A Simple Way to Practice & Improvise Thirds on ANY Scale

Summary

In this music lesson from Nathaniel School of Music, Jason Zach explores improvisation techniques combining static and dynamic elements. He discusses the use of major and minor scales, specifically focusing on three types of each, to create a solid foundation for improvisation in genres like blues, country, rock, and folk. The lesson emphasizes the importance of theory, the creation of thirds, and the concept of anchor notes to build interesting and spontaneous melodies. Zach encourages recording improvisations for potential use in compositions, promoting a disciplined yet creative approach to piano playing.

Takeaways

• 🎼 The lesson focuses on improvisation techniques using a combination of static and dynamic elements in music.
• 📚 It emphasizes the importance of understanding music theory, specifically major and minor scales, for effective improvisation.
• 🎹 The instructor introduces three types of major scales and three types of minor scales to use with specific chords.
• 🔍 The concept of 'mixolydian', 'mixolydian flat 6', and their relation to the major triad and melodic minor scale is explained.
• 📈 Improvisation exercises involve forming thirds and using them to create chords and harmonies over a static root note.
• 🎵 The technique of using an 'anchor note' that resonates throughout the piece to maintain the tonal center is discussed.
• 👂 The idea of playing in different inversions (root position, first inversion, and second inversion) to create variety in improvisation is covered.
• 🎶 The lesson explores how to improvise over the G major chord using the G major, G mixolydian, and G mixolydian flat 6 scales.
• 🎵 For the A minor chord, the lesson covers improvisation using the A natural minor, A harmonic minor, and Dorian scales.
• 🎶 The instructor suggests recording improvisations to review and potentially incorporate into finished musical pieces.
• 🔗 Additional resources, including handwritten notes and PDFs, are available on the instructor's Patreon page for further study.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson by Jason Zach from Nathaniel School of Music?

The lesson focuses on improvisation techniques using a combination of static and dynamic elements, which are essential tools for genres like Blues, country, rock, and roll, and folk music.

What are the basic rules mentioned for improvisation in music?

The basic rules ensure that the improvisation stays within the genre's framework, allowing musicians to experiment while maintaining the core characteristics of the music style.

What is the significance of understanding major and minor scales in music theory?

Understanding major and minor scales is crucial for composing and improvising music, as they form the basis for melodies, harmonies, and chord progressions.

Why are thirds important in music composition and improvisation?

Thirds are important because they are used to form triads, which are the building blocks of chords. They also contribute to the melody and harmony of a piece.

What are the three types of major scales discussed in the lesson?

The three types of major scales discussed are the Major, Mixolydian, and Mixolydian flat 6.

How does the concept of 'anchor notes' relate to improvisation on the piano?

Anchor notes are notes that resonate or continue throughout a piece of music, serving as a stable point around which the musician can improvise without losing the sense of the home key.

What is the difference between a root position, first inversion, and second inversion in chords?

In root position, the root note is the lowest note of the chord. In first inversion, the third is the lowest note, and in second inversion, the fifth is the lowest note.

How can the technique of 'floating thirds' be used to create interesting harmonies?

Floating thirds involves playing around with the notes of the chord while keeping the anchor note constant, creating a dynamic and interesting harmonic effect.

What are the three minor scales mentioned for improvisation over a minor chord?

The three minor scales mentioned are the Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Dorian.

How can the concept of inversions be applied to both major and minor chords in improvisation?

Inversions allow the musician to explore different positions of the chord, with the root, third, or fifth as the lowest note, providing variety in the improvisation.

What advice does Jason Zach give for practicing improvisation?

Jason Zach suggests recording improvisation sessions to revisit later for inspiration and to capture any spontaneous creative ideas that can be developed into finished musical pieces.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Introduction to Improvisation Techniques

Jason Zach from Nathaniel School of Music introduces a lesson on improvisation using a combination of static and dynamic elements. The lesson aims to explore ways to make music with basic rules that can be creatively bent while ensuring the music remains solid. It covers essential tools for genres like Blues, country, rock, and roll, and folk music. The focus is on using three types of major and minor scales, improving music theory, and understanding the relationship between scales and chords. The lesson encourages getting books and pianos ready and mentions the availability of handwritten notes on Patreon for further study.

