalent to C7(b9) C#dim7/Eb is equivalent to Eb7(b9) C#dim7/Gb is equivalent to Gb7(b9) C#dim7/A is equivalent to A7(b9) 19 . The dim chord 1/2 step below is Cdim7 = (C. As dominant chords This is a very frequent usage in jazz. in order to find all the equivalent V7 chords for a given dim chord. the first tritone is (D ./ Em7 we could enhance it as follows: Cmaj .• • Fmaj7 F#dim7 C6/G where the dim chord resolves on the I/5 Or even Em7 Ebdim7 G7/D where the dim chord resolves on a V7 chord. This makes the dim chord very unstable. itself an extended dominant resolving in Em7 In general. if we had the progression: Cmaj7 . Bb) Remove the root from this chord.Ab) and the second is (F . you take the dim chord located one halftone below it. E.. you obtain (C#. itself an extended dominant resolving in Dm7 D#dim7 is a subs for B7(b9). please fasten your seatbelts. To understand why that works. Each note of that new chord becomes the root of a V7(b9) chord. E. and capable of resolving in two different ways (can you predict these possible resolutions?). B). you have to realise that in a dim chord. Gb... G. G) This makes the progression smoother as D moves to D# before resolving into E. F) G7+ = (G.iii Pardon me? You've run out of headache tablets? No problem.G7+ .I cadence. their formula is (R + 3 + 3). F) C = (C. They are a lot simpler. there is a constant interval between all the constituent notes. E. Augmented chords An aug(mented) chord is simply a chord in which the 5th is raised a halftone.You're still there??. B.iii+ . such as: I . In other words. D#. G#)..I+ .. we're done! 20 . B. they allow the same sort of permutations as the dim chords: C+ = E+ = G#+ Aug chords are used primarily as passing chords in a V . Great. Augmented chords can also be used in other progressions. E.C Let’s analyse this progression: G7 = (G. For example. Caug (or C+) is (C.I For example: G7 . Consequently. D.V7+ . as follows: V7 . Then on to aug chords.IV or in minor tonalities: i . this interval calls for a resolution to the I chord. and immediately drives the chord progression home. for example A minor (relative of C major): A B C D E F G (A) . In the early days they were in fact used almost exclusively by the lead guitarists. Theory There are several pentatonic scales. you want to hear a C chord immediately thereafter. and even today many top guitarists continue to build great solos with the pentatonic scales only. Pentatonic Minor Scale Let's now start from the relative natural minor scale. there is an infinity of them! But we will stick to the most important ones. the 4th and 7th degrees are F and B. The pentatonic scale is the scale of choice for those musical genres: getting rid of the two most important tonal pivots in the scale helps a lot when you don't want to sound tonal (more on modes and modal music later). you may ask. many forms of ethnic music elsewhere in the world aren't tonal at all: they are modal. and not say E and G? The answer to this question is not trivial. For example. as follows: T 2 3 5 6 This scale is called the pentatonic major scale (it is a "major" scale since its first 3rd is a major third). However. which are derivatives of the pentatonic scales). These scales are at the heart of the blues and rock music. why did we drop those two degrees specifically. Remember our discussion on chord progressions: in C major. the C pentatonic major scale is: C D E G A But. we are left with a new five notes scale. The most important reason is to be found in the very strong tonal function of the fourth and seventh degrees of a scale.B. Pentatonic Major Scales Let's start (again) with the major scale: T 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 If we drop the 4th and 7th degree from this scale.Pentatonic and Blues Scales In this section we will talk about the pentatonic scales (and the so-called blues scales. Whenever you hear F and B together. In fact. which form the tritone F . Please remember: the blue note is very dissonant and you always use it as a passing note: never dwell on it! In fact. they are completely interchangeable. and add a flatted fifth (b5) as a passing note between the 4th and the 5th. for example in G: Pentatonic minor: Pentatonic major: G G Bb A C B (Db) D D F E Merging these scales gives the following hybrid scale: G Interval-wise: T 2 b3 3 4 (b5) 5 6 b7 A Bb B C (Db) D E F 22 . leaving us with: A C D E G Interval-wise (with respect to the tonic) we now have: T b3 4 5 b7 This is the pentatonic minor scale (it is minor because the first third is a m3). Blues Scales If we take the pentatonic minor scale. The pentatonic minor scale with an additional b5 is therefore often called the "blues scale". the E pentatonic minor scale is: E G A B D (E) The A pentatonic minor scale and the C pentatonic major scale are relative to each other. the same 4th and 7th degrees we dropped from the parent major scale). Let's compare a pentatonic minor scale (with blue note) and the pentatonic major scale with the same tonic. we obtain the following scale: T b3 4 (b5) 5 b7 This b5 note is called the "blue note" and is responsible for the unique bluesy sound of the scale. Since they contain the same notes.e. the name "blues scale" is not very appropriate. For example. exactly as their heptatonic counterparts. we drop the second and sixth degrees (i.From this scale. / C7 . in blues the progression (G7 C7 D7) remains fundamentally a I7 IV7 V7 progression in the tonality of G./ G7 . this is only a western simplification: in the genuine “blues scale” (as originally "imported" from Africa) the "third" is a note somewhere between the minor 3rd and the major 3rd! This note doesn't exist in our scale system. C7 and D7 indicate the tonalities of C.... it is nothing but the pentatonic major scale where the 6 is replaced by a b7./ This is puzzling../ G7 .. since these are the only tonalities having those dominant 7th chords.. For example: G A B D F 23 . because in terms of classical harmony we seem to have three different tonalities! The chords G7.This hybrid scale is the "real" blues scale./ D7 ./ G7 .. you would have the following chord progression: G7 .. In G. But on a guitar../ C7 ..... one quickly after the other. since it contains a minor third and a major third! In reality./ D7 .. which is neither minor nor major. F and G respectively... 1/4 of a tone)! The minor/major ambiguity is also reflected by the characteristic harmonic structure of a typical twelve bar blues. In fact./ G7 ./ G7 . and allows us to "turn around" into G The fact that the I7 and IV7 chords don't resolve into a I chord is another peculiarity of the blues! Dominant 7th Pentatonic Scales A final pentatonic scale that turns out to be useful in practice is the dominant 7th pentatonic scale./ C7 ./ G7 .. we can write the "real" blues scale as follows: T 2 3* 4 (b5) 5 6 b7 This ambiguous third interval can be simulated by playing the b3 and the 3 often in the same solo.g. This scale is defined as follows: T 2 3 5 b7 In fact... but if we arbitrarily decide to call it "3*". What happens is: • • • the G7 chord (G B D F) reminds us to the fact that the blues scale contains a b7 degree (F) the C7 chord (C E G Bb) reminds us to the fact that the blues scale "also contains" a b3 degree (Bb) the D7 chord (D F# A C) is the real dominant 7th of the tonality.... we can also actually play this undetermined third interval by bending up the b3 a little (e... When you run up or down a pentatonic scale. very welcome in rock music! 