TUTORIALS 1 Intervals 2 Triads 3 7th Chords 4 Major & Minor Scale Tone Harmony 5 Modes of the Major Scale 6 Composite Minor Scale Tone Harmony 7 The Major II-V-I Progression 8 The Minor II-V-I Progression 9 Type A&B Left Hand Piano Voicings HOME ABOUT MIKE NELSON ABOUT JENNY WRENN CONTACT ABOUT US (WNP) JAZZ EDUCATION [including FREE Tutorials] RECORDINGS LINKS CLIENT PAGES GIGS - WHAT'S ON

TUTORIAL 5 - Modes of the Major Scale Modes or "displacements" of the major scale provide a rich source of scales for the improvising musician or composer. The "TONE TONE SEMITONE TONE TONE TONE SEMITONE" structure of the major scale delivers exciting new sounds if we start the scale from notes other than the tonic. A mode is considered to be in the key of its' tonic (starting note). In example 1, the C major scale is "displaced" to create the diatonic modes sharing a common key signature. In example 2, the various modal structures are recreated from the same tonic (in the same key). The 5 Tonal Modes form a relationship through their shared 1st, 4th and 5th degrees. When improvising over a fixed pedal the jazz improviser may choose to vary his or her melodic material by switching from one tonal mode to another. The tonal mode relationship may also be exploited to provide harmonic variation for composition purposes by modally varying a theme or subject. In the following example a simple melodic idea written in C major (ex.3) is varied using Phrygian harmony. In ex.4 the key signature is changed while in ex.5 accidentals are used to achieve the same result. Either method is valid. [next tutorial] ©Mike Nelson 2001