There's a lot of terrible advice in these comments, clear to see who never has played music. Songs with major key jams, including Franklins Tower and IKYR are not correct. Neither is Fire on the Mountain - Jerry plays the key change, B major over the B chord and A major over the A chord. St Stephen is in E, no mixolydian. Eyes is most definitely not a mixolydian solo. The obvious answer is Dark Star. So long as you're playing over the A-G changes and not getting too weird, mixolydian is the way to go.
Top comment right now is Bird Song. I'll admit, it's one of the very few Dead songs I never learned on guitar and I have no opinion one way or another because I don't know.
I've really enjoyed learning and playing with a different method for Dead tunes as described here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbsRi-uZVTw&t=132 Jacksnax, great teacher.
This is a good one, but you need to change modes over the B-E change. B Mixolydian and E major/Ionian. Although some use of the b7 in E major works.
Good suggestion.
No mixolydian in Eyes jams.
Eyes intro is E major/Ionian.
Jam 1 is EM7 (Ionian) - Bm7 (Dorian)
Jam 2 is EM7 (Ionian) - Bm7 (Dorian) - A (Ionian)
Jam 3 is EM7 (Ionian) - A (Lydian) and then the extra changes are all EM7, G#m & D#m. No mixolydian there.
B mixolydian is the 5th mode of the E major scale. So they contain the same notes, but are not interchangeable. B mixolydian targets the notes of a B7 chord, E Ionian/major targets EM7 chord tones.
B7 notes are B-D#-F#-A
EM7 notes are E-G#-B-D#
Two notes are shared. B & D#
Playing a B7 over an EM7 would create an EM11.
Playing an EM7 over B7 would create a B13
But soloing in B mixolydian and targeting the notes of a B7 chord is not going to make you sound like Jerry.
Jerry’s mixolydian soloing almost always contains passing tone embellishments..e.g. b5-5 slide or hammer-on. He does this with the b5-5 and b3-3. These passing tones make it clear when he is playing in mixolydian. You simply do not find them in a B mixolydian context in Eyes (F-F# and D-D#). The solos are clearly in E major and target notes of an EM7 chord.
The key to playing like Jerry isn’t playing mixolydian. It is using the vocal melody in the solo, targeting chord tones, and using passing tones to get to the target chord tones.
Thank you! I’m not currently teaching, but considering it, do you need one? I haven’t taught in awhile, but I’m adding more music related work in my life. Currently transcribing a whole lot of stuff, hopefully putting a few books out on jam scene & related guitarists.
Educate then ears!! Interval training!
Remember. Jerry does a lot of up & down through scales but his little embellishments are really what make him Jerry. Very country sounding to me, but used in a completely different context. I think what a lot of people miss is that part of what makes Jerry so interesting is that the building blocks of his playing style are really not complicated. It’s the way which he puts it all together and the delivery that is. Like he’s not Pat Martino ripping crazy fast lines and changing scales every bar.
Idk man, I kinda always thought the same, but recently I listened to One From The Vault on shrooms and tried to jam along, holy jumping f--king Jesus, his phrasing was OUT THERE. Obviously shedding the skin in Bob's studio during the hiatus served him very well, I've never heard him play such complex phrases with such ease, before or since. His rhythmic groupings could give Coltrane a run for his money.
Just listen to Slipknot and Eyes, he's flying REALLY high (and it's not even my fav version of Eyes).
Franklin's Tower is a good starting place since the chord changes are simple. I agree with the other poster who said Eyes of the World too, that's just a really cool song and fun to learn.
China Cat Sunflower is a fun one on piano because the chords are G and F and you can play the C scale triads (all white keys, skip one note in-between) all over the place
Bird song
Fire on the Mountain is a good Mixolydian jammer
That’s the first tune that came to my mind, easy chord progression makes it easy to practice to.
There's a lot of terrible advice in these comments, clear to see who never has played music. Songs with major key jams, including Franklins Tower and IKYR are not correct. Neither is Fire on the Mountain - Jerry plays the key change, B major over the B chord and A major over the A chord. St Stephen is in E, no mixolydian. Eyes is most definitely not a mixolydian solo. The obvious answer is Dark Star. So long as you're playing over the A-G changes and not getting too weird, mixolydian is the way to go. Top comment right now is Bird Song. I'll admit, it's one of the very few Dead songs I never learned on guitar and I have no opinion one way or another because I don't know.
