Modal Jazz Explained - Improvisation and Harmony
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2016
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What is Modal Jazz? How is it different from regular Jazz? Find out by watching this Jazz Piano Tutorial. It covers everything you need to know, focusing on modal improvisation and modal harmony. This video could alternatively be titled Modal Jazz Explained.
Modal jazz is characterised by the following:
- Sparse chord changes where a single chord can last many bars
- No strict, written out chord progression
- Pedal points and drones
- Quartal chords - to avoid accidentally sounding tonal
The idea behind Modal Jazz is to give the soloist greater freedom and choice when improvising.
Before Modal Jazz, soloists generally thought ‘vertically’. By removing the ‘functionality’ of chords - modality allows a soloist to focus exclusively on the melody and not worry about the underlying harmony. You focus on creating melodies in a particular scale or key. This is called thinking ‘horizontally’.
Modality treats the chords as ‘decorative’ rather than ‘functional’. This gives you greater flexibility when improvising and, in fact, forces you to focus on creating interesting melodies - and not about just outlining the chords or modifying the solo to fit the chord progression.
But, even though a Modal Jazz solo is ‘freer’ than a tonal solo, there are, nevertheless, still some restrictions in modal improvisation. You should generally:
- Stick to the relevant scale/mode (with occasional chromatic passing notes)
- Avoid the diatonic tritone (as it sounds tonal)
- Emphasis the root note in the bass (to establish the tonal centre)
- Emphasis the character tone within the particular mode
With functional harmony there is a strong pull to the tonic (G7 wants to resolve to CMaj7). In modal harmony, however, because there is no functional harmony there isn’t as strong a pull to the tonic. However, because there still IS a tonic, there is still some tendency to want to resolve to the tonic. It is nowhere near as strong as in functional harmony, but it is still there.
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After watching this I went back to listen to Kind of Blue. It's like hearing a whole new sound when you know where to look. I never really understood Kind of Blue's implications till now. Even just scratching the bare surface, the hidden genius of Davis really opens up.
Sorry for the late reply. I was away on holiday for the last month.
Yeah, I know what you mean. The more you learn about Miles, the more you can appreciate what a genius he actually was. And the sheer diversity of his playing is just stunning.
Walk That Bass Spot on. This is a very good video. I'm just curious, though, if you could briefly explain how modal jazz exactly differs from your standard chord progression? Aren't they still switching chords like in the earlier bepop and hard bop styles? Or is everything harmonically simplified through uses of the Dorian mode?
The key differences are as follows:
1. In modal harmony, because we are avoiding the Dominant chord (and tritone interval) there is no strong pull or drive to the tonic chord, like in Tonal harmony. So even though you are still using the same chords (Dm7, Em7, etc) they sound very different because they don't pull towards the tonic.
2. Modal harmony generally uses quartal voicings (chords built in 4ths), which makes it even more amiguous, while pure tonal harmony generally uses tertian voicings (chords built in 3rds).
3. 'Pure' modal jazz doesn't have written out chord progressions, and it's up to the rhythm section to play whatever chords they like. So the soloist only focuses on the scale (rather than the chords). (incidentally, there are also modal songs with written out chord progressions (i.e. songs without dominant chords), but I will cover these in a future video).
So yes, both bebop and modal jazz use the same 'chords' (except for the absence of dominant chords in modal jazz). But they have a very different feel.
- When you play bebop chords, you are playing a strict chord progression that sounds like it's moving towards the tonic chord. It sounds like you're playing individual chords.
- When you are playing modal chords, your goal is to create a fluid harmonic framework in a particular key - so you're creating the sound of a whole key rather than individual chords.
It's difficult to explain in words, but I'm hoping this makes some sense.
Think of it this way.
- If I play Dm7, G7, CMaj7 all built up in thirds - you hear each individual chord clearly and it moves logically to the next chord; each chord sounds like it should and wants to move to the next.
- But if I play only white notes built up in 4ths. So like D-G-C and E-A-D and G-C-F, these are obviously from the key of CMaj (or a related mode) because they are all white notes, but they are not any obvious chord. You don't really register them as chord that must move logically to the tonic. Instead you only get a general soup of quasi-chord that sounds like they are all in the key of CMaj because of the lack of flats or sharps. You don't hear individual chords moving from one to the other anymore. You just hear the sound of 'CMaj', or 'D Dorian' (if you emphasise the D), etc.