24 . Another advantage of the pentatonic scale is the fact that its fingering is typically easier and more compact than the corresponding major scale. not a second. Take the G pentatonic major scale: G A B D E The interval between the 3rd and 4th degree of the scale is a third. but also allows a more energetic play. This “gap” helps breaking the monotone linearity of the scale. and is one of the big advantages of this type of scales.Usage By definition. pentatonic scales only contain five notes. you will therefore play intervals larger than the whole tone. This not only makes it easier to play. and they can help us visually keep track of where we are and where we need to go. One of those patterns is called the CAGED system. The next possibility is to play the C chord as follows: This is a G shape barred at the 5th fret. 25 . Next. Here is a fret board with a C chord in its most fundamental position: That same C chord can also be played as a barre chord at the 3rd fret. this is actually the shape of an open A chord played three frets higher.The CAGED system There are many interesting theoretical patterns and symmetries on a guitar fret board. as follows: The final shape will be a D chord played at the 12th fret and barred at the 10th fret The sequence C – A – G – E – D is what gives its name to the system. as follows: As you certainly recognize. we’ll have an E shape barred at the 8th fret. i. but there is nothing to stop you from turning the major 3rd into a minor 3rd and voilà! You have a CAGED system for minor chords as well. The CAGED system also makes it visually clear that you can very easily connect the shapes to obtain complete freedom across the neck. the next shape will be an E shape three frets higher and the previous shape is an A shape two frets lower. as such: Whole step movement: 26 . please note the position of the root (C) in each of them: Next. knowing the location of the root in each shape. it tells where you are on the fret board and it gives you anchors. For example. the same half-step and whole step movement can also be performed between strings. Suppose for example that we are improvising in C major. around the E shape at the 8th fret.e. Finally. 3rd and 5th) not only allows us to securely locate the characteristic notes. you only have to remember that: • • A displacement of one fret up our down corresponds to a half-step A displacement of two frets up our down corresponds to a whole step Of course. but also to very quickly and visually spot all the other extensions. This boils down to knowing the position of those notes in the basic chord shapes C. There are two basic connecting moves: • • Connecting shapes on the same string Connecting shapes across strings In order to connect shapes on the same string. A. E and D. the CAGED system allows you organize your solo around chord shapes.In fact. you can easily spot the required note by comparison with an E7 basic form. the 3rd. if you want to play a C7 chord. G. The CAGED system is useful from an improvisation perspective for several reasons. so you can very easily play arpeggios and also extend the harmony. First. this sequence and its regular permutations are absolutely general: if you start with a major chord in G shape somewhere up the neck. you can easily locate the most important notes from an improvisation perspective.e. the 5th and the 7th (characteristic notes). The CAGED system as such only works for major chords. the root. Here are all the 5 fundamental positions of the C chord. Knowing the shape (i. and is a perfect illustration of the duality between chords and scales! 27 . This is true. we can “wipe” the fret board in an infinite number of ways. fifth fret.Half step movement: The diagrams above show the note located a whole tone or half tone higher than the corresponding note on the previous string. Using the shapes of the C major chord as visual references and applying the fundamental moves as explained above. For example: You may find that the chord shapes are not very apparent anymore in this continuous scale diagram. but remember that in most cases you don’t have to actually play that. The half-step movement across the strings is clearly not very easy to play. Those shapes are only there for you to visualize. so you never loose track of where you are. this is of course general and true anywhere on the neck. Music Theory Advanced Level June 2005 . ....................................... 4 Most Important Modes ............................ 22 The Lydian and Mixolydian Modes .. 19 The Phrygian Mode ............................................................ 18 The Dorian Mode ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Inter-tonal Exchanges ........................................... 29 Modulating into an adjacent key ..................................... 5 Summary ...............................Defining modes ........................ 4 Theory........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Modulating into the parent key .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Lydian Mode ................................ 24 Mixolydian mode .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Usage ............................................. 10 A.................................................................................................... 9 Theory................................................................................................. 11 Using Modes for Composition ................... 10 B Choosing appropriate modes ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Modulating into remote keys ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Modulation ............................................................. 7 Using Modes for Improvisation ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 The Locrian Mode ........................... Recap .......................................... 16 Usage ..................................................................................... 32 2 .............................................................................................................. the ability to get this knowledge into a quick and concise form. The size of one single file was too large for download 2. 3 . Much more modestly. The material covered by the different topics is of varying levels of complexity and targets different audiences.mysongbook. Selling of this document is strictly prohibited in all circumstances. used and copied for private educational purposes only. Copyright Notice The information contained in this document and this document itself can be freely downloaded. The rather crude layout of the original text (due to the limitation of the forum) has also been improved. The compilation has been reorganized into three separate documents: • • • Basic Music Theory Intermediate Music Theory Advanced Music Theory – this document This has been done for two reasons: 1. but most topics are of a more general nature and they can also easily be adapted to other musical genres. The text of the original threads has been modified and/or extended in several places where it was deemed appropriate for increased readability.com.Introduction This document is part of a compilation of a series of threads that deal with music theory and that were originally published by Eowyn on www. The underlying objective is lead work and improvisation in a rock music context (broadly speaking). the purpose of this series of topics is to give those willing to better understand what they are doing with their guitar. Finally. Interested readers will find a short reference list at the end of the Basic Level document. There are numerous books and web sites about general music theory and more specialised topics. This is by no means an exhaustive treatise about music theory and harmony. the text has been proof-read by Arnold and Blackiel. . for the example mode above that would be: W H W W W H W The example above happens to be a seven note mode. a mode simply defines a series of relative pitches. Opinions vary from "Modes are completely useless . In other words.Defining modes Modes. and apply the definition of the mode. the mode above becomes: C D Eb F G A Bb (C) 4 . for example: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8 What this example mode definition says. Theory We define a mode as follows: a musical mode is an ordered series of intervals with respect to a starting note (whose absolute pitch is not specified). and it just so happens that Western music deals primarily with those.the major and minor scales are all you need" all the way to "The next best thing since sliced bread!" In fact. the third note is a minor third away from it (b3). “scales”. I'll try my best to be as concise and accurate as possible. the fourth note is a perfect fourth away from it (4). An equivalent way of defining a mode consists in enumerating the sequence