dorian mode – Modern Music Theory Improvisation and Application

“Minor-isation”For Backing Track Improvisation:

Posted on April 30, 2024May 10, 2024 by Modern Music Theory and Application

“Minor-isation”or the minor topic.[Backing Track]

Hi Guys,

Today, a quick look at applying minor-isation for improvisation over a backing track:

This is a very useful way to play over ambiguous harmony or Jazz fusion chord progressions, slash chords and sometimes illogical movement/chord shifts.

So, what do we do? and how does this work?

ANSWER=Employ the minor key for everything!

Let’s say we take this chord FMaj#11 – we will go to chord iii of F Major and use that for our improvisational point. In this case it’s A minor.

minor-topic-pat-martino-minorisation-track

Let’s apply the same principle to DbMaj7#11

If we apply chord iii we have F minor:

This time we will apply it to B Maj7#11

Chord iii being D#minor [Although I have notated it enharmonically with Eb minor as some people find that easier to visualise on the guitar fingerboard]

BARS 9 TO 12

In bars 9 to 12 you will see slash chords. For these we will go to chord Vi. So for instance on Db/Eb we will use Bb minor.

Bars 9 to 11: Chord Vi:

And on C/D chord Vi will be A minor:

We could also use chord iii as we did in the first 8 bars:

Bars 9 to 11: Chord iii Employed:

LAST 4 BARS

For the last part we will employ chord iii of Db Major throughout: This of course being F minor:

Here is the chart for the full backing track and you will see how all of this works:

IN CONCLUSION:

This is just a basic example of how “minor-isation” can be exploited to create really fluid improvisation especially on the guitar in a modern smooth jazz fusion context:

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Creating the Dorian Mode Flavour

Posted on April 11, 2021October 26, 2021 by Modern Music Theory and Application

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dorian mode

The key to improvising is to do something creative with the melody. To recompose it or to broaden it out or to instinctively develop the harmony. Most people take to the modes though with a compulsion to play “Carte Blanche” scale over a chord ad nauseam.

In this Blog/Vlog we will look at some ideas for bringing out the actual flavour of the most talked about mode of them all the “Dorian Mode”.

Most people look at the dorian mode as being a scale of C major starting on the note D. But here is how it works.

ANSWER=D is one tone up from C for D Dorian, so C is one tone up from Bb for C Dorian.

C DORIAN MODE [D Dorian as people learn it]

Below we see the difference between C minor and C dorian. C minor has the semitone between the 6th and 5th whereas C Dorian has a tone between the 5th and 6th notes. Dorian Raises the 6th note up a semitone. Without the raised 6th note C would just sound minor and not dorian, so bringing out this 6th note [as it will be in a melody to imply that we are in the dorian mode] is essential to creating actual music and phrasing and not just playing a scale over a chord.

In order to bring out that A natural note in C dorian an easy way is to employ an arpeggio like Bb major 7th. This is very useful, melodic and can be played in 4 note groupings.