[Harp-L] Phrygian, HELP!

[jon kip]

> My guitar player asked for
> "phrygian Spanish mode. F scale add a c#.

> For example, would I play a C scale over E minor?

You would, if it sounds good to you, you being the final arbiter in most cases.

"What sounds good" is always in flux.

I suggest a book by Charlie Shoemake, called "Playing Bebop".....no harmonica content whatsoever. He's a vibes guy. 

He has a good way away from memorizing  all 23,002 various modes, scales, and so on.....it seems to work.

It does take some time, though, and I suggest finding a young, under-employed student, and having him/her do the practicing for you.....it's a lot easier.....

oh....there may be a flaw in that logic.....I'll get back to you

A slightly different approach to the whole broad subject,  is to acquaint your ears with things that, at first, may seem to clash, but you'll find that , after a bit, you'll accept them as The Normal and you'd have increased the limits of your tonal vocabulary and, if you're David Naiditch, you will have been given a "time out" from  further participation in bluegrass music, due to "non-traditional harmonizations". A tough decision, for sure, and David has received many warnings, Official and unofficial, but still persists with the bluegrass-influenced swing jazz  bop stuff that he has gotten away with for far too long, I tell you.

So, for instance, a very  simple example, 
Left hand  plays an F chord, or, better, an F maj 7, and the other (I assume right) hand plays a melody like this: 
Starting from the top and going down:
E, C#, A, (down to) E

If that sounds abrasive, spending time with it, after a while, will probably make it all fine with your ears. And you move on, looking for harmonic ways to make your music unique. 

If that particular exercise  doesn't sound abrasive, find something else that does....

That's just one example, but for me, things that at first sounded dissonant, now sound really ordinary. 

It's a balance I guess.....and we try to expand the ears when possible....until right before your friends hate your playing.

But you know all that.







jk

> On Jun 24, 2017, at 8:07 AM, harp-l-request at xxxxx wrote:
> 
> My guitar player asked for
> "phrygian Spanish mode. F scale add a c#.
> 
> For example, would I play a C scale over E minor?
> 
> Robert Hale
> Serious Honkage in Arizona

jon kip
jon at xxxxx