of intervals between the various relative pitches (as opposed to their definition with respect to a starting note). but of course you can define an infinite number of modes using an arbitrary number of constituent notes. you obtain a scale.. A very controversial topic that seems to confuse the hell out of many people. we will simply define modes (even that is often controversial!). leaving their practical usage for later topics. etc. since it does not impose a starting pitch. For example. "modal music versus tonal music" and others.. If you specify the starting note by its absolute pitch. The scale can be thought of as the melody of the mode once you indicate the starting note. and yet remain simple! In this topic. for example. the second note is a major second away from it (2). starting with the note C. A mode is different from a scale! The mode is completely abstract. Many traditional Indian and Chinese modes use 5 notes. is the following: given the (unspecified) starting note (1). many people fail to make the distinction between a number of fundamentally different concepts such as "modes".. If you start with A, you get: A B C D E F# G (A) The mode is the same, but the scales are clearly different. Modes have been dominant in Western music until the late Middle-Ages. Pope Gregorius is known for his complete and sophisticated theorisation of the musical systems to be used by the church, and still known today as Gregorian Chant or Plain Chant. In that system, the definition of the various modes consisted as much in the specification of the relative pitches (as we did) as in the rigorous definition of the melodic organization and prescribed cadences (that we don’t need to worry about for now). The Gregorian modal system is heavily based on the Pythagorean system, and the names of the various modes come from the ancient Greek names (although Gregorius had them all mixed up!). We still use these names today (see below), but our names are again different from what they used to be in the Middle-Ages. Most Important Modes In order to be able to theorize about modes, it is convenient to be able to name them. Below is a list of the most important modes and their definitions. Remember: in these definitions, the symbols represent intervals with respect to the starting note, which is always notated “1”. Group I Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian Group II Harmonic Minor Altered Locrian Altered Ionian Altered Dorian Altered Phrygian 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7 1 2 3 4 #5 6 7 1 b2 b3 4 b5 6 b7 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 b2 2 2 2 b2 3 b3 b3 3 3 b3 b3 4 4 4 #4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 b5 6 6 b6 6 6 b6 b6 7 b7 b7 7 b7 b7 b7 5 (Major Dominant Phrygian) Altered Lydian Altered Myxolyian 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 bb7 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7 Group III Bartok 1 2 3 #4 5 6 B7 These tables may seem like an overwhelming amount to memorise. In fact, it is rather easy. The modes of Group I are the so-called “modes of the major scale”. By now you should realise that there is no such thing as the mode of a scale, but we nevertheless use this expression as a convenient shortcut to remember the definitions of the modes. The Ionian mode is nothing else but the major scale. You obtain the Dorian mode by “starting a major scale from its second degree”. For example: D E F G A B C D is D Dorian and is a C major scale started from D (second degree of the C major scale) Similarly, the scale: A B C D E F# G A is A Dorian, and is a G major scale “started from the A”. The double quotes are there to show that this is just short hand convention. We will omit them from now on. The modes of Group I are obtained as follows: • • • • • • • The Ionian mode is the same as the major scale itself The Dorian mode is a major scale started from the second degree The Phrygian mode is a major scale started from the third degree The Lydian mode is a major scale started from the fourth degree The Mixolydian mode is a major scale started from the fifth degree The Aeolian mode is a major scale started from the sixth degree Finally, the Locrian mode is a major scale started from the seventh degree Looking at the modes defined in Group I, you will notice that three of them are major (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian) since their third is major, and four of them are minor (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, Locrian) since their third is minor. 6 The modes of Group II can all be related to the harmonic minor mode, in a way similar to what we did for the modes of Group I. The first mode of Group II is the harmonic minor mode; the Altered Locrian mode is derived from the harmonic minor mode by starting from the second degree. The Altered Ionian mode is a harmonic minor mode started from the third degree, etc. The modes of Group II are obtained as follows: • • • • • • The Altered Locrian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the second degree The Altered Ionian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the third degree The Altered Dorian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the fourth degree The Altered Phrygian mode (also known as Major Dominant Phrygian) is a harmonic minor scale started from the fifth degree The Altered Lydian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the sixth degree The Altered Mixolydian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the seventh degree Finally, Group III contains the modes derived from the melodic minor scale; however, there is only one mode that is really worth mentioning: the Bartok mode, which is the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale. This mode is named after the Hungarian composer Belà Bartok, and is one of the most popular modes in the East-European music. Summary Modes have been used in music long before the Western world started to favour harmony, and settled for the major and minor scales. Most other popular musical systems in the world are still mostly modal. Modes can be defined at will, and don’t have to be based on seven notes; this just happens to be the most useful set in Western music. Although the modes are in fact defined completely independently from each other, it is convenient to related them to the major and minor scales: The Ionian mode is the first mode of the major scale. The Dorian mode is the second mode of the major scale. The Phrygian mode is the third mode of the major scale. The Lydian mode is the fourth mode of the major scale. The Mixolydian mode is the fifth mode of the major scale. The Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of the major scale (and equal to the natural minor mode). The Locrian mode is the seventh mode of the major scale. The Altered Locrian mode is the second mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Ionian mode is the third mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Dorian mode is the fourth mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Phrygian mode is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Lydian mode is the sixth mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Mixolydian mode is the seventh mode of the harmonic minor scale. 