Big Jim: I think there is more confusion about the naming of modes than any thing else in Music theory. Firstly we call a mode by a name that has nothing to do with its origin. A mode that consists of notes G to G in the key center of C, is called a G Myxolydian. It is not! It is a C Mixolydian it is the 5th mode of the C Major Scale. If we think about this very seriously we will see how confused any beginner could get with this approach. I do believe that improvisation is hampered by this misleading approach to to using modes in improvising. Let me give an example. The freedom that one has when improvising on a mode depends on the visualization and knowledge of the player. If for instance the player is trying to visualize the improvisation from the standpoint of a G mixolydian, the area of visualization seem narrower than if he were to visualize the improvisation from a total key center such as C Major. As far as G mixolydian, or any other mode, goes it doesn't seem to be part of any greater whole. It seems isolated. But with C mixolydian we have the other 6 modes to super impose on the basic modal structure. This is my point, some of us need all the weaponry we can muster to improvise freely. And the concept of improvisation can be very daunting to some of us mortals with lesser talents than the "Jazz Greats". I for one have spent most of my life trying to understand John Coltranes approach to improvisation. The way he layers harmony upon harmony. After a lot of study I find that almost anything can be played against anything. The limits are on how much the player wants to contact the listener and how much he wants create tension and how soon he want to release that tension. The only difference between structured improvisation and free improvisation is the restrictions placed on the individual by the individual. I will now try to show how improvisation can be used to its simplest effect. We will start off with an A Major mode. I will play a simple improvisation that can be superimposed over all of the 7 modal chords of the A Major scale. I recorded this improvisation totally freely. I had no rhythm and no chords. Al I had was the A Major Key center to improvise on. I only did one take, so it is totally spontaneous. I didn't think of any chord structure so if anything fits it is totally by luck. Or is it? I will show you it isn't luck. I will create a chord sequence, later on, and use the same improvisation on this chord sequence. What we have to ask is will this kind of approach work with altered chords? I think it will so stay with me and we can explore this idea together.


Press "Improvisation" graphic and then press the "LOAD MEDIA" button.

Press the ' LOOPING SOUND AMaj7' button. And start the wave file playing. Now press the "PLAY MEDIA"

Now Press the Bmin7 and listen to the same improvisation against this chord.

Do the same with the C#min7 Listen to how each chord gives a different sound.

The D Maj7 gives the lydian concept a tryout here. This concept will be discussed later.

The Mixolydian or Dominant 7th is the chord-scale that started the whole thing off in the 1st place.

This little exercise is created for you to see that most of the hindrance we suffer, musically, are not what we can't do, but what we dare to do.

We can go a long way in improvised music if we don't get bogged down with too many technicalities.

Big Jim: The point about the 1st experiment is the fact that we have much more to play with when we use the key center. We can aim with greater accuracy and therefore the worry of what am I going to play next is gone. At the moment we are dealing with only the MAJOR SCALE. Also I will only use one key for all of the demonstrations. This key will be :-
A Major

Big Jim: A Major is chosen because it is a guitaristic key. We have plenty of open strings and 3 to 4 octaves for scales. It might seem to you a bit tame just to play on the major scale. Think of it this way. You only have to flatten the third and we have a MELODIC MINOR scale.
A Melodic Minor


Big Jim: Another Step from there and by flattening the 6th you have A HARMONIC MINOR.
A Harmonic Minor

Big Jim: We will cover Harmonic and Melodic Minor scales in another lesson. For now let us concentrate on the major scale. Another point I would like to make is this. The notes of the mixolydian scale are exactly the same as the notes of the key or tone center. So why not use the key center as a pivot point to base our improvisations on? The point here is the fact that you will get more of roots of all music, tension and release, by thinking of key centers because you are forever superimposing all the modes, triads, quadrads and the rest, against the base chord. Almost automatically you are using substitutions without having to be told or shown what to do. We can superimpose a C#min7 chord against the E7, or if you like an A Phrygian against an A Mixolydian. Not a C# Phrygian against an E mixolydian How can you tell what key center you are in with this. The former tells us that the 2 chords-scales are related and latter does not. I know this may be a mute point amongst the academics out there but I do feel its is time we sorted this approach out. If any one thinks I'm out of order please write and tell me. bigjim@bigjimsullivan.com The reasoning behind all of this is to try and make it as easy to understand as possible. With all of this in mind let me carry on with the lesson.
Many things come into play when you improvise. I don't just mean jazz. I mean rock, country, folk even classical. The two prime factors of music are tension and release. It is the manipulation of these two factors that allow the player to take the listener on a voyage into the players imagination. Therefore bearing the soul of the player to the listener. To do this we need to know how to create tension and release. It can be done very simply by playing two triads together. Try this : record an A Major Triad onto you tape recorder and let it sustain as long as possible. Now play it back and play a Bb Major Triad against the recorded Amajor Triad.

Play the Bb Triad and stop it, play it and stop it.
You will hear tension in the harmony when the two chords are played against each other. You will also hear the release when you stop the Bb Triad.

The last chord holds the tension at the end. If you let the two chords ring on for awhile you will also hear things that are not supposed to be there. What you will be hearing are the harmonics buiding up with the resonation of the two chords. This is a very simple way to create tension. When we want to do the same thing with improvisation we can superimpose scales chords and arpeggios against the primary harmony. Now to be able to use the key centers instead of a "mode" we can make more out of what we have. The very essence of 2-5-1 progression points to a key center. 2 is the 2nd step of the major scale or dorian. 5 is the 5th step of the scale or mixolydian and 1 is the root of the scale namley Ionian. Look how much the 2-5-1 sequence is touched upon in modern music. Since the advent of the Beatles the 2-5-1 sequence is use more in pop music than it ever was..