Modalogy: Scales, Modes & Chords - The Primordial Building Blocks of Music

As a professional jazz pianist, author of a text on jazz harmony, and professor for nearly thirty years, I am always intrigued by new work in this field, and was pleased to encounter Jeff Brent's (with Schell Barkley) Modalogy.After taking some time studying and working with the contents, I've come to the conclusion that this is a profoundly important text not only for jazz players and teachers, but for all musicians. Modalogy provides layer upon layer upon layer of information and logic that beckons the reader to return time and time again.As the title suggests, the book contains an in depth analysis of modes, with their sources, characteristics, and modal cadences. Along with diatonic modes, the method for establishing commonly used chromatic modes, is unique, refreshing, brilliant, yet in the end, simply applied.The authors, have developed a Dorian-centric approach to a radially generated cycle (in contrary motion style), which builds a truly symmetrical inside/ outside take on harmony and dissonance. Through this approach, Brent/Barkely take a fresh and somewhat unconventional approach to the organization of scale types, classifying them using a basic color system portrayed over a cube design. It will give the reader a lot to think about, but it works.The appendix broadens the scope for application of this material into a large body of detailed related information that the reader will find helpful in practicing.The topics and concepts are presented plainly and clearly in an approachable and down to-earth manner, with great attention to detail. Although of benefit to serious students beginning a study of jazz harmony and improvisation, the text has much to offer advanced students and teachers. Modalogy offers and expansive study that will inspire and challenge for years to come and I highly recommend it.

This book is filled with lots of golden nuggets relating to modes, modal chord progressions and beyond. The modal chord progression tables for each mode are worth the price of the book ALONE. It covers so much more than just modes and progressions though. It takes you pretty far!It may seem a little intimidating at first due to some of the chosen nomenclature, but that really only applies to when a concept or advanced chord and so on are introduced to you (like in the chapter titles). The meat and potatoes of this text are in plain ol' English. You'll have no problem absorbing the material contained herein as it's communicated very well.The book starts off with a (necessary) brief overview of Pentatonic scales. It then walks you through an evolution which takes the Pentatonic scale, morphs it into the major scale, then into its modes, and way beyond as well. It's rather eye-opening to see just how similar one scale or one chord progression is to another, how they're all functioning and how they interrelate.If you're a composer, songwriter or theory book addict, you'll definitely want this in your collection as it demystifies a lot of material and answers a lot of your questions. You'll be able to tinker around with some really 'colorful' stuff after diving into this one.

very condensed 1 page is equivalent to a chapter. i found it a good reference and their is a handy glossary of terms some of which are unique to the authors. i am learning a lot and it makes me think. good intro to modal chord progressions and many modal and exotic scales. quite abit of a jazz slant on things.

I loved this book. I learned how to read music and learned there were different modes. I just couldn't find a book that had all of them together in such detail. I wanted to play a song and switch from Dorian to mixalydian, and with the help of this book I found out what notes changed to make a scale either one.

"What did you like or dislike/"Well, I like the information presented when I find something which is understandable to one who hasn't had college level music theory classes. This book looks like it was the companion notes to a college music theory class, and I dislike it not being readily readable for one whose formal music theory training was only high school level.I think that the writer's goal of trying to produce a culturally neutral manuscript left me behind, though I've been reading Western musical notation since the 60s. Without the lecturer there to fill in the scant information between quantum jumps of topic I admit to being lost several times in my first cursory reading. Reading it isn't as difficult as was my first reading of "El Hobbit" in Spanish nor "An Hobad" in Irish, but there is a problem when so much subject material was invented by the author and there is not any readily apparent way of rapidly translating his numerous examples into musical notation. I would guess that if I can learn to read foreign languages then sooner or later I'll be able to read this book.This author could have made the reading a bit more accessible to non-students. I was hoping for a practical manual like Greg Aranda's "The Architecture of Music" but this is an academic book. So the reader should expect to spend some time learning to decode his nomenclature.I agree with the reader whose review noted that the book leans toward jazz. Although there are other scales, modes, progression traditions, et cetera mentioned, one gets the impression that he'd have preferred to have written it entirely about jazz.

This book provides thorough explanation of the derivation of scales and modes. In doing so, it gives you that starting point you've been looking for to branch out.Through clear, very concise explanations you inevitably explore new areas that you would not have otherwise. Mine is tattered, stained and hunched over because I never stop going back to it for reference and new ideas. It is hands down a unique and user friendly alternative way to looking at music and internalizing its very core.

Uma obra bastante completa sobre modalismo. Porém, tem que ser lida com atenção, pois algumas explicações são um pouco difíceis de entender em uma primeira leitura. MAs é excelente.

Il libro è una buona fonte di riflessione sull'armonia e di ispirazione per diverse prospettive nella improvvisazione ma sconsiglio vivamente l'edizione per Kindle in quanto le tavole di leggono male (e sono essenziali per la praticità di lettura) ed alcune neanche di espandono rendendo leggibile il contenuto forse solo con lente di ingrandimento...

A different slant on familiar territory. Time will tell what the implications will be for me in terms of composition/improvisation. Definitely an interesting read, though.

The book "reorganizes" scales to help reharmonize and use more sophisticated scales...But... The authors reorganize scales in a new model they designed, a model every bit as difficult as the traditional scale system.More importantly though, their conclusions are trivial: if you need hexagonal models to conclude you could substitute adominant chord with superlocrian, then what's the point?If you believe this book will help you play more sophisticated changes like hancock, shorter, metheny and the likes, you're best leaving these pages unturned. Not a single reharmonizing idea even approaches the depth of Mark Levines jazz piano book or the underrated Bert Ligon books!The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The authors don't give proof of their sophisticated playing or reharmonizing skills whatsoever. There is just one youtube video of Jeff Brent where he displays ample proof of very poor timing, poor comping skills and very restricted use of purely diatonic scaleruns poorly executed! No elaborate chromatic embellishment, no harmonic intrest, sad... Trust Steve Neff or Matt Otto, Walt Weiszkopf and other great players and teachers, Dan Haerle....

Don't waste your time with this book if you're not a university-level music studies enlistee/graduate, or some musical savant.Contrary to what the prefaces promise, this book doesn't describe anything in any elementary detail at all; it's like handing a calculus textbook to a preschooler and saying "this will make it all click for you".Do I recommend buying it? No, not if you're confused about some musical topic and hoping for a detailed explanation in any meaningful way; but it's only money, right? There's some interesting concepts/visuals that may be of interest.I'm extremely skeptical that the people quoted on the various pages of the book, touting it's wonderous reveal, have even read it; it reads much like someone's keynotes for a final exam, or a highlight reference for a study guide; exceptionally poor arrangement, and entirely typical of institutional material; I was incredibly excited for this book to arrive, thinking it'd provide all sorts of clarity on modes, etc, but it's just left me disgusted.