05:01

🎹 Building Chords and Improvisation Strategy

The second paragraph delves into the formation of thirds, which are essential for creating triads and chords. It explains the process of forming chords with thirds and their importance in composing music, playing melodies, and harmonizing. The strategy for improvisation involves using an anchor note, which remains constant while other notes are played around it. The lesson provides examples of how to play around the G major chord in different positions, using thirds from the G major, G Mixolydian, and G Mixolydian flat 6 scales, and emphasizes the importance of not straining the hand while playing.

10:02

🎵 Advanced Improvisation with Major and Minor Scales

This paragraph continues the discussion on improvisation, focusing on the use of major and minor scales over the G major chord. It introduces the concept of 'floating' thirds to create interesting harmonies and suggests experimenting with different positions of the G major chord as the home base. The lesson touches on the idea of using the anchor note in various positions (low, middle, high) and provides examples of how to improvise using the G major, G Mixolydian, and G Mixolydian flat 6 scales, adjusting the thirds according to the scale being used.

15:02

🎶 Exploring Minor Scales and Improvisation

The fourth paragraph shifts the focus to minor scales and their use in improvisation over the A minor chord. It outlines the natural minor, harmonic minor, and Dorian scales, explaining their structures and how they can be used to improvise over a minor chord. The lesson demonstrates how to use thirds from these scales to create moving harmonies and suggests experimenting with different positions of the A minor chord. It emphasizes the importance of keeping the anchor note ringing and finding creative ways to play around it.

20:03

📚 Concluding the Improvisation Lesson

In the final paragraph, the lesson concludes by summarizing the approach to improvisation: anchoring the root, inverting the base chord, and floating the thirds to express creativity. It encourages recording improvisations for later review and potential use in finished musical pieces. The instructor reminds viewers to access notes on Patreon and stay tuned for upcoming tutorials, highlighting the regular release of educational content on their platform.

Keywords

💡Improvisation

Improvisation in music refers to the spontaneous creation of musical ideas or the ability to play without prior preparation. In the context of the video, it is a central theme where the instructor, Jason Zach, discusses techniques for improvising using both static and dynamic elements. The video aims to teach viewers how to create interesting musical ideas on the fly, particularly within genres like Blues, country, rock, and roll, and folk music.

💡Static and Dynamic

Static and dynamic are terms used to describe elements in music that are either fixed or changing. In the script, static refers to the fixed elements like the major or minor scales, while dynamic refers to the changing elements such as the improvisational techniques used on top of these scales. The combination of these elements is crucial for creating interesting and structured improvisations.

💡Major Scale

A major scale is a type of musical scale that is characterized by a specific pattern of whole and half steps. In the video, the major scale is discussed in relation to the major triad and is used as a foundation for improvisation. The instructor explains that there are different types of major scales that can be used for composing and improvising over major chords.

💡Minor Scale

The minor scale is another type of musical scale that has a different pattern of whole and half steps compared to the major scale, often giving it a more melancholic sound. The video covers different types of minor scales, such as the natural minor, harmonic minor, and Dorian, which are used to improvise over minor chords.

💡Triad

A triad is a group of three notes that are played together in harmony, typically consisting of a root, a third, and a fifth. In the script, triads are mentioned as the basis for the scales discussed and are used to form the foundation of chords over which the instructor teaches improvisation.

💡Thirds

Thirds in music refer to the interval between two notes that are a third apart. In the video, thirds are used to form chords and are a key component of the improvisation technique being taught. The instructor demonstrates how to use thirds to create harmony and melody within the context of the major and minor scales.

💡Inversion

Inversion in music refers to the rearrangement of notes in a chord so that a different note becomes the lowest note. The video discusses the concept of inversion in relation to chords and how it affects the way one can improvise over them. The instructor explains the root position, first inversion, and second inversion as different contexts for improvisation.

💡Anchor Note

An anchor note is a sustained or recurring note that provides a point of reference or stability in a piece of music. In the context of the video, the anchor note is used as a technique in improvisation, where the instructor suggests keeping the root note of the scale or chord constant while exploring other notes for improvisation.

💡Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale is a seven-note musical scale that is used in various musical genres. It is characterized by a major sixth and seventh degree, which differentiates it from the natural minor scale. In the script, the instructor mentions that G mixolydian flat 6 is part of the melodic minor scale, indicating its use in creating more complex and interesting improvisations.

