The Comprehensive Book of Modes and Scales: for Piano and Keyboard Players

The Comprehensive Book of Modes and Scales

for Piano and Keyboard Players 

Overview and explanations:
The Comprehensive Book of Modes and Scales for Piano and Keyboard Players was written with the intent of making many scales available and understandable to musicians. As a classically trained pianist, I was never taught anything beyond the major and minor scales. The “Church Modes” of Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Locrian were a mystery to me. I knew nothing of the jazz scales such as Lydian Augmented or Ionian #5. This book was written so that other musicians similarly trained without a knowledge of these wonderfully sounding scales might come to understand these scales.

This book is especially useful for composers and improvisers who desire to expand their sonic palette. Like a painter discovering new, exciting color blends, these scales can give the composer many new tools and sounds for his/her compositions.

Chords:
Scales and chords work together.  The chords listed in this book are possible chords against which certain scales can be played. For every chord, there are one or more scales that have a similar sound, that sound “good” together. They are not the only chords that can be used, but merely some common chords. Chords are generally made by stacking thirds from the scale. For example, 2 octaves of the C Dorian scale are: C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb-C. If I want to make a C minor 9 chord, I simply start on C, and then add notes by thirds, (skipping every other note in the scale) until I’ve arrived at the 9th scale degree. So the C minor 9 chord is C-Eb-G-Bb-D. The C minor 13 chord uses all the notes of the Dorian Scale: C-Eb-G-Bb-D-F-A. When playing a chord with many notes, it is not necessary to play all the notes. Often only the richest sounding notes are played. You might try leaving out the 5th, 9th and 11th, so the resulting C minor 13 becomes C-Eb-Bb-A.

How to say the names of scales:
 Here are some examples of how to say the names of the scales: “Lydian b3”, would be spoken as, “Lydian flat 3”. “Locrian #6” would be spoken as “Locrian sharp 6”.

Fingerings of 7 note scales:
Instead of giving specific sets of fingerings, I give here some general fingering guidelines. Fingerings alternate with 1-2-3-4-1-2-3 fingerings. The 5th finger is used only at the beginning or end of a scale. For example, when playing a G Ionian (Major) scale one could use the following fingerings:

R.H.	1	2	3	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	1	2	3	4	5
Scale	G	A	B	C	D	E	F#	G	A	B	C	D	E	F#	G
L.H.	5	4	3	2	1	3	2	1	4	3	2	1	3	2	1

Notice the repeating pattern of 1-2-3-4-1-2-3. Fingerings are the same up or down. Use of thumbs Generally, don’t play a black key with your thumb, unless the scale is made up of only black keys, like Eb Pentatonic Mode 1. It is often useful to cross your thumb right after a black key or cross a 3rd or 4th finger over a thumb. Study the following example of Eb major:

R.H.	3	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	1	2	3	4	1	2	3
Scale	Eb	F	G	Ab	Bb	C	D	Eb	F	G	Ab	Bb	C	D	Eb
L.H.	3	2	1	4	3	2	1	3	2	1	4	3	2	1	3

Play the above Eb Major scale and notice that the right hand thumb crosses under the Eb and again after the Bb in the ascending scale. In the descending scale, the 4 crosses over the thumb to the black key Bb, then the 3 crosses over the thumb to the black key Eb. Similar crossings occur in the left hand (LH). This really sums up the fingerings in most of the seven note scales. So, the only challenge is to figure out which finger to start on. With a little experimenting, this can be quickly determined.

Which finger to start on?
It depends on where the black keys are. You need to find a recurring finger pattern that works. For instance, if a scale starts with three black keys then start with right hand (RH) 2 or left hand (LH) 4. Remember you will alternate crossing 3 or 4 over the thumb or the thumb under after the 3 or 4. In other words, if you have used 1-2-3-4, then you will next use 1-2-3. If that doesn’t work, try starting on another finger until you find one that works. Looking again at the Eb major scale, the RH finger started at 3, then 1-2-3-4, then 1-2-3, then 1-2-3-4, then 1-2-3. Most scales have this recurring pattern. For fingerings of non-seven note scales, see individual scales in this book.

Fingerings of the Octatonic Scales: 

R.H.	1	2	3	1	3	1	2	3	1	2	3	1	3	1	2	3	1
Scale	C	Db	Eb	E	F#	G	A	Bb	C	Db	Eb	E	F#	G	A	Bb	C
L.H.	1	3	2	1	3	2	1	3	1	3	2	1	3	2	1	3	1

Because of the recurring whole step, half step pattern, only fingers 1, 2, and 3 are used. If the Octatonic scale starts on a note other than C, just start with the finger on this chart that corresponds to the starting note. For example, if it starts on Db, start with RH 2.

Abbreviations you may see in this book: M2=Major 2nd, m2=minor 2nd, M3=Major 3rd, m3=minor 3rd, P4=Perfect 4th, P5=Perfect 5th, M6=Major 6th, m6=minor 6th, Tonic=scale degree #1.

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