Bruce Arnold

Modal Sequencing Series

Modal Sequencing Series

Modal Sequencing Series is a collection of two courses that covers the use of two and three note melodic patterns in music. Both two and three note Modal Sequencing are available in a bundle or to be purchased separately. Follow the links or click on the book covers to see videos, pdf and other related files for each course.

Background on Modal Sequencing Series

The whole idea of modal sequencing was introduced to me by the great music guru Charlie Banacos. He told me at the outset that understanding two and three note modal sequencing would help me see ALL melodic possibilities, because all melodies can be broken down into groups of 2 and 3 notes. This makes sense from a mathematical point of view- everything in the world around us is built on groups of either two or three (odd or even). He also told me:

• Since all motifs in a melody can be broken down into groups of two or three notes, learning all the melodic possibilities of these motifs will help you to compose or improvise within the structure of the melody.
• Working with the two and three note sequences as a singing assignment is an excellent way to make sure you can sing any melodic possibility.
• Being able to play the modal sequences on your instrument will prepare you for any melody you might run into and easily improvise around with the melodic fragments.
• The two and three note modal sequences will help you organize melodies within your mind.
• These sequences will give you mega chops if learned in all keys.

Charlie told me bluntly that I needed to play these sequences through 22 modes (which you can find in the Essential Scales Course). Again, playing these sequences in all keys so that they were firmly ingrained in my mind gave me the dexterity to play them effortlessly when improvising. In addition he said that adding approach notes to these sequences and altering them rhythmically would give me an incredibly rich resource for composition and improvisation.

Modal Sequencing Series A Lifetime of Exploration

As usual Charlie was right, and I’m still working with modal sequences and finding them to be invaluable 40 years later! Back in the days of my lessons Charlie wanted me to write out all the sequences by hand. They number in the thousands so it was quite an undertaking. Charlie often did this to make sure that a student understood how to permeate a given set of pitches. Luckily for you I’ve written all of these out in the Two and Three Note Modal Sequencing books in all keys ascending and descending, which will save you a lot of work. (I only found out later that this method of teaching was not something Charlie just “came up with.” He was a direct descendent of a line of great music teachers going back to the baroque era, and these methods go back that far too.)

So here’s how this study should be approached. First you would want to play the 22 scales found in the Essential Scales Course ascending and descending through each scale. For stringed instruments you need to play the scale from every degree so that you cover the entire fret board. That makes this assignment huge but that’s what it takes to learn these scales. After completing these scales in all keys you then start on two note sequencing which took me about 2 years to complete in all keys, and 3 note sequencing which can take a lot longer, as the possible applications are so vast.

So first, for those of you who want a quick fix and expect that you are going to master scales on your instrument in a short period of time –which is kinda what I thought when I stepped into my lessons with Charlie– you will quickly find that you have no idea of what that actually means. I left my lesson that first day with my tail between my legs, realizing how foolish I’d been and how I had a lifetime of work ahead of me to master this information.

But even if you don’t set yourself such lofty goals, you still owe it to yourself to understand two and three note sequencing. Even a cursory understanding is invaluable because it’s how music is organized no matter what the style. Blues and Metal players use modal sequences as much as Bach or John Coltrane so this is one of the cornerstones of music.

Buying both the 2 Note and 3 Note Modal Sequencing Courses would normally cost you $60.00 USD. Get both courses for 44.99 with the Special Bundle Price Below. 

You can also purchase The Modal Sequencing Courses Separately

Below you will find further information on the Two Note Modal Sequencing and the Three Note Modal Sequencing Courses. They can be purchased separately for a higher cost. Click on the links or the book cover to find out more information, see videos, example PDFs and other information about each of these two courses.

Two Note Modal Sequencing for All Instrumentalists

Modal Sequencing has long been a tool that musicians use to create great melodies and to improve their technical ability and aural comprehension. This course provides a student with a comprehensive range of information on multiple levels to help understand this crucial aspect of music. Twenty Nine different modes are covered for a student to practice and master these important structures. Each course from Modal Sequencing shows how every melodic sequence could be changed to create not only other melodic but also rhythmic permutations, which gives an improviser many choices when applying these melodies. A PDF showing the modal sequence along with MP3s and Midi files to hear each exercise have been included for all sequences. This greatly aids overall development because the student can check their accuracy when playing, singing or doing ear training exercises. This course provides you with multiple exercises that you can do to improve your ear training skills. No matter how you use these exercises, by working with them you are using musically familiar patterns that will prepare you to improvise or compose over common melodies you encounter throughout your musical life.

There are many ways these modal sequences can help your musicianship. Below are just some of the uses you will find for these courses:

• Developing new ideas for improvising whether you are a beginner or an advanced player.
• Developing a deeper knowledge of the scales included in this study.
• Developing your technical skills. Modal Sequences are a “super” chops building machine.
• Developing your ear training skills by singing and hearing various examples.
• Developing the ability to both technically and aurally recognize common melodic movement.
• Developing a melodic language that allows you to be more compositional in your improvisations.
• Developing a way to organize scalar ideas.
• Developing a way to use these melodic patterns on multiple metric levels.

Please Note: If you are a guitarist we highly recommend that you also work with the Guitar Technique and Physiology Course so that you develop the modal sequences with the proper technique.

Get the Two Note Modal Sequencing Course

ISBN: 978-1-59489-427-5 This course includes: 54 Page PDF, 6 Videos 15 minutes in total, 6,048 MP3s and 6,048 Midi files

Status: Currently Available, Digital book is available for immediate download!

Three Note Modal Sequencing

Three Note Modal Sequencing Background

Three Note Modal Sequencing is commonly used in all types of music.  Working on these modal sequences will give you tons of new ideas when you are composing or improvising.  Three Note Modal Sequencing is an exponentially larger course because there are so many more ways to combine two notes than three.  Again, Twenty Nine different modes are covered for a student to practice and master these important structures. Each course from Modal Sequencing shows how every melodic sequence could be changed to create not only other melodic but also rhythmic permutations, which gives an improviser many choices when applying these melodies. A PDF showing the modal sequence along with MP3s and Midi files to hear each exercise have been included for all sequences. This greatly aids overall development because the student can check their accuracy when playing, singing or doing ear training exercises. Both the Two Note Modal Sequences and the Three Note Modal Sequencing provide you with multiple exercises that you can do to improve your ear training skills. No matter how you use these exercises, by working with them you are using musically familiar patterns that will prepare you to improvise or compose over common melodies you encounter throughout your musical life.

There are many ways these modal sequences can help your musicianship. Below are just some of the uses you will find for these courses:

• Developing new ideas for improvising whether you are a beginner or an advanced player
• Developing a deeper knowledge of the scales included in this study.
• Developing your technical skills. Modal Sequences are a “super” chops building machine.
• Developing your ear training skills by singing and hearing various examples.
• Developing the ability to both technically and aurally recognize common melodic movement.
• Developing a melodic language that allows you to be more compositional in your improvisations
• Developing a way to organize scalar ideas.
• Developing a way to use these melodic patterns on multiple metric levels.

Get the Three Note Modal Sequencing

ISBN: 9978-1-59489-428-2 This course includes: 54 Page PDF, 10 Videos 25 minutes in total, 33,411 MP3s and 33,411 Midi files

Status: Currently Available, Digital book is available for immediate download!

Music Education Genealogy Chart

You might find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located on Bruce Arnold’s artist website interesting. You will clearly see the historic progression of pedagogy that is the basis for Muse Eek Publishing Products. Great musicians throughout history have been studying the ideas presented by Muse-eek.com which derives its content from a a lineage that stretches back to Scarlatti!