books about modes

[puppets_dream]

hi again...

can anyones sugest some books about modes... curently thats my only source for learning music theory, so any would hepl...

thx

[gennation]

The book that says "Modes" on the cover are the ones you usually want to avoid. All they really teach it Diatonic Theory.

The book you want to look for should deal with "Modal Music".

I'm in the process of writing a bunch of stuff related to the difference between Modal Music and Diatonic/Functional Theory and how it's all tied back to Music.

Look at this, I went to amazon.com, selected Books as my category and and "modal music" as my keyword. This is ALL is came back with:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-3613740-6111235?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=modal+music&x=0&y=0

Basically 3 books about Modal Music. I bet if I put in "modes" it would come back with 100's of books, but all but these three would actually deal with Modeal Music as opposed to Diatonic Theory under the selling point of Modes.

That's too bad...but that's one of the reasons for me writing on Modes and there use in Functional music AND Modal Music.

Rightly so though, the top few hits on that search relate to "modal composition", this is what Modes are ALL about. That's why "Modal Music" is such a HUGE missing point in "modes" books.

Anyways, what you can get are these three things to start...

1. the album Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. There is plenty of Modern Modal music on that album to school you for at least a couple of years. Other than that, check some Stanley Clarke, John Mclaughlin, Chick Corea, or Ravi Shankar.

2. the book The Music of Miles Davis: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-3613740-6111235?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=modal+music&x=0&y=0
This book clear demonstrates when you use modal concepts and when you don't need to. It's got great explanations and the examples are directly related to many great Miles tune or performances.

3. John Mclaughlin's This Is The Way I Do It 3 DVD instructional set. You are going to have to be a fairly hardcore player already to even get off DVD 1. But, this will show you how Modes are use in pretty much all modal music in the last 40 years. You are going to NEED to understand modes though...because after the first chapter, it's ALL APPLICATION.

Beyond that, I'm in the process of doing a collaboration for creating Modal and Multi Modal tracks for a couple of projects other than mine. I hope you have some of the details worked out tomorrow. If that's the case I will be providing Modal Tracks with instruction and how to pinpoint the life points of the modes, anticipation, chromatics, and MUCH more. I hope this flies because other than the Mclaughlin DVD's and of course listening to the great modal players I haven't found a whole lot of real books or DVD's on "Modes".

[gennation]

Hey, if you want to learn "theory" try my Beginners To Advanced Series at my lesson site: http://lessons.mikedodge.com

 

It'll give you great background in theory, concepts, and applying them to guitar. And, they are free.

[jonfinn]

I have a deep distaste for spam so I often wince a little before I mention something I've created. While I acknowledge it's blatant self-promotion, this book relates directly to this conversation:

 

I wrote a book a few years ago that addresses modes (among other things) in a way that (hopefully) makes the information immediately accessable for use in improvisation. It gives a system that simplifies the processes of:

-How to organize modal fingerings

-Different ways to understand modes

-Where are the characteristic notes within each mode

-How do you know which mode to use within a chord progression

-Strategies for modal usage

-Relationships between penatonics and modes

 

You can look at previews and reviews at these site:

Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation on melbay.com

Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation on amazon.com

It's been used at Berklee for many years and it's a proven system. But ya gotta do the work. It's definitely not "read this on the pooper and you'll be great in two weeks." The book recommends going through every chapter, in order, at least twice; a process that will take a while.

 

happy to answer any questions!

Thanks

Jon