scales and modes

[William Cingolani]

Hi Johnny
I am able to play all scales in all 12 keys and all the modes for each key and I favor the sharp keys. But I still get lost in the music re: timing
William

[john]

wow, that’s great. I believe you can work on your timing while you’re working on the improv course simply by doing basic scales and modes along with the backing track. It’s like the metronome but better, at least more fun and realistic to how we all play or want to play and that’s with other musicians.
Use the backing track loop which is downloadable from the lessons and practice with it focusing on the count. Be strict and start with 1/4 notes.

[William Cingolani]

I also like to play things like “Fields of Gold” in concert F, G on my tenor and “Every Breath You Take” in concert G, Key of A on my tenor. I suppose I can mix some modes into both songs e.g. Seems like I can fit an F# minor modal scale when it comes to “Every move you make…” since F# minor is a mode in the key of A.
William

[jake]

Starting to grasp the relation to scales and modes here. Have a question for you though. I will use an example of a song in the Key of E (chords E-A-B) for this question.
If I want to play the tenor in concert pitch the modes I should use should be based on an F# scale for me??:

Guitar chord E (F# tenor)
Tenor modes- F# G# A# C C#
A# C C# D# F
C# D# F F# G#

Guitar chord A (B tenor)
Tenor modes- C C# D# F F#
D# F F# G# A#
F# G# A C C#

Guitar chord B (C# tenor)
Tenor modes- C# D# F F# G#
F F# G# A# C
G# A# C C# D#

Am I thinking about this correctly?

[jake]

Made an error, my C’s should actually be B’s in the modes.

[Anonymous]

when you start naming the notes (or modes) in a scale, convention
dictates to use every letter in the scale – i know its sounds being a bit picky & extreme, but
in the long term its more confusing to describe
the F# major scale as
F#,G#,A#,B,C#,D#,F,F#
than it is to describe it as
F#,G#,A#,B,C#,D#,E#,F#

The F# major scale has a B in
it not a B#

[Anonymous]

I find the simplest thing to do
is if you are playing the sax
along to guitar chords, is to
transpose the guitar chord notes
into the sax notes! the modes of the chords in the guitar scale will be different to the modes of
the transposed notes in the sax
scale.

[john]

yes William, that’s right.

[john]

@Jake…
Jake, Yes, you play your modes based on the F# major scale:
F# is the one chord and so play F# G# A# B C# D# F F# (this is a regular F# major scale)
B is the four chord and so play B C# D# F F# G# A# B (this is the 4th or Lydian mode which is the F# major scale starting on the B)
C# is the five chord and so play C# D# F F# G# A# B C# (this is the 5th or Mixolydian mode which is the F# major scale starting on the C#)

[William Cingolani]

I am studying your lesson on theme development I am also trying to apply it to “SummerTime”. I have Summer Time in the key of D major or E minor in two of my Aebersold books. I’m working on it. Great lesson on Theme Development.

[Author]

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