Joe Satriani’s PITCH AXIS THEORY - Crystal Clear!

Learn how to apply this powerful technique that’s called Pitch Axis Theory and is associated with Joe Satriani. Use a binding note to generate the most surprising and advanced sounding musical sections, solo’s and riffs by using the modes and trigger chords in a very special way. Guitarists like John Petrucci (DreamTheater / LTE, Tony Abassi (Animals as Leaders), Guthrie Govan, Nick Johnston, Steve Lukater (Toto) and many other great musicians use this technique too.
0:00 Introduction
0:40 More than one concept
1:31 What is Pitch Axis
4:30 Modal Trigger Chords
6:34 The easier applications
8:26 Chords with common notes
9:45 Advanced applications
12:14 Conclusion
You can support me on my patreon page (also for tabs of the licks played in this video): www.patreon.com/QJamTracks
Artwork: (c) 2020) Rob van Hal
Photo couple on bench: Foto door Vera Arsic via Pexels (www.pexels.com/nl-nl/foto/vro...)
Prisoner: Photo by RODNAE Productions via Pexels( www.pexels.com/nl-nl/foto/per...
Joe Satriani: LivePict.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Used:
Ibanez JEM 7vb (www.Ibanez.com)
Ibanez RT
Ibanez SD GR Bass (www.Ibanez.com)
Schecter Banshee GT FR (www.schecterguitars.com/)
Takamine GD930 (www.takamine.com)
Castilla Classical Guitars
Samson Concert 99 Wireless system
Rode Microphone
Axe FX II (www.fractalaudio.com)
BIAS FX (www.positivegrid.com)
Social Media/contact:
www.patreon.com/QJamTracks
QJamTracks
QJamTracks
/ qjamtracks
(c)2020 Rob van Hal, Netherlands
Subjects in this video:
Pitch Axis theory,
Pitch axis,
Joe Satriani,
Modes,
Chords,
Not of this earth,
Composition technique,
Write modal music,
Dream theatre,
Lie,
One note Samba,
Music theory lesson guitar,
Music theory,
Guitar tutorial,
Guitar lesson,
Rob van Hal,
QJamTracks,
Q Jem tracks,
Q jam tracks

[@GuitarguyRichard56]

Very cool. I totally get Satriani’s music now. I hear him in every example you gave. Thanks for the lesson.

[@paulalves4483]

Love your videos I learn quite a lot and mix it into my playing, thank you. Keep up the good work 👍

[@EclecticEssentric]

You always have great content. I'm back online so I can catch more of your lovely videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@QJamTracks]

You're welcome Timmy :)

[@correametal]

I will always be in total gratitude to you Rob....after so many years playing and looking for some new and refreshing approaches to go out of my comfort zone and grow in my composition knowledge, here in your magnificent channel I keep on finding awesome concepts that perfectly help on my constant search for new things. I am a proud and ultra happy patron. You are amazing my friend! Greetings from Puerto Rico!

[@QJamTracks]

Hey Jose! I'm so glad my videos helps you out :) So many thanks for your support! Greetz, Rob

[@patriciocohen8081]

Your lessons are pure gold, thank you very much for sharing them.

[@michaelseidl1562]

Thank u so much for sharing and explain this. U give me a boost in music theory and so much more feeling. Since i heared joe first time im in love with his flow and u give me a real perspective to unterstand what happend and how i can free my own flow

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks Michael!

[@nunezkant]

You seem so kind and calm, it would be delightful to have a class with you in person. Good job man, your content is superb in quality. Cheers for that !

[@krudler406]

you're the greatest instructor on all of the interwebs - if i ever find myself in the viking lands i owe you a beer

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks. I'm looking forward to that :)

[@kelvinteokiatuan6635]

Rob, you are doing a great job with these videos.

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks Kelvin!

[@mateuszmalecki9425]

Fantastic video ! Will definitely try it out ;)

[@KamilKisiel]

Another great video! Thanks.

[@leslawrenson]

Not just the starting point, but usually (especially in Satriani's music) the return point, also.

[@joel9490]

Thank you for this. Very insightful

[@steved9723]

Thanks for this, great explanation!

[@jewishmusicrevolution6546]

Thanks for another great video! Some of the best advanced stuff I’ve found… btw isn’t this really another way to say “modal interchange” just extending it to other scales?