💡Dorian Scale

The Dorian scale is one of the modes of the major scale and is characterized by a natural minor third and a major sixth. In the video, the Dorian scale is introduced as a scale that can be used for improvisation over minor chords, adding a unique and exotic sound to the music.

💡Music Theory

Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. In the video, music theory is essential for understanding the structure of scales, chords, and the relationships between different musical elements. The instructor uses music theory to explain how to create and improvise within the given scales and chords.

Highlights

Introduction to improvisation using static and dynamic elements in music composition.

The importance of basic rules in improvisation to ensure the music stays true to its genre.

Improvisation techniques applicable to Blues, Country, Rock, and Roll, and Folk music.

The role of major and minor scales in improvisation and music theory.

Explanation of the Major scale with respect to a specific Triad.

Introduction of three types of major scales and their applications.

Discussion on the use of the G Major Triad and associated scales for improvisation.

Technique of using thirds to form chords and improvise melodies.

The concept of an anchor note in improvisation and its significance.

Strategies for improvising with thirds around the G Major chord in different positions.

Transitioning to the A minor chord and its associated minor scales for improvisation.

Exploring the Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Dorian scales over the A minor chord.

The creative process of improvisation by floating thirds while keeping the root static.

Encouragement to record improvisation sessions for later review and inspiration.

The structured yet creative approach to improvisation as a disciplined form of jamming.

Availability of lesson notes and Patreon support for further learning materials.

Invitation to subscribe for regular music theory and improvisation lessons.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi guys this is Jason Zach from

Nathaniel School of Music in this lesson

we're going to look at a way to

improvise using something which is

static and then something which is also

Dynamic so when we combine the two we

get some interesting ideas that can be

not only used to compose and improvise

music but these are also the essential

tools for genres like Blues country rock

and roll and even folk music okay so

it's kind of improvisation with rules

and whenever you have a few basic rules

you can then go a bit out of the box as

well but those basic rules ensure that

whatever you're playing will stay Rock

Solid so while developing our

improvisation we're also going to

improve our Theory we're going to look

at what essentially constitutes a major

or a minor scale now you may be thinking

hey major scale is

just well the way I see it or the way a

lot of people see it it's a major kind

of scale or a majores scale now a major

scale is generally with respect to a

specific Triad generally the major Triad

and you can have a lot of scales apart

from the major scale which will work

very well where wherein you can compose

and improvise music very well over that

particular Triad or even a seventh chord

and then you'll have another host of

scales which go very well across a minor

chord or alongside a minor chord so what

I thought in this lesson is we limit it

to three kinds of major scales and three

kinds of minor scales so there will be a

lot of theory so get your books and your

pianos out and do consider heading over

to our patreon where all of my

handwritten notes are waiting for you as

a downloadable PD f it will cover all

the scales all the shapes all the uh the

intervals so to speak that we are trying

to practice okay so in a nutshell the

goals of this lesson is to make a static

cord more interesting it's to learn how

to improvise using this specific

technique of static and dynamic combo

you can use this to jumpstart your

journey into playing Blues country rock

and roll and folk and also we will

strengthen our music theory and also

develop our years along the way so a lot

of things are going to be covered in the

lesson before we get started it'll be

nice if you can consider hitting that

subscribe button and turning on the Bell

icon for regular notifications let's get

cracking so I'm taking two base cards

for you and from those base cards we are

going to build everything in the major

family we are going to look at the G

major Triads the question now is which

scales go with the G major Triad or with

the G major chord GB d You could

argue G

Major G

mixian and G mixian flat 6 okay I'll

walk you through those other scales so G

major one sharp namely F sharp what does

mixian do mixian will take the 7th

degree and lower it or flatten it down a

half or a chromatic Step 1 2 3 4 5 6

knee is the flat 7even 4 5

[Music]