Agreed on this comment. See my comment, Jerry isn’t just mixolydian. Agreed, suggestion of Bird Song jam is the only correct one so far.
I've really enjoyed learning and playing with a different method for Dead tunes as described here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbsRi-uZVTw&t=132 Jacksnax, great teacher.
St. Stephen.
Sugaree
This is a good one, but you need to change modes over the B-E change. B Mixolydian and E major/Ionian. Although some use of the b7 in E major works. Good suggestion.
Hands down Franklins Tower
I know you rider - very classic D - C - G progression
Honestly just about anything in a major key.
Almost any dead tune TBH - Jerry loved him some mixolydian
Eyes of the World and it's not even close. Check out Jeff Williams on YouTube for some killer backing tracks Edit: I am wrong
No mixolydian in Eyes jams. Eyes intro is E major/Ionian. Jam 1 is EM7 (Ionian) - Bm7 (Dorian) Jam 2 is EM7 (Ionian) - Bm7 (Dorian) - A (Ionian) Jam 3 is EM7 (Ionian) - A (Lydian) and then the extra changes are all EM7, G#m & D#m. No mixolydian there.
But then isn’t B mixo also the same as Emaj7 major scale?
B mixolydian is the 5th mode of the E major scale. So they contain the same notes, but are not interchangeable. B mixolydian targets the notes of a B7 chord, E Ionian/major targets EM7 chord tones. B7 notes are B-D#-F#-A EM7 notes are E-G#-B-D# Two notes are shared. B & D# Playing a B7 over an EM7 would create an EM11. Playing an EM7 over B7 would create a B13 But soloing in B mixolydian and targeting the notes of a B7 chord is not going to make you sound like Jerry. Jerry’s mixolydian soloing almost always contains passing tone embellishments..e.g. b5-5 slide or hammer-on. He does this with the b5-5 and b3-3. These passing tones make it clear when he is playing in mixolydian. You simply do not find them in a B mixolydian context in Eyes (F-F# and D-D#). The solos are clearly in E major and target notes of an EM7 chord. The key to playing like Jerry isn’t playing mixolydian. It is using the vocal melody in the solo, targeting chord tones, and using passing tones to get to the target chord tones.
Amazing explanation! You must be a great guitar teacher.
Thank you! I’m not currently teaching, but considering it, do you need one? I haven’t taught in awhile, but I’m adding more music related work in my life. Currently transcribing a whole lot of stuff, hopefully putting a few books out on jam scene & related guitarists.
I might be interested in getting a teacher. Lemme know if you ever decide on passing some knowledge!
Damn son looks like I need to educate my ears! Great explanation!
Educate then ears!! Interval training! Remember. Jerry does a lot of up & down through scales but his little embellishments are really what make him Jerry. Very country sounding to me, but used in a completely different context. I think what a lot of people miss is that part of what makes Jerry so interesting is that the building blocks of his playing style are really not complicated. It’s the way which he puts it all together and the delivery that is. Like he’s not Pat Martino ripping crazy fast lines and changing scales every bar.
Idk man, I kinda always thought the same, but recently I listened to One From The Vault on shrooms and tried to jam along, holy jumping f--king Jesus, his phrasing was OUT THERE. Obviously shedding the skin in Bob's studio during the hiatus served him very well, I've never heard him play such complex phrases with such ease, before or since. His rhythmic groupings could give Coltrane a run for his money. Just listen to Slipknot and Eyes, he's flying REALLY high (and it's not even my fav version of Eyes).
Yeah. I love that Help-Slip. I’ll sit with the Eyes tonight and tell you what I think. Thank you for the suggestion!
hell yea
Franklin's Tower is a good starting place since the chord changes are simple. I agree with the other poster who said Eyes of the World too, that's just a really cool song and fun to learn.
Really easy to rip over FOTM
Pretty much every Dead song. Jerry was married to mixo. In particular: Bertha, St. Stephen, Scarlet-Fire, GDTRFB
Eyes
No, this isn’t correct. See my comment.
Dark star, morning dew, bird song, Scarlet, fire
China Cat Sunflower is a fun one on piano because the chords are G and F and you can play the C scale triads (all white keys, skip one note in-between) all over the place