question about Pitch Axis Theory

[James]

Ok it all sounds good on paper, but I don't see how cycling through modes connected only by the tonic would work... could someone give an example of how to use this effectively?

[Mai Zure]

Of course the greatest reference for this is Satch. The tapping portion of Salways with me, Always with you (Track 4, surfing....) shows effective use of this with the pulloff always being at open B. Another example (accidental I'd imagine) Is the intro to AC/DC's Thunderstruck. That seems to follow the Pitch-Axis theory, but I don't think it was intentional...

[chris mood]

It's been a long time since I read up on Joe Satianis' pitch axis theory (I assume that's where you got it from?), and I'm definetly no authority on this, but if my memory serves me well this is how I interpretted it.
First let me say that it is quite confusing and I have found some problem w/it.
First you build a chord progression around a common tone; lets say we play a 2 5 1 progression in Cmaj and we make the common tone A, we would have these chords; D- G9 C6

now you would apply all the scales of correct tonality over each chord that contained the A note. So for D- you would have D dorian, phrygian, aeolian, harmonic, and melodic minor in which to create in. Then you would do the same for the G9 and the C6. What you end up with is a very chromatic approach to soloing. His explanation of the whole process is more confusing then the actual process. Remember when doing this to make the pitch you have selected the focus of your solo, also don't be afraid to change your pitch axis every couple of chords, Satch does.

[Zeppelin]

maybe im getting stupid on these days
but can you please explain it in a easier way?
please?

[James]

in a Cmaj progression wouldn't the D be minor? I got pretty lost after the first paragraph as well...

[lalimacefolle]

You have in front of you a staircase with twelve steps...
You have to get to the next floor, only stepping on 7 steps, but you HAVE to step on the first step...
You have several ways of getting to the next floor, right??
Well, every combination is a scale.... (7 steps= seven notes) Since they all have the same starting point, the are related at least through their root note (the first step)...
Changing the way you 'll go to the top (changing your set of steps) will change the sound of your progression or solo... This is pitch axis theory... You change your set of notes, but keeping the root the same. By the way, not all changes sound good!!! We actually use the ionian/myxolydian everyday in blues music (from a C CHORD TO A C7), and the ionian/aeolian (major/minor) in pop songs...
All this theory is actually useless if you don't use your ears to write music!!!

[ekstasis16]

The way I understand it is just that you cycle through all of the modes over a single root note, just as you said James. And actually, the tapping portion in 'Satch Boogie' uses pitch axis theory, not Always With Me, Always With You. The tapping portion in that song is all in Ionian. In 'Satch Boogie', he spends a good 30 seconds cycling through various modes over A. But instead of just going through all the modes, I use it for an entire song structure. What Chris said is pretty complex and I think i understand it a little, but I use it differently. I'll start a song in a given mode, say D minor. Then I would swith back and forth between the parallel major and minor of D for different sections of the melody, and for the solo, like Satch often does, swith to a whole new tonality. I could use D phrygian, and all the relavtive modes such as C dorian and Bb major. I like to use pitch axis theory in such a way that its not very obvious. You can get some great sounds by discretely moving through it. But of course Satch Boogie is awesome.

Here's my little explanation....i should update it, in fact:

http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/trick.php?trick_id=1370

[Zeppelin]

ok lets make it even easier
if my key is C major
so using this theory would be using E phrygian
and A minor and B lociand and the others?

[chris mood]

no, it would be using C maj., C lydian, & C mixolydian

[Zeppelin]

but wouldnt that be a chromatic scale?

[chris mood]

your starting to get the picture, somebody needs to e-mail this thread to satch so we can have the expert explain this theory to all of us!!

[Zeppelin]

hehe yeah i think i'll drop him an email right away

but seriously now when i somehow understood this theory it turns out i've been using it for years (well not realy years but at least few months) but i didnt know there was a whole theory about it

[chris mood]

The whole thing gets pretty complex with charts and graphs etc...Here's a way Satch might approach it using arpeggios
TONAL CENTER G
PLAY ARP in a 6 note sequence
C (G C E G E C) C-#11 (G C Eb F# Eb C) E-7 (G B D E D B)
G7 (G B D F D B)

[sixstringshredda]

just think of the pitch axis theory as a ferris wheel, everything is revolving around one point, which is the tonal center. the individual booths are the modes. you've got ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, aeolian harmonic, aeolian melodic, and locrian.

the pitch axis theory is pretty much taking one note, and shifting through every mode.

heres an example

C major (no sharps, no flats)

CDEFGABCBAGFEDC (IONIAN)
CDEbFGABbCBbAGFEbDC (DORIAN)
CDbEbFGAbBbCBbAbGFEbDbC (PHRYGIAN)
CDEF#GABCBAGF#EDC (LYDIAN)
CDEFGABbCBbAGFEDC (MIXOLYDIAN)
CDEbFGAbBbCBbAbGFEbDC (AEOLIAN)
CDEbFGAbBCBAbGFEbDC (AEOLIAN HARMONIC)
CDEbFGABCBbAbGFEbDC (AEOLIAN MELODIC) watch this one, it
changes descending
CDbEbFGbAbBbCBbAbGbFEbDbC (LOCRIAN)

so when applying the pitch axis theory, you'd shift through these modes revolving around the tonal center.

so it'd look something like this:

key of G (F#)
IONIAN DORIAN PHRYGIAN
G-4p0h5p0h7p0h11h12~p0h3p0h7p0h9h10h12~p0h1p0h2p0h5h7h8~

and so on....

sixstringshredda