Lessons

Lesson 56: Modal Thinking Part II

Slash Chords and Modes

A slash chord implies/ suggests a mode/ a scale. Some of the slash chord types and the respective corresponding modes/ scales are ( these are just some of the most obvious possibilities):

Bm/C and D/C - C Lydian
Em/C and G/C - C Lydian ( or Ionian)
Am/C - C Lydian ( or Ionian)

Dm/C and F/C - C Ionian

E/C - C Lydian augmented

Eb/C - C Dorian
Ab/C and Fm/C - C Aeolian

Abm/C - C harmonic minor
Db/C and Bbm/C - C Phrygian

Gm/C - C Mixolydian or Lydian b7
Bb/C - C Mixolydian

Ebm/C - C Locrian #2 or Locrian

Dbm/C - C alt scale
Gb/C - C alt scale

B/C - C whole step/ half step diminished
A/C and F#m/C - C half step/ whole step diminished

More Modal Thinking...

Let's continue with the modal thinking introduced in lesson 55. We are going to apply the method of modal thinking to one more tune - one that contains a lot of slash chords.

Example 4: Summer Band Camp by Mick Goodrick

The changes of Summer Band Camp by Mick Goodrick are the following:

Intro:
|Cmaj7/G   |          |Abmaj7#11/G|         |
|G7sus4    |          |


Form:
|Cmaj7/G   |          |Abmaj7#11/G|         |
|Gbmaj7    |          |Dmaj7#11/F#|         |
|Bb7/F     |Bb7       |Emaj7#11/G#|         |
|Dbmaj7/Ab |          |F7/A      |F7        |
|Bmaj7/Bb  |          |G7sus4    |          |
|Ebmaj7/G  |          |A7/G      |          |


Coda:
|Cmmaj7/G  |          |          |          |
|          |          |Gadd9

Now let's apply the method of modal thinking to this progression. As it happens, Summer Band Camp is the perfect tune/ progression for this type of thinking!

Intro:
|G Ionian  |          |G Phrygian|          |
|G Mixol.  |          |


Form:
|G Ionian  |          |G Phrygian|          |
|Gb Lydian |          |F# Aeolian|          |
|F Dorian  |Bb Mixol. |G# Aeolian|          |
|Ab Ionian |          |A Locrian |F Mixol.  |
|Bb Phryg. |          |G Mixol.  |          |
|G Aeolian |          |G Lydian  |          |


Coda:
|C Melodic Minor ( fifth mode)