6 that's

major is this is

mixian okay and now coming to the mixian

flat six so mixian in music generally

means flat seven of something of of the

scale while flat six mixol and Flat 6

will be 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 it's

also interesting to note that the G mixo

Flat 6 is part of the melodic minor

scale it's the fifth mode of

the C melodic minor okay just so you

know while the G

mixian it's the fifth degree or the

fifth mode of the c major or the C

ionian scale okay more on modes will be

found in the description we link you up

with a couple of modes lessons anyway

back to the exercise so if you start off

with G major

the first activity for us in this lesson

is to form thirds okay so that'll be g b

a c b d c e d f sh E G F A and then

repeat okay a third is basically formed

when you skip one which is your second

and then play the next one which is the

third thirds are also used to form

Triads 2/3 will form a chord g major a

minor B minor C Major D major E minor F

diminished and G major your chords are

formed with thirds even your seventh

chords G major 7th a minor 7th Bor 7th C

major 7th D dominant 7th E minor 7th f-

7 flat 5 back even those are

formed by Third so thirds are used to

form chords and they are used to compose

music to play melodies to to harmonize

and a bunch of other things and today's

lesson it'll be to improvise okay and to

spontaneously make music on the Fly okay

so taking the g g its third is b a it's

third is C B's third is D C's third is e

D's third is FP E's third is g f shar's

third is a and G's third is B Okay so

we've also written it down in my notes

so do check that out and moving on if

you take the thirds from the mixian

you're going to get instead of a major

third from the 5 to the 7th degree

you're going to get a minor third from

the 5 to the 7 flat

degree and then the mix olidan flat

six okay

we'll have a minor third between c and e

flat and another minor third between D

and F okay again you can check the notes

so now that you have the thirds ready

I'll tell you the strategy now on the

piano it's almost like how a banjo

player things I I would imagine okay

you're going to take an anchor note an

anchor note could be any note which is

going to linger or continue or ring out

throughout the the piece of music you're

playing so in this case since it's the G

major cord and the G scale G Major G

mixian G miolan flat 6 what is that one

note which seems to be resonating with

all of what I just said G right so G is

my anchor and if I take the G major

chord as my home or my starting base

point this is the root position of G

major chord and has the root note which

is g at the bottom at the low position

okay now just note that you can play

this G even at the high position you can

take the G from here and go to the upper

G there so this is this is what we call

as the first inversion or G could be in

the

middle it's the second inversion so

there will be the same note but it will

be in three anchor positions or anchor

points it will be at the the low

position in root position it'll be at

the high position in the first inversion

and it'll be in the middle position or

the second inversion okay and while we

are at it we'll take the other chord of

Interest a minor the same story a minor

in the root is in the

bottom a root is in the high and

then in the middle it's hiding in the

middle right so this is where this is

how the position of the target note or

the landing note are observed either

bottom middle or high now based on that

the exercise is going to move forward so

if G is now at the bottom you start with

your anchor chord or your main holding

chord which is a G major and look at

your chart of

thirds maybe we can start with some

simple

Aros do not move the anchor note or

don't move the pivot

notes just play an arpegio but what we

could

do is move the thirds BD is just one of

the third So within the vicinity of your

hand you don't want to do something

which is tough for the hand where it

stretches too much you can play around

with these thirds

maybe AC with the

G BD back to

BD d

e d f SHP so you get some interesting

Harmony as

well so essentially your band band mates

could just be playing G

major but you could be

floating so this could be very

interesting accompaniment as well it

could be so interesting that you know

this could be be the intro of a

song just by working with the

Rhythm or maybe an aage your

pattern okay and you you also so don't

have to be afraid of moving this G

around you can go to other notes of the

G Major scale which it is right

now you could do it based on what you

prefer the whole idea is to keep that

anchor note that's the banjo like

technique

okay so now G was at the bottom what if

G is at the

top pretty much the same it's just that

your anchor note will end up being the

pinky

start with ap

juice and then maybe realign the accent

pattern or the phrasing of the arpeo

maybe one 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1

2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1

this is tough for me so in some cases I

might try but you want to do it such

that you're not straining your hand it's

within an octave okay so that was g at

the top and then you have G in the

middle so G in the middle will be an

interesting way of playing thirds in the

sense if this is the second inversion if

you just take away the root for the time

being you find that it's it's not b and

the upper D it's B and the lower D so

they are actually a sixth interval apart

or if it was a minor third it would now

be a major 6th with from D to b or we

can even call this as spread thirds

close thirds and bring that down in

octave spread thirds okay

so keep your anchor G and

then okay you're literally playing a C

major chord with an anchor G

here but check this

out you get this sort of a voicing where

you want to still anchor the

G the idea is find that g find the

Anchor Point and just keep it ringing

so G's at the bottom

G is at the

top G is in the middle okay so these are

your options to play and improvise over

the G major cord over the G Major scale

now if this becomes g mix

solian becomes a bit rocken roll if you

ask me

you can do a little bit of a third slide

there cuz I don't I'm not doing that F

sh I'm doing the F because it's mixian

so the thirds adjust

themselves that's a major and that's

your minor and they adjust themselves

based on the scale so for

major for

mixian okay and then for mixian flat

s you have that flat six in there right

[Music]

