Pitch Axis theory...

[Guitarist-Jonny]

Hi all,
Just red the canon thread, yoyo nos quite a bit of theory- only 14 too!
Need to ask wat the pitch axis theory is, i no a bit bout modes etc and other exotic scales. please help, my music teacher knows nothing about chords nevermind modes!
Regards
Jonny

[courtney2018]

Satriani, Vai and Friedman are known for doing this, that I know of. I'm sure they're are plenty others. It's basically just taking whatever key you're in and developing the chord progression and/or solo by that key. That probably didn't make sense.

For example, your key is in C. Instead of doing a I-IV-V progression, which would be standard diatonic theory - C-F-G, you would do Cmaj-C lydian-C mixolydian.

Check out the Satriani example of Not of This Earth. It also gives you chords to use for the various modes.

[Martyr Machine]

It basically consists of switching between parallel modes/scales while using one key as an "axis". You can think of the key as that one note you hear droning in the background through the entire song (An "E" for instance) Most music changes the overall mood of the song by changing keys, so that the note you hear droning in the background changes. Pitch axis keeps that same tonal center, but modulates between different modes on top of it. So while most music might progress like...

Key: C major - G major (modulation to the dominant)

A composition using pitch axis might look something like...

C major - C mixolydian - C Dorian

You have that same tonal center throughout the entire song, but you're modulating between different modes on top of it. The "Not of the this Earth" example given above is a good one. If I remember correctly, it shifts (rapidly...in a disorienting way) between E Lydian - E Aeolian - E Lydian - E Mixolydian.

[nikster]

get the official 'Surfing...' tab. pages 4-7 has the theory behind it.

[nikster]

Originally Posted by Guitarist-Jonny

my music teacher knows nothing about chords nevermind modes!
Regards
Jonny

find a teacher who does

[Darin]

Originally Posted by Guitarist-Jonny

Hi all,
Just red the canon thread, yoyo nos quite a bit of theory- only 14 too!
Need to ask wat the pitch axis theory is, i no a bit bout modes etc and other exotic scales. please help, my music teacher knows nothing about chords nevermind modes!
Regards
Jonny

You might what this too:
http://www.spellcheck.net/

[Real_Illusions]

Mmk. here goes. Im going to try to explain Pitch Axis fully, AND so it can be understood easily. I hope its possible.

First things first. It's called Pitch Axis *Theory*. The whole idea, is a theory. Just, it is possible to be used. So ill go through both. What it is, and how to use it.

*Your going to need to know your stuff about modes for this!*

As you know, there are 7 modes. Pitch Axis suggests that for each mode, there is a corrosponding chord (that would accompany it). Finding these chords is simple. Build up the I chord for each mode. But because this is a bit of a waste while i have a table, ill give you it.


Mode Chords

Ionian mode Maj6, Maj7, Maj11
Dorian mode Min6, Min7
Phrygian mode Min7, Min7b9
Lydian mode Maj7, Maj7#11
Mixolydian mode Dom7, Dom9, Dom11
Aeolian mode Min7, Min9, Min11
Locrian mode Dim7, Dim7b9


That is the theoretical side of it. Implementing it in music has one other requirement. The bass note is the same.

All the chords have the same bass note, and the corrosponding mode for the chord and root, is played over it. For example. You have an E7 chord. so you play E Mixolydian. The chord then changes to Emaj7#11, over which, you would use E lydian.

Make sense? Hopefully, it should. You may have thought how boring it could be to have the same root for every chord. In response to that, why do you think its rarely used? :P

[jsdisciple]

Try this chaps

http://foreverjoe.com/main.html

all you need on pitch axis theory

cheer's

jsdisciple