Modes with a Static Root
With
Ollie WestonOllie Weston plays every mode from the same root, arranged from brightest (Lydian) to darkest, so you can hear the contrast between them.
What's in the course
51 lessons (2h 9m) · 1 free
01. Introduction + leaving town demonstration
Free lesson3:02
02. The Blues Scale
2:48
03. Swing Quavers
1:42
04. Combing the Blues Scale and Swing Quavers
3:57
05. Playing through the Blues form using root notes
1:18
06. Writes Your Own Blues
0:59
07. Leaving Town Blues - Improvise
4:13
08. Improvisation recap
0:49
01. Introduction to Minor 7th Chords
3:32
02. Dorian Scale Workout
1:40
03. Minor 7th Chord Lick
2:22
04. Minor Pentatonic Patterns
3:51
05. Minor Pentatonic Workout
1:52
06. Pentatonic vs Blues Scale
1:59
07. So Far so Good - Introduction
1:09
08. So Far so Good - Head
1:37
09. Minor Chord Extensions
2:45
10. Rhythmic Ideas
2:13
11. So Far so Good - Performance with Solo
3:50
01. Introduction to Modes
6:09
02. Diatonic Modes Exercise
4:04
03. Modes with a Static Root
You are here1:58
04. Modes with Static Root Exercise
1:06
05. Modes with Static Root Recap
0:34
06. Phrase Exercise for Modes
1:07
07. Phrase Exercise for Modes (Demonstration)
1:29
08. Song Examples
1:56
09. First Impresssions - Chords and Harmony
4:06
10. First Impresssions - Performance
4:06
11. First Impresssions - Introduction and Analysis
3:30
Lesson transcript
Understanding Modes: From Light to Dark
So another way to think about modes is:
- Rather than them being a diatonic set of scales related to a parent chord (like we've done with the C major modes), consider playing all your modes from the same starting point. This allows you to hear the contrast between each one more effectively.
Arranging the Modes
I'm going to arrange my modes from light to dark, shifting from the most major to the most minor.
-
Lydian Mode:
- Starts with a sharpened note
- Has a sharpened fourth, which makes it actually one step brighter than a major scale.
-
Ionian Mode:
- I'm going to flatten the fourth note to create the major scale (Ionian mode).
-
Mixolydian Mode:
- To get from Ionian to a Mixolydian scale, I'll flatten the seventh to make C Mixolydian.
-
Dorian Mode:
- Next, I'll flatten the third to create a C Dorian scale, which has:
- A flattened seventh
- A flattened third
- Next, I'll flatten the third to create a C Dorian scale, which has:
-
Aeolian Mode:
- I'll then flatten the sixth, giving us the Aeolian mode.
- So far, I have:
- Flat 3
- Flat 7
- Flat 6
-
Phrygian Mode:
- I'm going to flatten the second to create the Spanish sound in the Phrygian mode.
- Now I have:
- A flattened third
- A flattened seventh
- A flattened sixth
- A flattened second
-
Locrian Mode:
- Finally, I'll move to the Locrian scale, which has a flattened fifth.
- This really is the most minor sound and contrasts the most with the Lydian mode.
Putting It All Together
If you listen to the backing track, you'll notice:
- There are four bars per chord.
- I'll play up and down each scale, starting with the Lydian and graduating through the modes until I get to the Locrian.
You'll observe that the bass remains static on a C throughout, rather than in the previous exercise, where the bass moves up a step each time.
51 lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles.
Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools.
In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips.