This allows the soloist to play anything he or she likes in the appropriate mode, without worrying about following any particular chord progression.
Does that make any sense? Like I said, it's a little hard to describe in words.
Walk That Bass That's the best explanation I've come across, actually. Very insightful!
That makes a lot of sense, since now that you mention it, on songs like "So What", you don't hear a lot of tonality-based progression. It starts with the familiar tension resolution pattern on the tonic, but then each solo drifts further away from their shifting keys.
Davis himself also said that what he did on Kind of Blue was a response to the trite, straight-jacket harmony of bepop chords. Songs like Flamenco Sketches also seem to convey what you said about quasi-chords. Flamenco Sketches is, I believe, composed of borrowed keys substituting traditional white keys in D dorian or whatever they were improvising on.
Subscribed, and looking forward to more videos!
Thank, Maxwell. And yep, that's exactly right. Modal Jazz was a reaction to Bebop. And interesting thought on Flamenco Sketches. I'll have to have yet another listen!
By far the best explanation about what modal jazz is. Thank you.
this, I tried to understand it by reading some definition i found by googling modal jazz and i couldn't, but this video totally cleared it up.
Ditto.
This is far and away the clearest explanation I've ever seen for modal vs. tonal harmony. I feel like so many other explanations focus too much on the wording of everything, but you just give a straightforward comparison to tonal harmony (something that everyone knows), and highlight the differences without dwelling on definitions. Absolutely wonderful work!
Such great information. No where else can I find such in-depth and clear teaching. Really appreciate your videos. The only thing else I could hope for would be exercises to really drill these videos into my head. I find that I soak up so much information through these videos but get kinda lost on how to implement them when it comes to actual playing. It would be great to have some homework so to speak. Perhaps even a link to some other youtube video or a common exercise that could be found via google. Just a suggestion. Keep up the great work!
Hi Soren. Thanks again for the comment. You're asking for homework? Well I never! Maybe I'll make a 'how to practice' video at some stage in the future. I'll see how I go. Personally, I think playing actual songs is much more interesting and useful than just playing scales or finger exercises. You obviously need the latter as a base, but I'm guessing if you can follow my videos you've probably done more than enough arpeggio runs and Hanon-esque finger exercises.
In terms of good exercises to practice, try the following:
1. Playing a II-V-I (or some other common chord progression) in ever key going around the cycle of fifths. So for example, start with a II-V-I in D (Em7, A7, DMaj7) then a II-V-I in G (Am7, D7, GMaj7) then a II-V-I in C (Dm7, G7, CMaj7) and so on. Or alternately, moving down in semitones.
a. Play the above II-V-I's with different chord voicings (Rootless chords, shell chords, bud powell voicings, two-handed/spread/open voicings)
b. Then play the above II-V-I chords with your left hand and improvise with your right
2. Learn a Jazz Standard and learn to play it in every key.
3. Learn a Jazz Standard using two handed chord voicings which combine chords and melody...in every key
4. Practice Improvising over a Jazz Standard...yep, in every key
5. Try reharmonise a Jazz Standard
6. Try transcribe a solo or part of a solo - or at least find some licks that you like and try replicate them.
7. Play along with a song or a backing track
Practicing Modal Jazz is a bit different, because there is no chord progression, but similar concepts apply.
1. Practice playing quartal chords in every mode.
2. Transcribe and replicate a modal solo
3. Learn a Modal Jazz Standard and learn to play it in every mode
You've probably picked up on the pattern. Many Jazz songs change keys often and quickly and in odd ways (think Giant Steps and much of Wayne Shorter's stuff). The best way to be a competent jazz pianist and be able to play these songs well, is to be pretty comfortable in every key. Mind you, this is quite challenging and I'm certainly not competent in every key. And the best way to learn how to improvise is to listen to lots of jazz and try transcribe/replicate any solos/licks that you like.
