Pitch Axis meets Modulation: A Joe Satriani Inspired Lesson

This is a video response to a question that Ayang Daniel Johns asked me on Facebook.

Do you have a question about guitar playing? Please leave a comment below & I might cover it in a future post. =)

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Learn about Joe Satriani style pitch axis & modulation at azsamadlesssons.com

[NOTES]

Click here to download a PDF Version of the notes:
Pitch Axis Meets Modulation – A Joe Satriani Inspired Lesson

There are 6 steps covered in this video lesson:

1) How to build parallel major and minor scales
2) How to build diatonic chords
3) Creating a chord progression
4) Modulating normally
5) Pitch Axis
6) Pitch Axis-Modulating

Let’s look at it one by one:

1) How to build parallel major and minor scales

Firstly, let’s start with the C Major Scale:
C D E F G A B C

Then, we look at the C Natural Minor scale:
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

These are 2 scales build on the same root.

2) How to build diatonic chords

These are the diatonic chords in the C Major Scale:
C Dmin Emin F G Amin Bdim C
I IImin IIImin IV V VImin VIIdim

Then, we build diatonic triads in the C Natural Minor scale:
Cmin Ddim Eb Fmin Gmin Ab Bb C
Imin IIdim bIII IVmin Vmin bVI bVII

3) Create a chord progression

Let’s say we take a simple chord progression:
C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | C / / / |

The analysis/formula would be:
I / / / | IV / / / | V / / / | I / / / |

4) Modulating normally

When we take it by the roman numeral and build a similar one in another key, you may get this:

C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
D / / / | G / / / | A / / / | D / / / |

This is a direct modulation, the first 4 bars are in C Major & the next 4 bars are in the key of D Major.

The analysis/formula would be:
C: I / / / | IV / / / | V / / / | I / / / |
D: I / / / | IV / / / | V / / / | I / / / |

This is the kind of modulation (change of key) that happens in pop/rock/classical.

5) Pitch Axis

Pitch Axis is a concept that I first heard Satriani mention in his interviews/lessons/articles.

The basic idea is to take a chord:
C
that uses the scale C Lydian

and let’s say we play it for 8 bars:
C / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
/ / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |

Then, we change it to Cmin7

C / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
/ / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Cmin7 / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
/ / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |

This gives a kind of a mood/vibe/atmosphere/emotion that is common in Satriani’s music. He uses this A LOT!

6) Pitch Axis-Modulating (this is the concept that Joe Satriani introduces in his book)

If we take the original progression:

C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | C / / / |

which was in C Major:

C Dmin Emin F G Amin Bdim C
I IImin IIImin IV V VImin VIIdim

with this formula:
C: I / / / | IV / / / | V / / / | I / / / |

and reduce it to the numbers but now write it as a minor key, i.e. C Natural Minor, we get this:

Cmin / / / | Fmin / / / | Gmin / / / | Cmin / / / |

because the same numbers, in a minor key would get these chords.

Cmin Ddim Eb Fmin Gmin Ab Bb C
Imin IIdim bIII IVmin Vmin bVI bVII

Then, if you combine them back to back, you get this new progression:

C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
Cmin / / / | Fmin / / / | Gmin / / / | Cmin / / / |

This gives a chance for you to create melodies build on a similar progression. It’s a chance to recycle and create music that is related to what you previously did.

[ACTION STEPS – HOW TO PRACTICE]

Thanks for checking out this blog post! Now, the question is:

“How do I practice all this?”

Here are some practice ideas for you to try depending on your goals:

GOAL 1:
If you’d like to really learn this Pitch Axis stuff inside out:
1) Practice writing out the different modes you’d like to explore in all 12 keys.
2) Start by picking the root, for example maybe F
3) Write out the scale for 2 different modes you’d like to explore. Maybe F Lydian and F Aeolian
F Lydian: F G A B C D E F
F Aeolian: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
4) Decide on a scale fingering you’d like to explore
5) Compose or improvise a melody in the first mode/scale. In this case, it would be F Lydian
6) Play the melody you composed but alter the notes to make it fit into F Aeolian
7) Record all this and listen to the results. Figure out what sounds good & what you’d like to explore more of
8) Repeat steps 1 to 7

GOAL 2:
If you’d like to explore this Pitch Axis meets Modulation stuff inside out:
1) Practice writing out the different modes you’d like to explore in all 12 keys.
2) Start by picking the root, for example maybe F
3) Write out the scale for 2 different modes you’d like to explore. Maybe F Lydian and F Aeolian
F Lydian: F G A B C D E F
F Aeolian: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
4) Decide on a scale fingering you’d like to explore
5) Write out the diatonic triads for both modes
6) Create a simple 4 bar chord progression using some of the diatonic triads in the first mode
7) Write another 4 bars by altering the notes of the original mode to the new mode
8) Compose or improvise a melody in the first mode/scale, in this case F Lydian
9) Play the melody you composed but alter the notes to make it fit into F Aeolian
10) Record all this and listen to the results. Figure out what sounds good & what you’d like to explore more of
11) Repeat steps 1 to 10