Workshop 28 — “So What”: Pure Modal Jazz, Quartal Voicings, Dorian Improvisation, and Building a Solo Without Chord Changes
This workshop takes the modal idea from Workshop 27 and strips away even more harmonic movement.
The central problem is:
What do you do when the harmony barely changes at all?
That sounds easier.
It is not.
With very few chord changes, you can no longer depend on harmony to create interest. You must create development through:
- rhythm
- motif
- register
- dynamics
- articulation
- interval choice
- density
- interaction with the groove
This is one of the purest improvisation workshops in the course.
The central lesson is:
When the harmony stops moving, you become responsible for the movement.
28.1The basic modal environmentThink:28.2D DorianD Dorian:28.3Hear the differenceHold D bass.28.4The 6th is crucialIf you improvise over D Dorian but never use B natural, you may simply sound like D minor.28.5Level 1 — one-chord immersionHold:28.6Why start with chord tones?Because they give you landmarks.28.7Level 2 — add the 9Add:28.8Level 3 — add the Dorian 6Now add:28.9Level 4 — add G lastNow full D Dorian:28.10Do not practice Dorian as a scale onlyAscending:28.11A better Dorian drillPlay four notes maximum.28.12Level 5 — motif developmentChoose:28.13Static harmony requires thematic memoryIf you forget what you played one bar ago, the solo becomes random.28.14Call and responseBar 1:28.15Level 6 — repeated noteChoose A.28.16Miles-style economyA modal solo can be powerful with surprisingly few notes.28.17Level 7 — rhythmic identityTake a rhythm such as:28.18Change rhythm before adding notesIf a motif feels stale:28.19Level 8 — start off beatDo not start every phrase on beat 1.28.20Level 9 — phrase across barlinesCreate a phrase beginning on beat 4.28.21Level 10 — quartal voicings“So What” is strongly associated with quartal sonorities.28.22What is a quartal voicing?Traditional chord:28.23PlayLH: D.28.24Move the quartal shapeTake:28.25Do not worry if the resulting chord symbol is uglyThat is exactly the point.28.26Level 11 — classic two-shape comping ideaThink of two closely related quartal voicings a whole step apart.28.27Why two shapes are enoughA modal vamp does not need ten chord substitutions.28.28Level 12 — comping rhythmPlay one quartal voicing.28.29Level 13 — register shiftsSame voicing:28.30Level 14 — density shiftsStart:28.31Level 15 — bass pedalLH D repeated calmly.28.32Then free the bass slightlyUse:28.33Level 16 — ostinatoCreate LH:28.34Ostinato changes your soloBecause LH already provides motion, RH can become sparser.28.35Level 17 — intervallic improvisationAvoid scalewise motion.28.36Example lineD-G28.37Level 18 — fifthsUse:28.38Level 19 — triadic superimpositionEven inside modal harmony, triads can provide useful color.28.39G major over D bassLH: D.28.40Compare G minor over DG-B♭-D.28.41Level 20 — modal color from upper triadsOver D pedal:28.42E minor over DE-G-B.28.43Level 21 — build a solo from upper triadsFor four bars:28.44This is not chord-scale switchingThe tonic remains D.28.45Level 22 — modal sequenceCreate triad-based motif:28.46Level 23 — chromaticismYes, modal improvisation can use chromatic notes.28.47Do not let chromaticism accidentally create strong functional dominantIf you emphasize:28.48Level 24 — tension without resolutionTry holding:28.49Functional versus modal tension againG7♭9: A♭ strongly wants resolution.28.50Level 25 — second modal areaA famous feature of this kind of modal form is a shift of the same basic modal material up by a semitone.28.51E♭ DorianE♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭.28.52The key skillDo not think:28.53Play D Dorian chord colorD bass.28.54This is the easiest possible modulation conceptuallyThe pattern stays identical.28.55But physically it can be challengingThe keyboard fingering changes.28.56Level 26 — motif through modal shiftIn D Dorian:28.57Level 27 — register can reinforce the shiftD section:28.58Or deliberately keep register unchangedThen only harmony changes.28.59Level 28 — dynamic contrastD Dorian: mp.28.60Level 29 — do not overcomplicate the bridgeThe half-step modal shift is already a major event.28.61Level 30 — return by direct shiftE♭ Dorian → D Dorian.28.62Hear how strange that would be in functional harmonyIf you were thinking purely in major/minor cadences:28.63Level 31 — form awarenessBecause the harmony changes so little, it is easy to lose your place.28.64Build form landmarks from other dimensionsUse:28.65Level 32 — count 4-bar phrasesDuring D Dorian vamp:28.66Level 33 — solo architectureSuppose you have 16 bars on D Dorian.28.67Level 34 — density curveStart with:28.68Level 35 — rhythmic climax instead of harmonic climaxBecause chords do not intensify, climax can come from:28.69Level 36 — 3-over-4Over 4/4 groove, accent every three eighth notes.28.70Level 37 — 3+3+2Use eight eighth notes grouped:28.71Level 38 — quarter-note tripletsOver one bar or two beats, use quarter-note triplet feel carefully.28.72Level 39 — leave two bars almost emptyThis is difficult.28.73Level 40 — comp less as solo gets busierIf RH solo becomes dense:28.74Level 41 — two-handed conversationRH phrase.28.75Level 42 — solo piano textureBecause there is little harmonic information to supply:28.76Level 43 — bass drop-outEstablish D for several bars.28.77Level 44 — pedal-point climaxAt climax:28.78Level 45 — introA perfect modal intro can simply establish:28.79Intro strategy2 bars: D pedal + sparse quartal shape.28.80Level 46 — endingYou have several choices.28.81Ending with Dm6/9D F A B E.28.82Compare Dm7 vs Dm6/9Dm7:28.83Practice loop A — Dorian identityHold D.28.84Practice loop B — quartal voicingD bass.28.85Practice loop C — upper triadsD bass.28.86Practice loop D — modal shift4 bars D Dorian.28.87Practice loop E — rhythmic developmentOne Dm7 chord.28.88Improvisation challenge 1 — five notes onlyUse:28.89Challenge 2 — three notes onlyF A B.28.90Challenge 3 — one noteB only.28.91Challenge 4 — intervallicOne chorus with no more than two consecutive scale steps.28.92Challenge 5 — motif through half-step modulationCreate one motif in D Dorian.28.93Ear drill — Dorian versus AeolianHold Dm.28.94Ear drill — 13 as stable modal colorPlay Dm7.28.95Ear drill — quartal soundCompare:28.96Ear drill — direct modal transpositionPlay D Dorian phrase.28.97Mini-composition exerciseWrite 16 bars:28.98Connection to “Happy Birthday”Now take our original laboratory melody.•Workshop 28 mini-test1. What makes D Dorian different from D natural minor?