7 The Bartok mode is the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale. 8 In this system the tone center is imposed by the chords and their progressions.Using Modes for Improvisation In the previous section. and that changed the picture completely. However. If the song is in C major. two modes were kept: the Ionian mode (major) and the Aeolian mode (minor). In contrast. The Aeolian mode itself further evolved (for tonal reasons) to give birth to the harmonic minor scale and later the melodic minor scale. the more strictly defined the mode will be. the original modal music was monodic: each song consisted of a single melody played or sung at unison. This is notably the case of the East-European music. Using modes for improvisation requires that you clearly understand the relationship between modes. most traditional musical systems in the world have kept the modal characteristics. However. we will now discuss how they can be used in practice: improvisation (in this topic) and composition (in future topics). the actual fingering pattern (scale pattern) used by the lead guitarist has typically little or no effect on the mode of the song (since the latter is imposed by the chord progression). the modes were gradually abandoned and replaced by the tonal system. rooted in the so-called tonal system (see Intermediate Theory). One of them was that any song should always terminate on the tonal centre. and at the Renaissance when music became downright polyphonic (several melodic lines simultaneously at rest to form chords). This has two dramatically important (and often overlooked) consequences: • When playing lead on top of a harmonic background. As said. when played together. or finalis. not at improvisation time. notes have a variable affinity with each other. The more rich and complex the chords. even today. we defined all sorts of modes. One of the dominant features of modal (church) music in the Middle-Ages is the fact that it was purely monodic (a single melody line sung at unison). music gradually became polyphonic. but severe rules would impose specific cadences (depending on the mode being used). along with fashion effects and cultural habits have progressively resulted in the theory of harmony. and are still modal. The melody was more or less free to move. In the late Middle-Ages. Indian music. with the birth of counterpoint (several melodic lines sung simultaneously but independently). scales and tonality. and so forth. while others seem to flee each other and require an urgent resolution onto a more relaxing combination. African music. a chord consists of several notes played simultaneously. There were no chords. Chinese music. Put differently: the mode is decided upon at composition time. Later. By definition. Careful observations of this phenomenon. some combinations of notes seem to produce a feeling of rest and fulfillment. the fact that you start the C major scale on a D does not mean the song now all of a sudden becomes D Dorian . the result is A B C# D E F# G (A) Of course. the rules governing chord progressions will have to be different in order to escape from tonal habits Over any chord or chord progression you can always use any scale pattern (fingering pattern) that is compatible with it. the major scale whose fifth degree is A is D major. • • • with diatonic four notes chords (and more). let’s find the A Mixolydian scale: • • We start from A major: A B C# D E F# G# (A) We apply the Mixolydian pattern. A B C# D E F# G. Comparing each mode with the Ionian mode. In order to transform the Ionian mode into the Dorian mode (for example).• When playing harmonised modal music. Theory A. you will typically be able to pick several compatible scale patterns. you may in fact have more or less flexibility in choosing the appropriate scale pattern(s). we have listed several modes and for convenience we have related them to the major and minor scales. meaning we lower the 7th. in that case the notes you decide to play will have a large impact on the harmonic color of the music We will now explore these different possibilities in detail.e. you will usually have no choice other than that imposed by the chords with triads. For example. 10 . Specifying the intervals with respect to the starting note we had: Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 b2 2 2 2 b2 3 b3 b3 3 3 b3 b3 4 4 4 #4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 b5 6 6 b6 6 6 b6 b6 7 b7 b7 7 b7 b7 b7 The table above defines each degree of the modes as an interval with respect to the starting note. i. starting that scale from A gives us A B C# D E F# G as above. you can also work out the Mixolydian mode by remembering that it is a major scale started from the fifth degree. Recap In the previous topic. depending on this chord progression. Raising the 4th would transform it into a Lydian scale. you can easily determine what you need to do to obtain any other mode. And so on and so forth. you may have more flexibility with power chords. you need to lower the 3rd and the 7th of the Ionian scale. there will usually be a tonal centre towards which the progression moves (although this is not always the case).they often imply typical cadences. identify recognisable cadences (such as ii-V-I or I-IV-I). use your ears!! 1. the first chord is often (but not always) the resolution chord. but looking at the reference chart above. as we will need it further on. B Choosing appropriate modes If there is no chord progression (i. there is only one chord over a long series of bars) the mode is implied (we will come to that later).IV . Let's write down the constituent notes of these chords as we find them: Cmaj7: F: C 1 C-E-G-B F-A-C ? ? E 3 F 4 G 5 A 6 B 7 (C) (8) Sorting these notes in ascending pitch order gives us: or written in intervals We still have an "unknown" second degree. 2../ C . we find that the only mode that accommodates our case is the Ionian mode: C 1 D 2 E 3 F 4 G 5 A 6 B 7 (C) (8) You can play any of these notes in any order over any of the chords of the progression: that will have no impact on the mode of the song.. This will give you the resolution chord (I chord). which is not directly imposed by the harmony.e.. watch the movements of the roots of the chords . If there is a chord progression. Identifying the tonal centre can be difficult.. so here are a few strategies to help you along: • • • • • the last chord is usually the resolution chord. (But please remember that the best melodic result will usually be obtained whit characteristic notes on the downbeats – see Intermediate Theory tutorial).This looks (and sounds) like a I . The first and most important thing to do is to identify that tonal centre. Triads The chord progression above contained a maj7 chord. Four Notes Chords Take the following simple progression: Cmaj7 .. what if it didn't? Say the progression was: C---/F---/C--- 11 ./ F . the tonal centre here is clearly C).I progression in C major (i.It is a good idea to memorise this information or keep the chart handy.e. But which one exactly? Let's write down the E major scale: E 1 F# 2 G# 3 A 4 B 5 C# 6 D# 7 (E) (8) Now let's write down the notes implied by each power chord in the actual progression. the lead player./ D5 . so you could very easily cause a transposition into the F key!) In general. The tonal centre is still strictly defined (C)./ E5 The question is: which mode(s) are you going to use to improvise? In this case. the progression "sounds" like it resolves into E5. but it is often suggested more than it is imposed. very rich harmonies define modes much more strongly than “lighter” harmonies. This assumption is supported primarily by the final bass movement B .. some sort of E scale will do for our solo. we had a plain C. and place them at their proper location in the E scale: E5: C5: D5: B5: E E E E ? ? ? F# ? G G G ? ? A A B B B B ? C C C ? ? D D E E E E 12 . Depending on that choice we will end up playing the Ionian mode or the Mixolydian mode. and you./ B5 . we find: C: F: C-E-G F-A-C C 1 ? ? E 3 F 4 G 5 A 6 ? ? (C) (8) This results in the following scale: Now we have two "unknowns" (two notes that are not imposed by the harmony) and from the reference chart we see that we can choose to play a B note or a Bb note. 3. because a Bb in a C chord makes it C7.. Suppose we have the following progression: E5 ... (In fact. Power Chords If the harmonic background consists of power chords (R + 5th + R). you may want to be careful if you play C Mixolydian. have a big responsibility in determining that content and the resulting color./ C5 . Since the chords don’t impose the mode.. Consequently..Writing down the notes as they are imposed to us by the chords being used. In the first example above. which is the V7 of F. in the second example. that left some more room.. Power chords also usually imply a tonal centre. but the mode is less strictly defined than in the previous case.E which strongly establishes E as the tonal centre (since it suggests a V – I cadence). no thirds are played. we had a Cmaj7 implying a B note. Let's take a simple