The dorian mode, sexy, magnetic, cool as a cucumber in the crisper drawer of your Amana fridge, just altogether the hippest thing since Miles hired Coltrane to play 45 minute saxophone solos. Yes, the Dorian Mode has been used extensively by such master musicians as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. It is one of 7 modes of the Major Scales. Don't worry, you will find use for many of the others eventually. You learned about the fabulous, user-friendly, Tom Jefferson approved Dorian Mode in Lesson 1. Now we are going to use this vast knowledge of modal harmony to play this little ditty I have humorously titled "The Portrait of Dorian Mode. Playing the melody will give you an idea of how this mode sounds. Once you've played the melody, just jam. But try to "tell a story". Start out with a little idea, add to it, expand it, and build your solo to a roaring climax. Following is the melody and the changes (one chance, a concert C Dorian Mode) to this tune. Have fun with it, and when you are finished, you will be exposed to a much more dangerous mode with a long and strange name.
In the introduction to these pages, we talked about telling a story. Here are some specific techniques for that result, all of which will use the same dorian mode that you have just finished with.
The easiest way to tell a story is to start with a simple idea. Maybe just 3 or 4 notes. At most 2 measures of music. From this idea, which we call a motif, you can improvise a solo that makes musical sense. All sorts of composers use motifs in their compositions all the time. It is the most popular way of telling a story. For instance, play this 4 note motif and see if you recognize it.
Most of you probably recognized this as the motif from Beethoven's 5th symphony. If you listen to this symphony, you will hear this motive backwards, forwards, upside down, transposed to other keys and just about every other way possible. Four notes, 3 of which are the same pitch, and Beethoven bases a symphony out of them.
Motivs are not limited to long dead composers. Music in movies is one place where motifs abound, like this one.
Automatically conjures up images, doesn't it?
Here is a little motif based on that scale you've been using, the C Dorian Mode.
Where would you go from here? I've constructed a little solo that starts with this motif and develops it in a hopefully logical direction. Play through this (use the track if you want as well). This will give you some ideas of how to construct a solo. Then improvise, using the same concepts.
This gives you a general idea on telling a story. Your improvisation will be much better if you keep this in mind. It will get to be natural.
So now you know how to be hip and cool with ol' Tom's favorite equally-noted scale. Do you want to get bluesy? Do ya? If you do, I'll show you the bluesy-est of all the mode, the Mixolydian Mode, sometimes called the Dominant Scale.
But if you haven't done it yet, please take a look at the lovely list of reference materials located here.