Improv Ideas

Today we're going to talk about Modal Harmony and what is Called the "GYPSY MINOR" Scale. The Dorian MODE:

The "Gypsy" or "Hungarian" Minor Scale:

I have been doing a good deal of Reading about the Music Of the Middle Ages - much of it concerned with Gregorian Chant. 

This style relied exclusively on the Intervals of the Octave, and the Perfect Fourth and Fifth for harmony.  Melodies were derived from the associated Modes.

The "Gypsy" Minor Scale augments the Harmonic Minot Scale and is used almost exclusively in the Music of Turkey, Iran, Syria and surrounding areas.  In general, it provides an "Oriental" flavor to your Playing. 

Influenced by this, I opted to use a MODAL Harmony in the LH to provide the foundation for the WORK SONG - Specifically, using only the OCTAVE with a 5th in the LH to Provide all Harmonies.

To the Dorian, first the Harmonic Minor and then the additinon of the GYPSY Minor was used.

This combination provided for a rich source of melodic ideas and the possibilites were never ending.

These Harmonic and Melodic ideas are the MOST ANCIENT that we are aware of - dating back not only to the Dark Ages but actually to Ancient Rome and Greece.

If you need some ideas for constructing melodies, there are plenty of Music Videos available at YOUTUBE to get you started.

So when you're looking to expand your harmonic and melodic vocabularly, don't overlook the harmonies of the ancient world.