Is that sufficient homework for you? It's due by end of August. No extensions. :)
Thanks so much for all of that! That will keep me busy for a while for sure. I'll get to work right away! :p
I would also suggest your Riff video. Riffs are a great exercise for hands and fingers and for getting really acquainted with the keyboard without being boring as are chords and scales.
@@deonzoss I wonder how much have you improved in this 2 years
@@WalkThatBass Some people feel, like I do, the solo in the Zombies "She's Not There" is the first modal keyboard solo in pop - what do you reckon?
you are the best jazz teacher on all of YT man ...people charge 4 this infos thanks so much
Thanks :)
This sounds like it's largely a diatonic progression - mostly using the chords in E Major (as he states in the title). But using lots of nice passing chords and approach chords.
I would watch my video on the circle progression - ruclips.net/video/e7En25foxgs/видео.html
And my video on passing chords - ruclips.net/video/MlRF1zeODvw/видео.html
Playing a Circle Progression with some nice chromatic passing chords can sound very nice, like a jazz ballad. It's a great sounding, simple and widely used chord progression. So I'd start there.
Commentary plus the slide , plus the playing - great combo for learning. The clearest tutorial on Modal I’ve found
This is LITERALLY the greatest explanation of modal jazz or modality I've found. You explain it in a way that I understand, and you don't talk at us, you talk to is about it. Thank you.
I fully agree!
Wow... So much to unpack from 11:14 onward... I feel like this short video just unlocked an entirely new world of harmonic movement to explore that I'll spend the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years of my life trying to dissect.
I'm a self-taught musician and learning a bit more about modal jazz so I can better understand Kind of Blue and other favorite records. This is really helpful and clearly explained -- thanks!
This was a great explanation, I could follow as someone who doesn't play music
This is the first time I really understand Modal Jazz. Thank you for the excellent explanation.
This is so enlightening! I've noticed in my own private noodlings/imrpovs/practices that my ear really favors lots of modal sounds with a bit of chromaticism as well. I just love learning the theory behind it all!
best explanation on modal jazz
These are awesome lessons. It's very easy to make deep subjects like music theory seem incomprehensible, but you teach with a lot of clarity. I'm watching them all!
I'm a guitar and saxophone player, but I am very grateful. Thank you Sensei!
This is immensely helpful, I also just found your website, will be sure to donate. This is hands down the best explanation of not just modal jazz, but other jazz related topics (refering to Your other videos) that I've ever encountered, it never clicked for me how to comp, or how to lead through chord changes up until the last few days, lo and behold - I can actually play what I've always heard in my head AND understand what I'm doing! As others already said - thank You so much!
Just phenomenal mate! A whole universe of possibilities opened up! Thank you so much for the wonderful instruction, I've been searching for this for quite a while. In most places I could just find bits and pieces but your videos just put it all together and reveal the big picture.
Thank you. For several years i have been trying to find out how and why functional and non-functional harmony/ tonal v modal jazz is different and you have it here in a nutshell, both theoretically and practically. Tim Richards for example is great but there is so much detail and you cant see the wood for the trees. Thanks for the wood - now i can see how beautiful the trees are!
This video has changed my life...You explain it so clearly..thank you so much.
Very interesting interpretation. One can imagine the amount of time it takes analyse and express this theory in the way you have.
This is so good, packed with info not one useless sentence
Thanks for a great explanation on this subjects. thanks for sharing your knowledge , there is a lot of time put on learning all this, It is awesome that you can share it for free.
Excellent presentation! Your explanations and examples helped me better understand the differences in tonal and modal harmony. Many kudos to you!
what a find! i loved your channel, your lessons are so clear and complete. thank you! s2
best! i ever heard about modal harmony. all i need 4 a while
these videos are very well made! thank you ... i am learning a LOT about chords in a short time. As a jazz composer this is great.
No worries, Laurie. It's my pleasure. I do enjoy hearing when people actually find these videos useful. Really makes me feel like the effort I put into them is worthwhile.
And thanks for the donation, mate. Very much appreciated.
Oh, and apologies for the late reply. I was on holidays for a few days.
Thanks so much for the video, it's pretty incredible that this knowledge is accessible to everyone
Thanks for making these videos, in a way it explains why a modal approach doesn't necessarily apply to pre-modal forms of jazz.