example to start with. Therefore.. you as the lead are free to pick the one you want. the harmonic content of the song is much less strongly defined. . here is another example: E5 ./ E5 . the tonal centre is E.../ B7 . we actually have: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 This is the signature of the Aeolian mode. C and D) as an A melodic minor sequence. depending on • • • how you "hear" the progression (rather minor or rather major) what the rest of the band is currently playing the overall context of the song All the examples above assume that there is only one tonal centre.Compared with the major scale (Ionian mode). Of course this isn't always the case.. modulating into E major (more on modulation later on) Or you could use pentatonic scales. For contrast.. for example. it is possible in this case to play E pentatonic minor throughout (please verify this!) • 13 ./ A5 ... E5: A5: B5: E E E 1 progression: • • • • E Ionian: E Dorian: E Mixolydian: E Aeolian: 1234567 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (equivalent to D major) 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 (equivalent to A major) 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (equivalent to G major) ? ? F# 2 ? ? ? ? ? A A 4 B B B 5 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? E E E The signature is with three undefined intervals.. For example.. you could play a C and D arpeggio on the corresponding chords Another possibility could be to treat the first three chords (E../ D .../ C ./ B5 ... Therefore all the following modes of E major will fit this So you can use any one of them (or all of them). Let's work out the scale as above. E Aeolian is therefore the theoretically correct scale for this progression./ E Working out the notes as above reveals some conflicts: • • G# in the E chord conflicts with G in the C chord D# in the B7 chord conflicts with D (root of the D chord) So.For the same reason as above. and develop a chord oriented solo.. Suppose we have the following triad progression: E . what do we do? • • One possibility is to adapt to the changing tonal centers. Let’s take a C major chord: its constituent notes are (C E G). we need to revisit the relationship between chords and scales. the lead can vary modes and colors at will. Triad or Seven-Note Chord If the chord is a triad or a seven note chord (or more complex chord). etc. whenever a vamp is played with a triad or more complex chord. the better it approximates the corresponding scale/mode. Power Chord Since all the modes of the major scale accommodate a given power chord (except the Locrian mode which has a b5 and would conflict with the 5 of the power chord). the most complex C chord we can make this way is (C E G B D F A). the richer the chord becomes. the mode is implied. A Cmaj7 chord would contain (C E G B). Starting with the latter chord. starting with a Dm chord and stacking up thirds you obtain (D F A C E G B). This is in fact what Joe Satriani calls his “pich axis” theory. The lead has little or no freedom at all. or D E F G A B C D This is a D Dorian scale.4. the mode is implied by the chord. To understand why the lead has no options in the second case above. If you do this for all the degrees of the major scale. Vamps A final interesting case is when the band keeps on repeating the same chord for a long period of time (this is called a "vamp"). the mode is implied by 14 . Once again. you may have a lot of freedom or no freedom at all in choosing the mode. if the chord is part of a tonal sequence. you will find out that: • • • • • • • The Ionian mode corresponds to the I chord The Dorian mode corresponds to the ii chord The Phrygian mode corresponds to the iii chord The Lydian mode corresponds to the IV chord The Mixolydian mode corresponds to the V chord The Aeolian mode corresponds to the vi chord The Locrian mode corresponds to the vii chord In other words. Similarly. Depending on the type of that chord. sort them by ascending pitch order. and you end up with: C D E F G A B In other words. the C major chord is a shortcut of the C major scale. we can continue to enrich it by adding more thirds. a Cmaj7(9) contains (C E G B D). or Ionian mode. Map back all these notes within the boundaries of an octave. you will avoid most of the confusion around modes and patterns.the chord progression. If you remember this. not by the fingering pattern you happen to use to play the notes of that tonality. 15 . the choice of a scale pattern has typically very little impact (if any at all) on the mode of the song. The intervals of all the other notes with respect to the finalis fully defined the mode. it will remain in G major no matter in what order you happen to play the G major scale. In the original modal system of the early Western music. where chromatic fills and passing notes are frequent).Using Modes for Composition As discussed in the previous topic. they form two groups: . Dorian.The Aeolian. Faithfulness to the tonic is a concept that also applies to modal systems that have eventually led to the tonal system. since the various modes are characterized by different interval sequences with respect to the tonic. collaborating to revolve around and resolve into the tonal centre. The degrees of the scale and the chords build on them are organized to form a hierarchical functional system. they will feature distinct and unique cadences. Phrygian and Locrian modes all have a minor third and form the minor modes.The Ionian. the main cadences available to fall back from these notes onto the finalis would further define the way the mode should be used. Here are again the modes of the major scale as we defined them earlier: Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 b2 2 2 2 b2 3 b3 b3 3 3 b3 b3 4 4 4 #4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 b5 6 6 b6 6 6 b6 b6 7 b7 b7 7 b7 B7 B7 As you can see. The third is therefore the first differentiator between modes. If the song is in G major. This musical system survives today in a large number of ethnic genres. how do we use modes for composition then? Theory One of the distinct features of the key-based functional musical system is its so-called "faithfulness to the tonic". as we have seen. In other words. However. The only exception worth mentioning is when the harmony consists of power chords. the principal note of the mode was called finalis because any piece based on that mode would always terminate on that node. So. Lydian and Mixolydian modes all have a major third and form the major modes . they only use intervals from that mode (unlike melodies in the major or minor keys. Another distinct feature of modal melodies is that they are usually diatonic to the mode. But in order to further differentiate . the mode of a song is normally determined when you compose the song. In other words. the b2 is therefore the characteristic modal note of the Phrygian mode. the 6 is therefore the characteristic modal note of the Dorian mode. Modal melodies and harmonies therefore use it extensively as a way to clearly underline the mode being used. the #4 is what differentiates the Lydian mode from the Ionian mode. Mixolydian mode: The b7 is what differentiates the Mixolydian mode from the Ionian mode. The characteristic modal note will be used extensively. but very common). Here is a summary of the fundamental rules governing modal composition: 1. A. Major modes Lydian mode: As you can see. and the Aeolian mode (natural minor scale) as the reference for the minor group (this is of course completely arbitrary. We will take the Ionian mode as reference mode for the major group. because it is the note that establishes the unique feel of the mode. and will always end it (last chord used). and is therefore the most important chord (faithfulness to the tonic).the modes within each group. Minor Modes Dorian mode: The major 6th is what differentiates the Dorian mode from the Aeolian mode. B. the b7 is therefore the characteristic modal note of the Mixolydian mode. Phrygian mode: The b2 is what differentiates the Phrygian mode from the Aeolian mode. The characteristic modal note is extremely important in modal compositions. This means that the chords 17 . In true modal composition this is a strict rule. the #4 is therefore the characteristic modal note of the Lydian mode. We will then determine the characteristic modal note by comparing each mode with the reference mode of its group. 