amiller":160wp6kb said:
ttosh":160wp6kb said:
I use a lot of different (what I call techniques) for practicing modes, doing straight modes in a scale, doing all modes in a key, doing a mode in 9,9,9 or 9,6,6, type technique (which is using the first 9 notes in the modal position, going to the next mode but staying positioned for the initial mode to work my way up the fretboard) all of this is good in theory and for practice for me. When playing this helps me visualize what I want to do better, at least I feel it does.
What are some of the ways you guys practice your modes versus actually applying them in playing and how much attention do you pay to modes when actually improvising versus writing a planned solo to a song of yours?
Drone baby drone. For instance, use a keyboard to play and indefinitely sustain a "C." Now, play C Ionian, Dorian, Phyrgian, Lydian ...etc. This will give you a good idea of the sound of each mode. If you don't have a keyboard you'll need to generate the C using another method.
I'd take it another step further since against a drone you have about 140 notes that work (inclusing micro tonal stuff) or 12 in western equal temperament.
The thing is that a drone don't care whether you imply it to be minor or major, etc...and if we'd talk about Indian music where you don't have harmony like in Western it'd make sense. But in our case the modes are there to navigate changes.
And the easiest way I found to look at it was from the IV-V of a chord against a bass note...
i.e. if you have a F major triad to a G major triad against an D bass note you have the IV/V of C major against the ii of C major (dorian).
Where as F-G over A would make it A aeolian, F-G over E phrygian, F-G over F lydian, over G mixolydian, etc...
Try it it might shine a new light on mode usage. For my money I prefer to look at everything keycenter, i.e. playing A dorian or E aeolian are the same notes (G major scale) and only the avoid stuff changes...