Loved it, I think I finally get it. Thank you very much!
An amazingly clear and insightful explanation of modal harmony.
AMAZING video. Thanks!! Very clearly explained 👌
This is a really helpful and understandable video. Amazing good job. Thanks sooooo much!!
Magnificent video. Thank you.
Congratulation! His classes are very important for my piano study....
Excellent explication of modality versus tonality that I never have seen before. Great job. I really learn a lot from your videos! For me as a non professional it took a while before I could apply this stuff in my playing but I made a start!
Yeah, all these things take time. I eventually plan to make a lesson about how to reharmonise a tonal song as a modal song, but will need to find some spare time. Thanks for the comment.
Great tutorial! Enjoyed and learned a lot from it!
Very helpful. I’m inspired to try composing in this genre.
Very articulated english, great theory and examples. You're great & thank you. 5 stars.
MAN THIS IS THE PERFECT JAZZ TUTORIAL CHANNEL, OTHER CHANNEL MAKE U PAY N STUFF, BUT BIG UPS TO YOU FOR PUTTING OUT SUCH BEAUTIFUL LESSONS FOR FREE.
LOVE FROM INDIA
Thanks, mate. Greetings from Australia :)
Great vid, you cleared up a lot of questions I had.
Fenomenal lesson, I started playing the piano recently and am very interested on improvisation in general, I feel that this lesson added a powerful tool to my kit
Super clear explanation! many thanks!
Very well explained, thank you buddy!
This is AMAZINGLY HELPFUL! WOW. THANKS BIG TIME. I never understood exactly WHY i love Bill Evans piano playing so much on the album 'BLUE' ... but I would always say....he uses chords differently and creates a melodic sequence that is so original....now I understand better what he was (is) doing.
Yeah, Bill Evans is pretty amazing. I'm hoping to make another video which dives a little deeper into some of Bill Evan's compositions - looking at non-diatonic non-functional modal(ish) chord progressions. But yeah, all his stuff is really unique and really beautiful. Thanks for the comment.
Yeah mate, this is a great video, really excellent explanations, thanks
I feel like this is the really the video people should be seeing for modes. Like "why modes" way more than "what are modes".
Very well explained, I understood a lot more thanks to you. Will watch all your videos for sure.
Thanks, Adrien. Hope you like them.
Congratulation for this very clear tutorial. A great lesson. Enjoyed watching it !! Looking forward to watching your other videos.
Thanks, mate :)
You're a great at Teaching.. I reallly Enjoy your lessons ... i have learn a lot from you
Wow, your explanation is great. Thank you so much!
Your explanation is so clear and easy to understand, even for a beginner like me. Thank you so much!
No worries, Will. Thanks for the comment.
The best. Keep rocking!
very, very well done. many notes have been taken from this video. the graphics are always such a beneficial part of your videos. thank you & may God Bless you sir!
Thanks. This a great lesson on a complex subject.
The best lessons...
Thanks, Wesley.
Very well done and explained. Thank you! Just the piano and voice could sound clearer, but hell, this is like a whole thesis of information.
Cheers mate. Yeah, playing around with the sound a bit with newer vids.
Amazing explanation!!! Thanks so much!!!
excellent explanation. really liked your use of visual aides too.
Thanks, mate.
Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
*Subscribed!* Now I finally understand why there's so much talk about modes. Still, many modal songs like "So What?" have nice chords, but the chords are repeated too frequently. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." So, "So What" is so boring.
This video helps me to better understand complex harmony and to launch into complex harmony without the repetition. *THANK YOU!*
THIS IS GOLD! Thanks!
Excellent explanation. Clear as a bell! Now I want Miles!!
Sid’s Ahead on Milestones is the start of it for Miles?
It’s like Walkin’ too. Kind of Blue is a modal masterpiece!
I love modal jazz and know it when I hear it but this was a great summary, thank you! I enjoyed your modal solo, would work well on a Billy Harper album
you can not get a better explanation than that. THank you
Thanks a ton! This is super helpful!
Wonderful explanation!
Thank you so much for posting this
NOW I get it! Thanks for the video
Extremely helpful, thank you SO much!