2. to help establish the distinctive mood of the mode. in the melody AND in the harmony. The I chord (which of course contains the third) is the tonal centre. the b5 is therefore the characteristic modal note of the Locrian mode. It will usually open the song (first chord used). we need a second note called characteristic modal note. Locrian mode: The b5 is what differentiates the Locrian mode from the Aeolian mode. We have seen that this chord implies a particular mode. or ostinato) is a note that gets repeated over and over during the song. Think of Celtic music (Scottish bagpipes. this drone is usually the mode tonic. In modal rock tunes. 3. Modal melodies are usually diatonic to the mode. All the chord sequences and cadences typical of the corresponding major scale (Ionian mode) must be avoided at all costs. In modal music.containing the characteristic modal note will be favored. A special case drone is when a particular chord gets repeated over and over again (vamp). and will destroy the modal feel. as follows: Chord I ii iii IV V vi vii Mode Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian We will further explore the various modes from a composition perspective in the next topics. 18 . A drone (or pedal. for example). or the so-called African desert blues. 4. the drone is usually played by the bass. Usage A typical modal trick is the drone. because they convey the feeling of the major scale. we harmonized it by stacking up thirds. If you remember the major scale. in terms of intervals with respect to the tonic: Its characteristic modal note is the 6 (in the Aeolian mode we have a b6). so it is important to get used to it. Harmonisation Compared to the major scale (W W H W W W H). it is therefore often used in folk tunes. and it was one of the most frequent church modes in the early Middle-Ages. We know that the Ancient Greek already used it. bIII means that the chord build on the third degree of the Dorian mode has its root a halftone lower than in the major scale. this gives the following chord system: i7 ii7 bIIImaj7 IV7 v7 vi7(b5) bVIImaj7 Please note: this notation is in reference to the major scale. which was strongly influenced by all these genres. Dorian melodies are often played against a drone (which is always the tonic). so D Dorian will have the exact same chord system as C major. For example. The Dorian mode is also extremely frequent in Celtic and African music. and is major. and we came up with the following series of four note chords: Imaj7 ii7 iii7 IVmaj7 V7 vi7 vii7(b5) Let's harmonise the Dorian mode. this is the second mode of C major. We will use this convention consistently during our discussions of the various modes. Usage A. as you. the pattern of the Dorian mode is: W 1 H 2 W b3 W 4 W 5 H 6 W b7 8 or. but shifted: C major: D Dorian: Cmaj7 Dm7 Dm7 Em7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Am7 Bm7(b5) Bm7(b5) Cmaj7 Fmaj7 G7 Let us now write the chord system for D major: Dmaj7 Em7 F#m7 Gmaj7 A7 Bm7 C#m7(b5) .The Dorian Mode The Dorian mode has been around for a while. Let’s take D Dorian. and of course in rock music. ) A cadence that should be avoided (because it sounds "major"): IV / bVII That sounds like a V / I in Bb major. and make sure you keep that constant D bass on all the beats.. That may take a while.. play slowly at first. Finally start improvising melodic fragments.. degree by degree. (This will be true in every mode except Locrian).but "shifted".g.... The harmonisation given here is in four notes chords.Comparing D Dorian with D major./ Dm7 ../ ii7 .Bbmaj7 .g. Drop-tune the low E string of your guitar to D... which is a vi7(b5) chord. but you can easily find the corresponding triad harmonisation. The characteristic chords are by definition those containing the characteristic modal note.. Typical cadences The cadences most often found in Dorian are: i . Homework 1.. Now play the D Dorian scale linearly and slowly against a repeating low D note.. Cm . they are the chords build on the 2nd. The tonic chord is of course i.) (e. since the chords are the same as those for the parent major scale . Example: A major A Dorian Amaj7 Am7 Bm7 Bm7 C#m7 Cmaj7 Dmaj7 D7 E7 Em7 F#m7 F#m7(b5) G#m7(b5) Gmaj7 Finding the harmonisation of the mode is in fact very easy.g....g.i . the chords for A Dorian are the same as those for G major (since A Dorian is a G major scale started from the second degree)..) (e. 4th and 6th degrees (ii.g.. In the example above... Cm . These chords will be used extensively./ F7 . IV and vi(b5) ).i . we have: i7 ii7 bIIImaj7 IV7 v7 vi7(b5) bVIImaj7 This gives us a way to immediately obtain the harmonisation of the Dorian mode knowing that of the Ionian mode.i ./ ii7 .. This semidiminished chord is extremely unstable because it contains the tritone./ IV7 . Cm .../ Bbmaj7 . Hit the 6 and tonic frequently and always terminate on the tonic (e./ bVIImaj7 .. until you begin to "feel" that Dorian sound../ Dm7 .bVIImaj7 (e.. F7 / Bbmaj7) 20 . it is usually avoided in modal songs. B.. except the chord build on the 6th degree. Cm . For that reason..) (e. lots of old English folksong ballads are in Dorian. and start jamming in A Dorian as if you'd be playing blues. It is a typical example of the Dorian sound. 3. 21 .(but I bet you'll do that quite naturally). 2. Listen to the song "Scarborough Fair" from Simon and Garfunkel. Tune up the low E to G (light gauge strings preferred!). who recorded "Talking Timbuctu" with Ry Cooder. Listen to Malian desert blues. A typical example is the music of Ali Farka Toure. In fact. so you're not likely to hear it often in Western European melodies. Usage A. B.and has been used as such by many rock guitarists. The tonic chord is of course i. Typical cadences . The Phrygian mode is very frequently used as a melodic improvisation device . except in Raï music and of course Spanish flamenco. 5th and 7th degrees. the pattern of the Phrygian mode is: H W W W H W W or. they are the chords build on the 2nd.The Phrygian Mode The Phrygian mode is a very colorful mode. But it does sound rather exotic. which is the unstable semidiminished v7(b5) chord. in terms of intervals with respect to the tonic 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 Its characteristic modal note is the b2 (in the natural minor mode we have a regular 2). Unlike other modes.in which the third degree is raised a halftone (see topic on mode definitions). with a touch of "Arabic" or Spanish-like flavor. Harmonisation Compared to the major scale (W W H W W W H). These chords will be used extensively in Phrygian compositions. creates an unpleasant friction when played against the tonic. the Phrygian mode is less often played against a drone. where it is either used as such. or in the form of the "altered Phrygian" . The characteristic chords are by definition those containing the characteristic modal note. but shifted. which is a characteristic modal note of this mode. except the chord build on the 5th degree. This is because the b2. Harmonising this mode gives the following chord system (please see the section on the Dorian mode for an explanation of the notation): i7 C Major C Phrygian bIImaj7 Cmaj7 Cm7 Dm7 Dbmaj7 bIII7 iv7 Em7 Eb7 v7(b5) bVImaj7 Fmaj7 Fm7 G7 Gm7(b5) bvii7 Am7 Abmaj7 Bm7(b5) Bbm7 The chords for C Phrygian are in fact the same as those for Ab major. / i . because it has a very strong tendency to go towards the major tonic chord./ bIImaj7 . it is much more stable. in Phrygian./ bIImaj7 ... Consider this: bIII7 -> i bIII7 -> iv7 bIII7 -> bVImaj7 sounds a lot like V7 -> iii in major sounds a lot like V7 -> vi7 in major sounds like V7 -> Imaj7 in major What you can do...... or one of its substitutes../ bvii7 .... 