Licking Up the Modes: Dorian

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Intermediate Topic: Scales Style: Any Style

Excerpt: DORIAN!!! Dorian is our second mode. If we were to stay in the key of C major we would have chosen to do D dorian, but I decided it would be more beneficial to use parallel modes. This means that we'll be using the same starting note while changing the rest of the notes to fit each mode. This helps to really see the differences between each mode. 

Media Length: 1:35

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Intermediate Topic: Scales Style: Any Style

Excerpt: OK! So I've included a lot of usful info in this one. It just so happens that dorian really doesn't have any void notes. This makes it really easy to imrpovise in a dorian situation, if you know the scale in all positions you really can't go wrong. BUT, playing randomly in a scale doesn't always sound the best so we need to think about arpeggios, phrasing aa...

Media Length: 4:00

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Fusion

Excerpt: When I wrote this lick I was thinking about large interval jumps so it starts with some minor 6ths. This lick is self explainitory but the last short bend is really what needs attention. Make sure to get the phrasing correct for that bend.

Media Length: 3:11

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Fusion

Excerpt: Here is the first 16th note run. I use licks like this a lot. I bassically just travel down the dorian scale in this specific pattern (a pattern that I use a lot). There is a blues note added in this but otherwise it's only dorian notes. That minor blues note really helps show that this lick is a dorian lick. 

Media Length: 2:05

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Fusion

Excerpt: This 16th note run starts off very similar to lick 2. This pattern is something I do a lot and it bound to show itself in my licks. This lick has three different patterns happening that need close attention. It starts with a scale run (that I do a lot) into a short sweep and then into an arpeggio that escends four notes at a time. If it helps you can break t...

Media Length: 3:36

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Fusion

Excerpt: This lick is a 16th note run kind of inspired by Tom Quayle's playing. Starts off with a scale run and uses some Cm pentatonic ideas into an Am7b5 arpeggio. Feel free to end this lick however you'd like. I chose to hit a few pentatonic notes using quarter notes but there are many ways to end this lick.

Media Length: 3:25

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Fusion

Excerpt: Here's another 16th note run that ascends in groupings of four notes. Each set of four is a different arpeggio. Pay attention to the notation / tab for this lick. I do a lot of hybrid picking in this lick and that is marked in the notation (not the tab) with a "m" and an "a". (m = middle finger picking hand) (a = 3rd finger picking hand). 

Media Length: 3:12

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Advanced Topic: Improvising Style: Fusion

Excerpt: Here is a demonstration of each lick with a little buit of improv involved. Adding simple bluesy endings to your licks can help to connect your ideas. 

Media Length: 0:45

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Instructor: Mike Salow Level: Intermediate Topic: Improvising Style: Fusion

Excerpt: This backing track is a basic C dorian vamp. Practice each lick over this track and work on cennecting your ideas. A good way to do this is to have multiple ways of ending licks. Sometimes a few simple bluesy endings work well.

Media Length: 4:15