Cheers! Glad to hear it!
Great video. I just want to point out at 16 seconds in, in the section titled Modal Cadences, the chromatic approach chords displayed are Em7 Dflat m7 Dm7, but the Dflat m7 should be Eflat m7.
This is great. Thanks dude!
wow. What a fantastic video. Thank you for the tutorial
No worries, Samir. Thanks for the comment.
Great video. Thanks a lot. Could you also make videos about other modes like Lydian?
Brilliant. Thank you.
15:16 through 15:36 I remembered those chords one summer's day, but not in quartals. The idea of giving quartal and tertian chords (with different notes) the same name is news to me.
You're changing my life, how can i give you some money to help you to continue your work my friend?
Hi Kaito. That's very kind of you to say. It's always nice to hear from people who are finding the lessons useful. Makes it worthwhile :)
If you click the 'i' button (More Info button) at the top right hand corner of this video there is a card that reads 'Support this channel'. If you click on this it gives you the option of donating through RUclips with a credit card.
Alternatively, if you go to my website/blog (link in the description and below) there is a 'Make a Donation' button in the sidebar or on the 'Donate' page where you can donate through a Paypal account.
walkthatbass.wordpress.com/donate/
Thanks for the comment, Kaito
Exactly the video I needed.
so informative and we explained!! thank you so much!! i hope good karma will pay you back in huge amounts.
thanks againn !!
I love your channel!!
wow well that was informative..probably will rewatch it a couple of times
Man, you are the Piano theory Yoda.
How simple and surr it comes out in your examples.
You should really build a school of your own. Seriously. I always feel Im learning something from your videos.
Thank you!!!
Thanks, Umberto. Very nice of you to say. My pleasure.
Haha, thanks for the encouragement. I'm not sure I'm ready for my own school :)
Thank you SO much.
Great lesson!
agree excellent explanation ty
Excellent video
Well done sir!
Perfect !
Well done man
Omg so much info!
Great! Thanks a lot!
You have the best channel on music theory
Thanks, mate :)
I never understood how it was that jazz caught itself in that trap of only playing certain notes over chords. The swing era didn't really do that, and yet the bop era found itself severely limited, despite the irony of jazz being an improvisation-based genre.
Great channel
Thank you!!!
Very informative. Cheers!
No problem, David. Thanks.
Thank you!
That little example song you did sounded fucking amazing
Haha. Cheers, mate :)
Thank you
Wow! You're a really great teacher here in youtube! I've been subscribed long enough to know that what makes you special among the others is your music theory explanation. And thats why i wanna ask, how do i start listening to jazz? Who, and what should i listen? And above all, i want to know where i could find info on the full jazz history dating from the "new orleans" times (i dont even k ow if thats accurate 😬) to present? Thank you...
Hi Gabriel,
1. So there are a couple Jazz History books on the market. I would recommend 'Jazz' by Scott DeVeaux & Gary Giddins. I think it's structured very well and gives lots of great examples - discussing both genres and artists and songs. There are other books like 'The History of Jazz' by Ted Gioia and 'The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to the 21st Century' by Joachim-Ernst Berendt which are also good resources, but I personally prefer the first one I mentioned. If you give me your email I can send you some resources (you can private message me).
2. I personally think there is a lot of value in listening to Jazz chronologically. That way you can get an appreciation of where it started and how it developed. It also helps acclimatise you to the vocabulary of Jazz so you don't get scared off when you reach Free Jazz (which scares any beginner). So start with New Orleans/Dixieland (Armstrong), to Swing (Basie, Ellington), to Bebop (Parker, Gillespie), to Cool (Baker, Mulligan), to Hard-bop (Silver, Blakey), to Modal (Davis, Coltrane), to Free (Coleman, Taylor), to Fusion (Davis, Shorter). The earlier subgenres of Jazz (New Orleans and Swing) are very listenable (they were the Pop music of the day) so that's a good place to start, before diving into the more esoteric stuff.
3. Thanks for the compliment and the comment :)
Hope that helps and feel free to ask if you've got anymore questions.
This was excellent. Thank you!!!!
No worries, David. Thanks for the comment.
No worries, David. Thanks for the comment.