Most of the harmony in today’s music is from the Major scale since every major scale has seven different scale tones, the major scale contains seven modes, each having a distinctive sound because of the different order of wholesteps and halfsteps.

Sooner or later the serious student of the guitar develops an interest in improvisation. This most stimulating activity need not, be confined to Jazz Improvisation, but can be practiced on all styles the student is able to appreciate and comprehend.Country/Rock, Blues, Metal, Jazz, all provide ample room for improvisation.

Modes

In ancient Greece the modes were the strong pylons upon which the Greeks built their musical bridges. They are certainly not recent inventions. As long ago as the 4th century B.C. Pythagoras and the Greek thinkers had derived a system which almost corresponds with the series of white keys on the present- day piano. It is not,therefore, surprising to find these ancient Greek modes gradually being recognized as important facets in our musical language. There is an undoubted fascination in this important link with the past and one does not require the imagination of genius to benefit from this knowledge but rather a determination to work and be alert, observant and above all patient.

How the modes work:

If we were looking at a piano keyboard we would notice that without the black keys there are 8 octaves of the C major scale. If you run your finger left to right along the white keys you will be playing , the scale of C major even though you happen to start on a note other than C. This musical fact is the essence of the modes. A scale can be played from any of it’s notes to any other of it’s without moving into another key. Actually if you were to play the scale of C major from F to F an octave higher you would be playing a nodal scale based on the key of C and the scale would be called F Lydian.

In each major scale there are seven modes because the major scale have seven different notes, if we were working with a pentatonic scale (containg five notes) we would have five modes to work with; one for each degree.

Learn the following table -

Play a major scale from note 1 to note 1 above = IONIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 2 to note 2 above = DORIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 3 to note 3 above = PHRYGIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 4 to note 4 above = LYDIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 5 to note 5 above = MIXO-LYDIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 6 to note 6 above = AEOLIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 7 to note 7 above = LOCRIAN MODE

Play a major scale from note 8 to note 8 above = note 1 to 1

All examles above are shown in the key of C major however the advancing guitarist should practice the modes in every key. The same formula works for each key:

note 1 to 1 always = IONIAN

note 2 to 2 always = DORIAN

note 3 to 3 always = PHRYGIAN

note 4 to 4 always = LYDIAN

note 5 to 5 always = MIXO-LYDIAN

note 6 to 6 always = AEOLIAN

note 7 to 7 always = LOCRIAN

note 8 to 8 always = note 1 to 1

Each modes unique sequence of intervals creates a mode’s unique musical “quality” or flavor.

The following descriptions are “intuitive” and are meant to serve only as a general guide to the modes’ individual differences, resulting from their unique intervallic makeup.

Ionian Mode

Description The Ionian Mode is the scale you get when you play one octave up from the first note of a major scale. This mode has the same step-pattern as the major scale, which means, C Ionian is also the C major scale. This mode has a naturally occurring dominant fifth chord, which indicates the fifth note G (in C Ionian) can be used as a dominant chord; i.e. G7. This pure and happy sounding mode can be heard in nursery rhymes such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I’m a Little Tea Pot.

Quality Happy, Merry, Upbeat, Cheerful

Music Styles Rock, Country, Jazz, Fusion, Folk Songs, Nursery Rhymes

Tonic Chords Unaltered major chords; i.e. C, C6, Cmaj7, Cmaj9, C6/9, Cadd9, Cmaj13

Improvising Try the C Ionian over this chord progression: C, F, G7, C

Dorian Mode

Description The Dorian Mode is the scale you get when you play one octave up from the second note of a major scale. D Dorian starts on the second note of the C major scale, keep in mind the dorian mode refers to the second note of a major scale. Dorian is a minor sounding mode, which, is commonly used in Jazz, Blues and Irish folk songs. This mode can be heard in the folk song Scarborough Fair and the timeless classic Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. The Dorian Mode differs from the major scale because it has a flat 3rd (b3) and a flat 7th note (b7).

Quality Jazzy, Soulful, Sophisticated

Music Styles Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Rock

Tonic Chords Unaltered minor chords; i.e. Dm, Dm6, Dm7, Dm7sus4, Dm9, Dm11, Dm13

Improvising Try the D Dorian over this chord progression: Dm7, Fmaj7, Cmaj7, Em7 .

Look for the second part of this article where we will continue our description of the modes.
.About the Author

If you ask any aspiring dancer or someone studying ballet what the most difficult technique is and my guess you will get a lot of answers of dancing en pointe.

It is hard to learn because it requires a lot of dance experience plus countless hours of strength and conditioning for your feet and legs. There are many dancers who have studied ballet for years and they still cannot dance en pointe.

