Beginner Trouble at mode

[jeremyjuicewah]

Hi, good morning. Does this make sense:

Over a some bluesy music in G major (for tenor) I can play myxolidian mode D-E-F-G-A-Bb- C

OR Dorian mode A-B-C-E-F#-A

I am working hard at work this morning and though I have my sax here with me I have nothing to play over to test it.

I see clearly now that I dont think I understand modes as well as I thought I did.

The piece of music in mind is BB King - Dont make your move too soon. Have been stealing and storing the sax solo up to the point at which it goes a bit looney.

Put me right
Best wishes
Mike

 

[BigMartin]

Not sure I understand what you're asking.

D-E-F-G-A-Bb- C looks like D natural minor to me.

Myxolydian on D would be D-E-F#-G-A-B-C-D.

Dorian on A is A-B-C-D-E-F#-G-A.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi, good morning. Does this make sense:

Over a some bluesy music in G major (for tenor) I can play myxolidian mode D-E-F-G-A-Bb- C

OR Dorian mode A-B-C-E-F#-A

I am working hard at work this morning and though I have my sax here with me I have nothing to play over to test it.

I see clearly now that I dont think I understand modes as well as I thought I did.

The piece of music in mind is BB King - Dont make your move too soon. Have been stealing and storing the sax solo up to the point at which it goes a bit looney.

Put me right
Best wishes
Mike

OK

Firstly, D E F G A Bb C is not a mixolydian mode, it's an aeolian =(Dm)

A-B-C-E-F#-A is only part of a Dorian in A

If you tune is in G major, I would not think in modes with other roots, that would confuse me.

You can think of those notes, but relate them to the root G.

So if you want the notes D E F G A Bb C in a blues of G (major) then think of a G major with flattened 7th (= F# to F) and 3rd (=B to Bb).

There are plenty of people who use the method of thinking in different modes and that's fine if you like it, I just prefer to think of everything in relation to the root of the key I am in, it makes my life easier.

I'm also a bit confused over whether your F natural and F# are both going to fit the tune, though presumably these would be at different parts of the tune, so in that case its best to quote the harmonic context, ie what the chord is at the time.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Ok, thats about it. I had what Big Martin put down before I went on the internet to get a better understanding. Think I will stick with what I thought I did know. Pete you are right, the F# is not needed and in my original thinking was not in the frame. It was not that I wanted those notes, I just got tangled up in the notes in the mode. The exercise was just to make things a bit different.

Thanks all for helping me out there, weekends are short enough without running around in circles.
Best wishe
Mike