This improvisation was another one where I really didn’t know how it was going to turn out, although I had the idea of the combination of modes and textures in my head to start, and found myself using recurring motifs as I played. What resulted felt to me like a sense of something enduring through alteration.
This improvisation is in E Aeolian and touches on D Mixolydian ♭6 — the two modes differ by only one note — B in E Aeolian becomes B♭ in D Mixolydian ♭6.
E Aeolian is the 6th mode of the G major scale. The Aeolian mode is also known as the natural minor. Learn more about major scales here.
D Mixolydian ♭6 is the 5th mode of the G melodic minor scale. You can learn more about minor scales here and about the Mixolydian flat 6 mode here.
Section One – E Aeolian
The opening in E Aeolian (E F♯ G A B C D) begins with overlapping ascending arpeggios in both hands, starting low, and ascending all the way up to the high register.
At the crest of each arpeggio, I descended slightly, then played a high-register melody, ornamented by trills, which reappear as a motif throughout.
Section Two
A new chord progression appears, slightly longer, but still in E Aeolian. Here, every other chord becomes a descending broken chord in the right hand, sometimes fast, cascading through multiple octaves, while the left hand outlines the root of each chord. Between these descending gestures, alternate chords bring more left-hand interest — descending, slow arpeggiated accompaniments, along with right hand melodies in harmonic 3rds, 6ths, 4ths and single lines. This alternation creates a kind of breathing harmonic rhythm.
Section Three — D Mixolydian ♭6
The improvisation then modulates into D Mixolydian ♭6 (D E F♯ G A B♭ C). This shift darkens the palette: the B♭ replaces B natural, lending a shadowed glow. I always find the Mixolydian ♭6 to have a paradoxical light and dark feel at the same time, due to its major 3rd and flattened 6th. To me, it sounds strange, mysterious, and uneasy. The texture in this section consists of both hands playing interlocking triplet arpeggios and broken chords, similar to what I used in Triptych in B♭, with both hands synchronised rhythmically but with different patterns. Strange how I found myself almost repeating a melody and texture that I used in Triptych in B♭even though it was in a completely different key and wasn’t in my muscle memory due to being fully improvised – it was like something needed to be said again.
Section Four — Return to E Aeolian
E Aeolian returns : first through the longer chordal sequence with descending broken chord sweeps alternating with melody lines, then through a slower, simplified coda.
Modal Table
| Mode | Parent Scale | Notes | Character |
| E Aeolian | G major | E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D | Natural minor colour — introspective, lyrical, ancient warmth, elegiac |
| D Mixolydian ♭6 | G melodic minor (ascending) | D – E – F♯ – G – A – B♭ – C | Dark-bright hybrid — major yet chromatic, a touch of exotic resonance, strange and mysterious |
Reflection
While the structure relies heavily on sweeping arpeggios, the contrasts in direction, tempo, density, and voicing prevent monotony. The recurring broken-chord gestures act as both texture and motif, as do the trills, creating continuity across the shifts in time and mode. The alternation of movement and stillness mirrors the emotional fluctuations of the piece: striving, release, searching. Although free and atmospheric, the structure of this piece for me seems to hold a sense of persistence — the voice that endures beneath change.
Further Listening and Reading
Listen to more improvisations using the Aeolian mode:
Aster — Improvisation in G♯ Aeolian
Smarrito e Lontano — Improvisation in B♭ Aeolian & G♯ Mixolydian ♭6
Aeolian Nocturne in G — Improvisation with G Aeolian, Dorian and Phrygian Modes
Orbit – Improvisation in F Aeolian, D♭ Lydian and A♭ Ionian
Learn about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
Learn about texture in music here: Texture in Music: A Pianist’s Guide to Monophonic, Homophonic and Polyphonic Writing
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