So what exactly is en pointe? It is “the action of rising to the tips of the toes while performing steps from ballet” and performed using hard-toed and stiff-shanked pointe shoes, hence, its name dancing en pointe. This is one of the most graceful and famous forms of dance but can be very painful and may cause permanent foot damage.

Pointe work is an exciting and essential part of any ballet student’s training even though few will be able to master it. Most students begin preparing for pointe work after they reach advanced levels in training. They work in flat shoes to learn pointe technique and combinations, and develop the strength they will require. Here some other requirements that a ballet student will need to be mindful of before learning the art of en point dance.

• The student must be ten years old and two years of training in ballet. The bones of a child’s feet start to become harder at this age, which is why it is commonly thought that dancers should not go on pointe until this time. They must have taken 3 classes a week consistently as a minimum.
• All dance students must able to do the following:
  • Hold their turnout while dancing - The main concept of all ballet is the turnout. It allows you to do certain steps that you couldn’t do otherwise. Holding your turnout while dancing is a sign of strength and conditioning. If you don’t think you have the strength to maintain a turnout, then you are not strong enough for pointe. It is much more difficult to hold turnout en pointe.
  • A strong, straight back while dancing, especially the lower back - Dancing while en pointe requires the muscles in your legs and feet to stand en pointe and not use the shoes as a crutch. If your back is weak, then it will throw you off balance while en pointe and will make it difficult to do ballet steps. A straight back is also important for doing pirouettes, as well.
  • Keeping your heels forward toward the big toe - Pointe work’s most stable position is to have your weight slightly forward over the big toe. If you have your weight over the little toe, it will be much more difficult to stay up en pointe. There is also a better chance of strain or injury.
  • Use pli? while dancing - You will need to use their pli?s while dancing since this is how they get up en pointe. By not using their pli?s, your legs will bend incorrectly. Pli?s are done with the knees pointing straight over their toes and with the heels down.
  • Point your feet while dancing - Point your feet while dancing in order to strengthen the muscles which pointe-work requires. These muscles need to be strong enough to support your body weight on the ends of your toes - no easy task! If you are not in the habit of using these foot muscles then you will never be able to support yourself en pointe and knuckle over on your toes, increasing your chances of getting hurt.
  • Pique pass? using a straight leg - In order for you to push them onto half-pointe, you should have enough leg strength built up. This step is much more difficult to do en pointe and a bent leg is usually the leading sign of weakness and improper step preparation.
  • Do 16 relev?s in center without stopping - Strength for pointe work is achieved by repeating exercises. Relev?s are a great way to build up vital strength in your calf muscles. You will also need the ability to go up as high on half-pointe as possible, since pointe work requires this kind of physical ability.
  • Hold a pass? balance on half-pointe - You should have your hips square, back straight, legs turned-out, and still have the strength to balance on half-pointe. The surface area for balancing will be smaller and your strength requirements are greater.
• The student should be healthy and physically fit and enough of an arched instep to stand on pointe. If the student frequently needs to rest because of illness or injury, she is not strong enough for the extra demands that pointe work requires.

.About the Author

The Fearless Caregiver Conference at the Broward Convention
Center will be held Saturday, April 16th. The event allows
family caregivers and the professional caregiving community to
come together and explore ways to be a more productive member of
their loved one?s care team.

According to Olga Bruner, founder
of A Good Daughter, Inc., based in Margate, Florida
(www.agooddaughter.com), ?I attended my first caregiver
conference in 2001 while I was caregiver to my own mom. I never
realized that there was such a large community of support, and
resources available from local experts. It?s a must-do
especially for those individuals caring at home for a loved-one
with Alzheimer?s disease.?

As Today?s Caregiver Magazine celebrates its 10th anniversary,
families will hear from this year?s featured guest speaker,
popular musical artist and American Idol superstar, Clay Aiken,
who has been involved in care giving issues himself and founded
the Bubel/Aiken Foundation.

Brunner?s community involvement throughout Broward and Palm
Beach counties continues a few days later when she will speak at
the FAU (Florida Atlantic University) campus on April 20th. The
presentation will address options available to students in the
Health Administration Degree programs. Brunner notes, ?This is
an important topic because students need to be aware that they
can they seek employment from a large facility or health care
institution, or look for entrepreneurial caregiving
opportunities right in their own communities.?

Brunner understands this entrepreneurial option. As the founder
of A Good Daughter, Inc., she has applied her knowledge of the
Health Care Industry and the care of the elderly into a superior
caring service having joined forces with R.N. Mary Lynne
Beringer. Together the two champions of senior caregiving and
healthcare will discuss obstacles and the experiences that lead
them to start their own very successful caregiving company.

For more information about the Fearless Caregiver Conference,
April 16th, the presentation at FAU, April 20th, or A Good
Daughter email e-mail protected from spam bots or call
800-963-3877.

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