23 ./ i ../ bvii7 ../ As always./ i . Since the latter is a subdominant chord.The cadences most often found in Phrygian are: i .. is replace the bIII7 chord by a bIII7(sus4).. you should avoid the cadences that sound major: bIImaj7 -> bVImaj7 bvii7 -> bIII7 sounds like IVmaj7 -> Imaj7 in major sounds like ii7 -> V7 in major In fact.bIImaj7 ..../ iv ./ bIImaj7 .../ i7 .. the bIII7 chord should generally be avoided.i7 . However. this #4 is a rather dissonant tone. it splits the major scale into two exact halves. but shifted. they are the chords build on the 2nd. except the chord build on the 4th degree. making the Lydian mode relatively difficult to use. These chords will be used extensively. which is the unstable semi-diminished v7(b5) chord. it is of limited usage in rock (at least as a composition mode). considers that #4 to be a much better choice than the 4 as a subdominant. in terms of intervals wrt the tonic 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8 Its characteristic modal note is of course the #4. Usage A. Harmonisation Compared to the major scale (W W H W W W H). The characteristic chords are by definition those containing the characteristic modal note. Some musicians have heavily advocated the Lydian mode. because unlike the perfect 4.The Lydian and Mixolydian Modes In this section we'll look at the two other major modes besides Ionian: the Lydian mode and the Mixolydian mode. the pattern of the Lydian mode is: W W W H W W H or. for example. and also in jazz and fusion. As far as I know. Ornette Coleman. The tonic chord is of course I. The harmonization of this mode produces the following chord system: Imaj7 Example: C Major C Lydian Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Dm7 D7 Em7 Em7 Fmaj7 F#m7(b5) G7 Gmaj7 Am7 Am7 Bm7(b5) Bm7 II7 iii7 #iv7(b5) Vmaj7 vi7 vii7 The chords for C Lydian are in fact the same as those for G major. This reduces its tendency to compete with the tonic as the tonal centre. 4th and 7th degrees. Lydian Mode The Lydian mode has been used extensively in classical music of the 20th century. . in terms of intervals with respect to the tonic 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8 Its characteristic modal note is of course the b7. In fact. but the b7 gives it a bluesy feel.I .vi7 .. use the triad II instead of the II7 . Typical cadences The cadences most often found in Lydian are: Imaj7 .Imaj7 ./ vii7 .. It is essentially a plain old major scale. Harmonisation Compared to the major scale (W W H W W W H)./ iii7 .. the Mixolydian mode is used extensively in pop. rock and folk music..Avoid: Vmaj7 -> Imaj7 II7 -> Vmaj7 sounds like a Imaj7 -> IVmaj7 in major sounds like a V7 -> I in major In the latter case........./I .. The harmonisation of this mode produces the following chord system: I7 ii7 iii7(b5) IVmaj7 v7 vi7 bVIImaj7 Example: 25 . the pattern of the Mixolydian mode is: W W H W W H W or./ iii7 ./ vii7 ./ .B./ II .../ ../ vii7 .... it is THE alternative to the Ionian mode.. Mixolydian mode Unlike the Lydian mode../ ..Imaj7 . Usage A.the triad is more stable than the four-note chord because it doesn't contain any tritone. but also in Celtic and African music...../ Imaj7 .. B. 5th and 7th degrees..bVIImaj7 I7 ./ vi7 .../ bVIImaj7 ...I .C Major C Mixolydian Cmaj7 C7 Dm7 Dm7 Em7 Em7(b5) Fmaj7 Fmaj7 G7 Gm7 Am7 Am7 Bm7(b5) Bbmaj7 The chords for C Mixolydian are in fact the same as those for F major.. except the chord build on the 3rd degree./ v7 . Typical cadences The cadences most often found in Mixolydian are: I ./ bVII ./ ii7 ./ I . These chords will be used extensively... The tonic chord is of course I..... Listen to "Norwegian Wood" for a good example./ I ..Be careful with I7! It easily slips away into a major tonality! Homework As said. they are the chords build on the 3rd.v7 . but shifted.. you'll find that the Mixolydian mode is used very often. 26 . which is the unstable semi-diminished m7(b5) chord. The characteristic chords are by definition those containing the characteristic modal note. The Locrian Mode The Locrian mode is by far the darkest and strangest mode of all! It is completely absent from the classical repertoire. All these chords will be used extensively. The tonic chord is of course i7(b5). B. they are the chords build on the 1st. a number of extreme metal bands have started to use it extensively (and more or less successfully). The harmonisation of this mode produces the following chord system: i7(b5) bIImaj7 Example: C Major C Locrian Cmaj7 Cm7(b5) Dm7 Dbmaj7 Em7 Ebm7 Fmaj7 Fm7 G7 Gbmaj7 Am7 Ab7 Bb7(b5) Bbm7 biii7 iv7 bVmaj7 bVI7 bvii7 The chords for C Locrian are in fact the same as those for Db major. but shifted. Typical cadences The cadences most often found in Locrian are: 27 . and playing it in the Middle-Ages would have resulted in your being convicted to death and publicly burned at the stake! Consider this: • • In the Locrian mode the tritone is placed between the tonic and the dominant! The tonic chord is an unstable m7/b5 chord! No wonder it has always been considered an absolute no-no… Recently however. Harmonisation Compared to the major scale (W W H W W W H). 3rd and 5th degrees. The characteristic chords are by definition those containing the characteristic modal note. in terms of intervals wrt the tonic 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8 The characteristic modal note is of course the b5. Usage A. the pattern of the Lydian mode is: H W W H W W W or. im7(b5) ./ bii5 .im7(b5) ...- 28 ./ bV5 ../ bV5 .../ biii7 ......i(b5)5 .. and switching from one to the other should not be too difficult • • Similarly. As a lead guitarist. therefore you will need at least three or four bars for the modulation to take over. In order to establish a key. modulating from C major into A natural minor. the only difference between C major and F major is that in F major the note B is flat (Bb). This is typically done to change the atmosphere of the song. In practice this is rarely the case. but once established it is equally difficult to leave it. 29 . therefore. but modulating from C major into D major will be slightly more complicated because the two keys are wider apart. C major and G major share a lot of chords. Modulation can be more or less difficult. you will have to give your listener ears the time to adjust. the rules may seem exaggeratedly dogmatic and will frequently be broken in contemporary music. For example. Modulating into the parent key This type of modulation involves a key and one of its relative minor keys. These two keys are again very close to each other The only difference between G major and D major is that in D major the note C is sharp (C#). Another thing to be aware of is that the ear is used to a particular tonal center. and will usually be unpleasantly surprised by an abrupt change. depending on how far apart the two keys are in the circle of fifths: • The only difference between C major and G major is that in G major the note F is sharp (F#). Therefore. or to wake up the listener’s interest. If you want to leave that key. this makes G major and D major neighbors. as usually. many modulations will need to be prepared. you need to clearly indicate that to the background (especially the bass) for the harmony to keep on doing sensible things For all these reasons. particularly cadences. some notes will be altered and you need to play them as such If you modulate during your improvisation. you need to be aware of this: • • If the background modulates into another tonality. it is important to study the theory of modulation although. except for the simplest songs. In fact most songs change tonality one or more times during execution. One thing to be aware of is that it is not necessarily easy to establish a particular tonal centre.Modulation So far we have always assumed that a given piece of music remains in a given key (tonality). or from G major into E harmonic minor. and establish another tone center. you need to use all the harmonic devices that we studied in the Intermediate volume. From an improvisation perspective.Modulating into the relative natural minor key is straightforward. this role is usually devoted to the bass. for example C major and G major. But there is a better way… You may recall from the section on tonality in the Intermediate volume. Modulating into the relative melodic minor key is similar to the harmonic minor case. because you need to manage at least