[Dixielandjazz] scale modes

[Patrick Cooke]

Hello Dan.....
      I don't remember reading Mehegan's comment about stride piano, but
whether he said it or not is not does not render his ideas to the trash
heap.  There are many modern enthusiasts who do not like OKOM, as there are
a  lot of OKOM players that don't like modern stuff.
       Both groups are limiting their horizons.  I can find enjoyment in
both types of music.  I grew up playing dixieland, but that did not stop me
from exploring the new harmonies.  Actually, they are not that new....most
of it has been done in classical music long before the jazz guys got around
to it.
       I'm sure there are newer systems being used.  I'm sure you can find a
lot of Mohegan's ideas in most of them.  Every one who comes up with a new
system likes to think of everything else as 'outdated.'  I guess it's an ego
thing.  Also every teacher likes to use his own thoughts and ideas in his
teaching.  That's one of the reasons I suggest that students change teachers
at least every two years.  Keep the new ideas coming.  Some of them will be
more useful than others.  Soon you will develop your own ideas and system,
and the cycle goes on.  Besides, I hardly think anyone who likes only OKOM
would worry about a system being outdated.
     Whatever system you go with, you will have to work at it and use it
till it becomes automatic...that is, you won't have to think about it as
much.  If you get the sounds of all the scale modes in your head...not just
memorizing the intervals, but the actual sound of them, you can get the rest
of the way on your own.
    The basic Ionian (major) mode is basic.  Any child can sing a major
scale up and down.  You should develop the ability to sing all of the modes
with equal facility.  That is, just sing them, without playing them first on
your instrument.  They should already be buried in your brain.  I can't do
them all yet, but I have most of them and I'm working on the rest.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <DWSI at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 9:15 AM
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Memories


> Pat:
>
> RE: Yes there are better systems.  One of the best is the Mehegan system
by
> John
> Mehegan.  There are 4 volumes, and it takes time to get through them.
After
> the first volume, you should know how to remember chord progressions
better,
> because instead of the conventional system of 'naming' the chords, they
are
> numbered as related to the key signature.  Once you learn the numbers
> assigned to the chords, you can play the tune in any key.
>
> In all due respect, allow me to disagree with some of your comments about
the
> John Mehegan books or teaching system: at least just a little bit. Mehegan
> did contribute some important teaching structure in the sixties, when he
was
> teaching Jazz at Julliard. But a friend of mine, Tony Ricigliano, who
taught
> Mehegan's method as part of his popular harmony classes at Manhattan
College, (and
> wrote the text, Popular & Jazz Harmony), now tells me that Mehengan's
system
> is outdated. In short, they just don't teach jazz or even chords this way
> anymore.
>
> That doesn't mean you can't get something of value out of the Mehengan
books,
> even today. You certainly can. But I guess what upsets me most about
Mehegan
> is his obvious dislike of OKOM. To quote from his first text, Tonal and
> Rhythmic Principles, p. 9:
>
>     "Popular piano methods are completely outmoded in terms of modern
music.
> Most of these methods are based upon antiquated ragtime concepts (swing
bass)
> that have no resemblance to the realities of piano as it is played today."
>
>  Ragtime concepts may be "outmoded" to many people but I thought that was
one
> of the things we OKOMers were trying to preserve. My other problem with
> Mehengan is simply putting it all together. With considerable sweat and
time, you
> can master all the official Jazz chords in every key, as he suggests,
(this is
> really based on an interval definition of each chord), and you can learn
all
> the modes in every key. But I was never able to figure out how to play
"modes"
> as part of my improvisations. Call me thick or hard to teach, maybe. I
> probably would have flunked his course. By the way, fifth plus years ago
my mother
> taught popular piano in much the same way: i.e., the student had to learn
chords
> in all the positions and scales before learning songs. I prefer the
opposite
> focus: that is, learning and building repertoire from day one. Let the
chords
> fall where they may, I say.
>
> His "figured bass" style is not new, of course, and the (Roman Numeral) I,
IV
> and V chords in every key are important to see and know. But his faith
lies
> in Bop forward period and not in the early Jazz forward period (up to Bop)
as
> mine does.
>
> All the best notes,
>
>
> Dan (piano fingers) Spink
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