Looking for examples of modal solo's

[krbentley]

I'm looking for examples of some modal solo's to transcribe and use as teaching tools for a few students. I am specifically looking for Mixolydian and dorian examples in the rock vein. I have plenty of examples in a jazz style, but these students are interested in rock. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Rob

[Clifford-D]

Write them out from your own mind with the student.

But if you must, Pat Martino soloing on "Impressions"
is a life study unto itself

Same goes for Coltrane and Miles and,,,

Transcribe it with the student.

[krbentley]

Thanks for the response. I'm aware of these examples and am really looking for a few in a rock style.
Thanks again,
Rob

[Washburnmemphis]

I would think Santana would be a good source for Dorian soloing. Maybe Samba Pa Ti from his "Abraxas" album?

[♫♪♫]

Look no further than Satriani

I think the song "hill groove" is mixolydian...pretty sure.

but yeah, check out satriani.

[ndemattheis]

The solo on Working Man by Rush is E Dorian.

[jrkoosh]

phish- tweezer. extended mixo (want to say G)

[krbentley]

Thanks fella's. Good suggestions. Keep em coming if possible.
Rob

[Elektrik_SIxx]

Santana - Soul Sacrifice = A dorian
Allman Bros - Whippin Post and Hot Lanta = A dorian
Jeff Beck - Star Cycle = G mixo ( IIRC)

[jrkoosh]

Grateful dead- eyes of the world. E mixo

[Natural Mystic]

Like the fella's said... Santana for good examples of dorian. Revisit Jeff Beck's 70's work and keep an ear out for the modal stuff, again mixolydian comes to mind. Satriani's stuff is usually exclusive to some sort of mode or exotic scale. I think Gilmour's solo on Comfortably Numb is in D dorian. Eric Johnson uses modal ideas in his solos (big Jeff Beck influence there) although I'm not familar enough with his material to point you to any songs...

[JonR]

DORIAN
"Oye Como Va" is another Santana example, a classic Cuban dorian vamp.
"Samba Pa Ti", however, is a major key sequence in the melody, and a I-ii major key vamp in the solo. (You could argue the second chord in each pair is dorian, but the major I is the tonal focus.)

The keyboard solo on "Light My Fire" is dorian - probably the first ever example of conscious modal soloing in rock music. (Ray Manzarek has claimed he was well aware of the theory at the time, and it was a deliberate exercise. NB: the rest of the song is not dorian.)

I can't remember if there's a solo in Van Morrison's "Moondance", but the version section is dorian.

As for "Comfortably Numb", we need to distinguish between the 2 solos. The first one is simple major scale of the key (it has modal elements on each chord, incuding a passing lydian effect, but it's not too relevant IMO). The 2nd and final (long) solo is basically minor pentatonic/blues, with no significant dorian element.

MIXOLYDIAN
Mixolydian is a tricky one. It's an extremely common sound in rock (probably more common than even the major key!), but it tends to be more in the vocals and chord sequences than in guitar improvisation - which will typically go to blues scale.
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is basically D mixolydian (intro, chord sequence, vocal melody, first couple of short guitar breaks) - but the guitar solo is in the E minor key (mix of aeolian and harmonic minor). (It uses a C# at one point, but only on the 4 bars of A, so that's a major chord tone, not an E dorian effect.)

I guess you could choose the sitar line in "Norwegian Wood", a classic mixolydian tune. (The Beatles, of course, had no awareness of modal terminology - or any music theory jargon - despite being adept at using mixolydian in dozens of compositions).
Also check out "Tomorrow Never Knows", which is entirely C mixolydian - and very illustrative of the mixolydian sound (C7 chord right through) - and any melodic/instrumental elements would be using that scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVUzTZ5dgwQ
("Within You Without You" is also C mixolydian, and the "Love" album track titled "Tomorrow Never Knows" is mostly WYWY.)

Mixolydian riffs are quite common, esp in 60s rock/pop. Eg:
Rolling Stones "The Last Time", "Satisfaction"
Beatles: "I Feel Fine", "Paperback writer", "Day Tripper"
Monkees: "I'm a Believer"
Animals: "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (bass riff)
Donovan: "Sunshine Superman"
Not a lot of solos there tho... (and most of those contain non-mixolydian elements).

[ndemattheis]

The main riff in David Bowie's Rebel Rebel is an E mixo riff.

[krbentley]

Thanks again. Lots of good information.

[elgalad]

I think the solos for "Good Times Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown" from Zep I are mixolydian.

[lannyhall]

Dreams by the Allman Brothers is dorian based.

[derekd]

When I think of modal playing or modal music, I think more along the lines of tunes that don't have traditional cadences. So no IV to I or V to I movement, or very little.

More nonresolving chords that are within the key, or mode being played, but just kinda floating without much movement.

[57tele]

I think the solos for "Good Times Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown" from Zep I are mixolydian.

Hmm. I'd have to go back and listen to be sure, but I did cover those years ago. My recollection is that they're both pretty straight minor pentatonic.


Dreams by the Allman Brothers is dorian based.

OTOH, This is mixolydian. Tone center D, one sharp = D mixolydian.

[cameron]

There are a lot of mixo bass lines from early 90s rock. I haven't listened to the stuff in question in a long time, but I seem to remember that the typical early Soundgarden or Pearl Jam song had a mixo-based bass line . . . but yeah, the lead guitar was almost always blues-scale based over it.

[gennation]

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed - Allman Brothers - A Dorian (and C Dorian during parts of the main theme)

[ndemattheis]

Listening to the radio this morning I heard Emminence Front by the Who. I think the opening solo is in the Dorian mode. I've never figured it out, but it has that flavor.

[CrazyFingers]

When I think of modal playing or modal music, I think more along the lines of tunes that don't have traditional cadences. So no IV to I or V to I movement, or very little.

More nonresolving chords that are within the key, or mode being played, but just kinda floating without much movement.

That's kind of what I was thinking (although I'm not much of a music theory-ologist).

Along these lines, many live Dead shows have extended jams over a single chord. If you have the "Live at the Fillmore" CD from 1971, there is an awesome jam on Disc 4 after "Alligator"
http://www.amazon.com/Fillmore-East-April-Grateful-Dead/dp/B0002VETHC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1209588967&sr=1-1

This, IMHO, is a quintessential example of Garcia's improvisational ability at a time when the band was at its creative peak.

[seiko]

marquee moon

[12345678]

I would definitely investigate Satriani. And Zappa but that may be too difficult rhythmically.