LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Modal Experiments on that Satin Doll
Brotherdavies -- 01/08/2007, 04:49:22 -- #32241
Modes and Satin Doll

Satin Doll seems to be a good tune for learning a range of jazz techniques. Building on Albertans Pentatonic tips and a great post (last year?) about adding some jazzy chords, I would really like to use The Doll as tune to play some modal sounding solos.

I think you can substitute the various ii/V progressions with the V(suspended fourth) and play the appropriate Mixolydian  mode to get a modal sound?

How should I best voice a V(suspended 4th)?  Should this be done as a DIATONIC QUARTEL voicing, played in the left hand and shifted around in a block like way? The right hand zipping around the mode, the left also stating the root and 5th occasionally?

I’d like to add a touch of Tyner to this tune – I love his version on Plays Ellington. LOVE IT. I don’t want to play his version, but I do want that amazing modal sound.

And as usual, solo piano!

Cheers

jwv76 -- 01/10/2007, 02:19:29 -- #32241
I think of Vsus4 chords as being ii chords played over the V in the bass, like when I see Gsus4 I think D-7/G. For a modal approach you can treat it like you would D dorian. Quartal voicings work, "So what" chords also work (quartal voicings in the left with triadic upper structure in the right), and any of your normal voicings for D-7, like F-A-C-E, C-E-F-A, etc. It is good to state the bass note occasionally, sometimes repeatedly, depending on the context, with either a root and the fifth or just the root in octaves.

Brotherdavies -- 01/10/2007, 05:11:01 -- #32241
Thank you for those tips.

I like the sound of playing root - 5th - root(8ve) in the left hand. Particularly D - A - D, and then playing D dorian mode in the right hand. This sounds modal to me (or a bit medieval!).

albetan -- 01/11/2007, 06:10:03 -- #32241
Dorian mode was the preferred scale in Gregorian chants... but Coltrane used it many times with a contemporary sound...

Barry -- 01/12/2007, 06:05:53 -- #32241
Brotherdavies, if you can reach, try stretching the top note to the ninth (so you're playing root-5th-9th).  It just adds a bit of colour to what you're already doing.  See what you think...

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