[@luisrocha26]

Kind of. Modal interchange exists within the framework of functional harmony, where we borrow one chord just to add some colour/tension but our "harmonic story" remains as functional as it can be (I.e. we borrow a chord but eventually we go back to the tension/resolution thing). Here, chords exist by themselves, we no longer look for building up tension or resolution, as they simply paint a background over which we add some melody. Our pitch axis is an anchor which helps linking all those different chords and scales together. You could even experiment doing things the other way around: the mode/scale is our anchor and you change pitches e.g. playing the Aeolian mode over a Cmin9 - Dbmin9 - Dmin9 progression. The fact you're using the same mode makes these three "unrelated" chords sound like a reasonable progression. Ultimately, you could go full experimental, abandon any anchors and simply chain different tonal centers, scales and so on. This is very difficult. Good voice leading helps this "mess" to make some sense. Ron Jarzombek serialistic approach to death metal is an excellent example of this.

[@VALINOR24]

Bela Bartok called this method polymodal chromaticism: changing scales/modes while keeping the tonic the same.

[@nicolasforfant484]

Another great one Rob! And in addition, you managed to find an authentic Dutch Cuban, so not only the pitch may be an axis!😉Cheers.

[@QJamTracks]

:)

[@clintonlobo5094]

Thank you for your lessons. Now there is a way to understand Joe Satriani's music by theory. You give alot of insight. 😇

[@davidgoltra9950]

Amazing insightful and clear presentation.By the way you are amazing guitar player thank you

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks David :)

[@keeperofthereign]

Excelent work on explaining an advance concept. Many thanks.

[@robertopacchetti524]

Excellent video and very good teacher. many many thanks for the explanation

[@QJamTracks]

Thank you Roberto

[@nozorama2]

Really, really, really like your lessons. A lot of topics became crystal clear, thank you. Greetings from Hungary. Kornél

[@MizuRino]

Very useful thing for composers! Thanks!

[@TeddyMusique]

It is rare to find this topic on youtube. Congratulations again for your clear explanations and your many examples!

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks!

[@nickname3798]

THANKS A LOT ......THIS IS MY FAV LESSON ON YOUR CHANNEL.......VERY HELPFUL .......JOE SATRIANI IS MY FAV GUITARIST

[@realpool]

Thank You Rob!

[@taoteg1941]

Satriani also uses Pitch Axis in the tapping section of Satch Boogie. ;)

[@johnmac8084]

Excellent, thanks 😊

[@oz-mixoguitar7814]

Thanks so much for this great teachings

[@glenmiller4995]

Definitely helps me with a tune I'm writing!

[@haraldwenzel9668]

Your lessons are allways al challenging as inspiring, ik ben opgewonden.

[@DavidRamos-nz4bh]

You’ve been delivering lessons that are so useful! I’ve gone Prog Rock for the most part and your lessons are very helpful. Thanks!

[@QJamTracks]

Thank you Ramos

[@user-hf2lg7pg3g]

great video.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

that acoustic example, was superb

[@heatwithoutlight]

Another great video, crystal clear as always. It's like having Stephen Hawking explain "a brief history of time to me". I appreciate black holes on a new level, even though it doesn't make me an astrophysicist. Same with these videos, I appreciate my favourite Guitarists on a deeper level, even if I can't play the tunes. Thanks!

[@TWDub]

This was a really nice instructional video! Also, as a Vai Jem user, I love that you were using one in this video! Great stuff!

[@pietrocaltabiano5544]

I hope you will get the subscribers and views you deserve

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks Pietro

[@lopezb]

GREAT examples! I use this intuitively but now I know what I was doing. It'll make all that more solid!

[@luisrocha26]

Excelent explanation! One thing I would add is the importance of chord voicing: keeping notes together when changing from one chord to another (awesomely showcased in Satriani's and Dream Theater's examples) helps us not to loose sight of our axis. Maintaining the pedal note is an excellent approach, but if you can avoid making the other notes jump around, your harmony will sound way tighter!

[@DMDvideo10]

The first 3 and half minutes of this told me more than 20 other full length videos I've watched... Nicely done!

[@vince1229]

To call this guy comprehensive would be like calling the Pope an alter boy. The sheer scope of these videos is insane, as is his technical ability.