see that's your major

sixth that's your minor

so right so in a nutshell you have the G

major chord as your home base you're

finding a scale to improvise on so in

this lesson we've taken three major like

scales that would be the

major mixian miolan flat six and then we

form Thirds with respect to all these

three scales and then improvise by

floating the thirds and retting the

static nature of the root the root will

not change however the position of the

root depending on the inversion of the

starting chord can be root position

first inversion and second inversion

okay so to move forward let's just try

this out on the a minor and see where we

go from there now a minor would be your

home base what are all the minor

sounding scales first of all you can do

your natural

minor a minor would be the sixth mode or

the sixth degree of the c major scale

and to form it it has a flat three and a

flat 6 and a flat 7

you can also do an A harmonic minor over

this A minor

chord that has a normal seven or a raise

7eventh with respect to the Natural

Minor natural minor would be this so you

we say we raise it to the seventh or

else you can remember a harmonic minor

is three flat six flat and that's about

it

another minor scale which I'd like to

sneak in which is a scale I enjoy is the

Dorian

scale so that has a normal six or a

major sixth or you can say the sixth got

raised from natural

minor and then a flat 7 and a flat three

all minor scales will have a flat three

and will work very well over the minor

chord you could even sneak in a Fran

scale

it has a very exotic sound with that B

flat in

there okay but I'll stick with the three

I gave you natural

minor harmonic

minor

Dorian okay now let's take the a cord or

the a minor cord is the home base a is

at the bottom position it could so

easily be at the top position and it

could so easily be in the middle

position depending on the inversion and

then you can start

improvising minor upper third to the DF

then the

EG and to access more thirds you can

invert it by playing the A on

[Music]

top I'm trying to also copy the thirds

in my left hand I think it sounds a lot

more rememberable

and then a in the middle

now the idea is to keep that ringing

can get some nice lines some very moving

Harmony literally moving Harmony because

it's not a minor for so long you know

it's a minor with a almost a Melody

going around it

[Music]

you you can probably revisit the same

thing with a different perspective the

perspective is given by different Basse

note

[Music]

okay and then we can improvise or

explore the harmonic minor

perhaps so

maybe a at the

top okay and then a

so so this is your default position

first inversion

you could get a cord progression

actually you don't even have to know

what those cords are well eventually you

probably

should maybe an E

suso D Minor you also get a bunch of Cs

by just anchoring One Note

and now coming to

Dorian that's your Dorian note you need

to have that with a minor third that's

your major six with a minor

third maybe a in

the maybe a at the

top right so we've kept the approach

pretty much the same anchor the root

invert the uh base card major or minor

you have three uh anchor points low

middle and high and then you just

freestyle improv or compose or what ever

the word is you could either look at it

as a fast composition which could be

improv or a slow improvisation which is

a composition so have a freestyle

approach record yourself going you never

know you might make some music which

even you will forget because In the Heat

of the Moment anything some art will

come out of you so try to record it as

you go along you can use a simple voice

recorder on a cell phone you know which

works completely fine and you can then

revisit these recordings the next

morning and just see maybe there's a a

gem in there which you can find and use

for a a finished product for a whole

song so I would generally like to

believe that this is an environment to

be creative in and most of the musical

environments you will find have some

kind of rules okay so you need to start

with a scale we have a cord we have an

inversion well in this case three

positions or three inversions and then

we just float the thirds now how we

float the thirds keeping the static root

is your creativity so I think that's a

very disciplined approach and whenever

you follow that disciplined respectful

approach towards jamming or having fun

on the piano it ends up always becoming

a finished product so to speak right

guys hope you found the lesson useful

don't forget to get the notes on our

patreon page it's a downloadable PDF and

do stay stay tuned for our upcoming

lessons we release regular tutorials at

the rate of twice a week and that's been

going on for a few years now on our

website you can reach our Co advisor by

filling up a form and we can customize

hopefully a six month or even a one year

or more than that semester which can

hopefully serve your learning

requirements right guys thanks a ton for

watching the video cheers