one alteration. in order to modulate from C major into A harmonic minor you would play an E7 chord followed by an Am chord (V – I cadence). Am Each one of these can therefore be used as pivot between the two tonalities. the G note is sharp and will clash with the natural G note of C major: C major: C D B E C F D G E A F B G# (C) (A) A harm minor: A From a chord progression perspective. We have seen that the seventh 30 . Modulating into the relative harmonic or melodic minor key is slightly more difficult. except that there is an additional sharp: A mel minor: A B C D E F# F# (A) Always read the score before playing. in A harmonic minor. Em. G. the lead phrase G – G# . etc. Simply make the modulation apparent by insisting on the new tonic. Modulating into an adjacent key This type of modulation concerns two adjacent keys in the circle of fifths. the new tonality is often introduced by its V of V7 chord followed by the new I chord. or F major and Bb major. and try to spot these types of modulations: they will usually be indicated by the presence of “foreign” chords with respect to the original tonality.A would indicate a modulation from C major into A harmonic (or melodic) minor. Let’s consider the triad harmonization of C major and G major: C major G major : : C G Dm Am Em Bm F C G D Am Em Bm(b5) F#m(b5) These two keys have the following chords in common: C. As indicated above. For example. since the notes of the two tonalities are exactly the same. For example. the modulation is often made apparent with an ascending half tone approach resolving into the new tonic. that the fourth and seventh degrees of a tonality play an extremely important role. For example. this type of modulation is relatively easy because the two tonalities have much in common. or A major and E major. . itself followed by a F chord: C . and that the presence of this very unstable interval in a chord (the V7 chord) mandates a resolution onto the tonic chord.. followed by a C chord. in order to modulate from C major into G major. from C major into E harmonic minor ..- Modulating into remote keys Modulating into a distant key is usually more complicated before there are fewer common notes and fewer chords that can be used as pivots. The idea. we can prepare the D or D7 chord by preceding it with a Dm chord../ Em .. we only need to transform the F note into a F# note. ce can then round off the modulation by playing the V – I cadence G – C../ C – C7 .. where it becomes the 4th degree! a) So./ C . Suppose are in C major. altering the leading tone (B) makes it a Bb and puts us in F major.. A better approach is to use the V – I cadence.degree (called leading tone) and the fourth degree (called sub-dominant) are separated by a tritone.The same principle applies to all modulations between adjacent tonalities./ G ../ D ./ C . altering the 4th degree (F) makes it a F#.../ Em . Modulating back from G major into C major would also rely on the 4th degree: in G major.. but here we will alter the B note and make it a Bb. we will play a C chord.../ Dm – D .. For example. therefore.relative of F major). In order to make the transition smoother. followed by a C7 chord. But this is a rather soft transition./ B7 . But the D chord followed by a G chord says we are in G major now. as in the following progression: C . we will play a F chord./ G . followed in turn by a F chord. If we then immediately play a G chord. we can do that by playing D or D7 chord.relative of G major../ B7 . we have an unambiguous cadence that establishes G major as the new tonality./ G .. b) Modulating from C major into F major follows the same principles.The first G chord followed by a C chord says: “We are in C major”./ F . is to use this V – I cadence to establish the new tonality. One way we can do this is by playing a G chord followed by a Gm chord. or from C major into D harmonic minor . 31 ... the following progression modulates from C major into E harmonic minor: C ... then. Similarly. where it becomes the 7th degree. and also to modulations from a key into a relative minor of an adjacent key (for example. and puts us in the G major tonality./ F ....... . we can again stress the third. In practice./ C#m . and you make the modulation immediately apparent You can also smooth out the modulation by applying some mode theory. on the first E chord we finalize the modulation by playing an E Ionian pattern./ E . On the B7 chord.. even in that case the modulation is often “prepared” by other tricks such as a percussion roll.This sequence is very similar to the previous example. the modulation will be very melodic and musical. if this chromatic sequence is supported by the bass line.. and this is normal since E harmonic minor (in the previous example) and E major (in this example) share the same tonic and the same dominant chord.g. The reverse is not true: the appearance of non-diatonic chords in a progression does not necessarily imply a modulation. So to speak. But on the last C chord of the C major part we can already prepare the modulation and announce the new tonic (E) by stressing the E note (which is the third of the C chord and is therefore an excellent note to play on that chord). you obviously play with the C major scale. We have already talked about this is the Intermediate volume (e. this always implies the usage of new chords not belonging to the old tonality./ C .. it is up to you to decide what you like best.../ A . Essentially.. 32 .. Here is an example of a modulation from C major into E major by means of a V – I cadence: C . This principle can be extended and generalised into what is usually called inter-tonal exchanges.. However. modulations in Hard Rock....E. Fusion and Metal are often unprepared harmonically: the chord progression abruptly switches into the new tonality. How do you handle this from a lead perspective? There are two options: • • You can play a B(7) arpeggio on the B7 chord: in doing so you stick very closely to the harmony.. Inter-tonal Exchanges We have seen that a modulation consists in changing tonics./ B .. you play an E Phrygian fingering pattern – but remember that this doesn’t affect the “Ionianality” of the harmony. On the C major part.: all these tricks are meant to make the transition more acceptable. Ultimately./ F . which was first advocated by Belà Bartok. Finally.. etc. but this V7 chord might itself need some preparation.The same general principle discussed above applies in this case: the V or V7 chord of the new tonality can be used to modulate. we have prepared and approached the modulation with a chromatic note sequence E – D# . in the tonality of E major – in other words. which is now D#. a rest. extended dominant chords). play a D# Locrian fingering pattern./ B7 . an acceleration. The diatonic triad harmonization of these tonalities consists of the following chords: I C major: Gb major: C Gb ii Dm Abm iii Em Bbm IV F Cb V G Db vi Am Ebm vii Bm(b5) Fm(b5) (C) (Gb) (Note the profusion of flats in the latter scale./ Em ..... or be a valid extension)./ C . you will agree that this is quite an interesting change. For example. the following progression in C major: C ...../ G ... Although such inter-tonal exchanges are more frequent in jazz and fusion than in mainstream rock music../ Dm ... As you can see..../ Dm ../ C might be rewritten as follows: C ./ C ../ Bbm .. there are often an interesting way to harmonise or re-harmonise a theme... in particular the theoretically correct Cb!) The principle of inter-tonal exchange states that it is ok to use functionally equivalent chords from any tonality into any other tonality./ Am ./ C because Bbm and Abm are functionally equivalent to Em and Dm (they are chords on the same degrees in both scales)../ Abm . and if you remember the discussion on melodic analysis (Intermediate volume). the bass line is potentially deeply impacted by this../ F .../ G ... 33 .Let’s consider two widely separated tonalities: C major and Gb major.. The only constraint for doing this sort of inter-tonal exchanges is that the new chords may not clash with the melody (in other words../ G ..... the melody note must remain a characteristic note of the chord..../ Dm ./ G ./ Am ./ F .