This video captures a freeform improvisation of mine which I named Immersion Through the Storm’s Light. The title is based on the idea that I felt like I was moving into the chaotic turbulence of the music, as opposed to fighting it — allowing its stormy momentum to fill the space, and in doing so this acceptance of the kinetic energy allowed the brighter modes to take form. It felt like being immersed in a storm, feeling its intensity, and staying with it enough to see the electric energy transform into light, and at times a break in the dark clouds. Eventually the storm becomes distant thunder, as the rain settles into mournful stillness.
I started this improvisation in the dark and sorrowful F sharp Aeolian — the combination of the melancholy minor 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees, with turbulent and changeable broken chord textures brought to my mind the brooding storm clouds and swirling winds.
The A Lydian mode, with its bright and expansive augmented 4th degree was like sunlight breaking through the clouds. Its lift and light also brought to my mind the feeling of exhilaration when immersed in the middle of a wild storm.
The A Mixolydian flat 6 mode has a mysterious twilight feel in its combination of bright major 3rd with dark minor 6th and 7th degrees — like a storm darkening the day so much that it eerily appears as if night is falling early.
A return of the Aeolian mode for the coda brought sounds of increasingly distant thunder rumbling in the deep bass notes, followed by a slowing and settling of the kinetic energy of the storm.
Mode Table
| Mode | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ Aeolian | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D – E | A Major | 6th mode of A Major |
| A Lydian | A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ | E Major | 4th mode of E Major |
| A Mixolydian ♭6 | A – B – C♯ – D – E – F – G | D Melodic Minor | 5th mode of D Melodic Minor |
Interval Formulas
Aeolian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th, Minor 7th
Lydian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th
Mixolydian ♭6 Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th, Minor 7th
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
How to Improvise on the Piano — A Basic Method