[@manuelpassarella]

I would say, Crystal Planet Clear

[@QJamTracks]

:)

[@KevinToine]

Never realized the Brouwer Etude was using pitch axis!

[@frankie.d1127]

Wow, “Diary of a Madman” with those Leo Brouwer chords. When I first heard that Lydian Dominant chord in the intro of that piece, I thought it was the most amazing sound- made an appearance in “Girl Gone Bad” too. 👍🏼

[@KevinToine]

Randy Rhoads loved classical guitar and it was Brouwer's etude that inspired him for Diary of a Madman.

[@xhead75]

Its Diary of a Madman. I heard it from the very first chord and every chord after broke my heart a little more. I can't believe it.

[@PandaMidianMusic]

Randy Rhodes borrowed some of that opening example that you played in diary of madman.

[@Bflatest]

The Pitch Axis Theory can just be called.... Switching Modes :)

[@QJamTracks]

It's that certainly, , but the essence is you do that over one chord or peddaltone. So over one pitch, which is the axis for different Modal directions.

[@garysnowdon1918]

What's the Phygian or the Locrian chord?

[@QJamTracks]

A modal chord is a chord that contains the characteristic notes of a mode. E Phryigian chord would be Em7b9 for instance. The b9 is minor 2nd degree, characteristic for the phrygian mode. A Locrian chord would be a min7b5 chord containing a minor third and the characteristic diminished 5th.

[@stringchild]

Wow. Cool video. I do this sort of thing a lot because it just works for me. Wasn't aware of the terminology, but I like the validation of it. It's just like major to parallel minor in classical music taken without boundaries. In essence all chords are actually related to each other if you make it so. Great for changing up the mood without necessarily changing key even though you are (technically).

[@megashredderofkate]

the minor major 7 chord is absolutely one of my favourite sounds, my ear is drawn to that, but i'm a rock guy so i have yet to find a useful application for this!

[@StevenPD]

"Who doesn't like freedom? Just ask him or him" 🤣

[@QJamTracks]

:)

[@leeanucha]

Why would you disable save to playlist button?

[@ppanzer7243]

I only have to salute you! I don't play guitar by myself but the 15 year old son of my neighbour is totally absorbed into AC/DC. I my opinion there might be no other place to learn such alot of guitar playing than in your channel. I highly recommended him your channel. Even his professional guitar teacher might learn something.

[@QJamTracks]

Thanks man!

[@ladc8960]

Girrazo@__

[@Jose-vq3xr]

yeah i don't think joe satriani thinked about this stuff rather i imagine something like "hmm let's play this weird shaped chord, next play the same shape in the next fret, then come back and then the previous fret" if you see what chords dream theater used clearly it's not the same

[@arpeggioblues5924]

Absolutly awesome, I knew about Joe Satriani's use of Pix Axis decade ago, but this was one of the best I've heard.. You did mention Tobin Abassi, but he uses 4ths tuning, and I have migrated to all 4ths tuning. It's amazing.. Since a lot of the examples are using the open E and or B strings (et.al), I wonder if you can give some examples using 4ths tuning? I migrated because I only have to learn 33% of all triad patterns, and scale patterns, once, and they transpose everywhere on the neck, with no modifications (due to the E and B strings now C and F strings).. Thanks, you are a great source of inspiration.. thank you very much

[@QJamTracks]

I have been thinking about such a tutorial :)

[@adonislajara6955]

"how to practice and use the metronome - Crystal Clear"

[@pholkeeemm2941]

Great video, does convey well the idea behind what people like Satriani call "Pitch Axis Theory". However, if you were going to classify this within the bigger picture of overall music theory, I think you would need to relate it to terms such as pedal point, drone or modal mixture - which is actually what the contents of your video is all about. It seems that Satriani and others just coined a different name for its application in popular music. The other disambiguation you're making at the beginning of your video is not restricted to jazz BTW -- inverting a melody (or any set of notes) with respect to a specific pitch is a universal technique that has been used in classical music for hundreds of years. Lastly, as someone else pointed out already, at 3:05 ff we're not hearing mixolydian mode - what's being played is e.dorian, as indicated by the m3 and maj6.

[@seamanjive]

Baaie lekker....now, about soulful rock....

[@lawboss]

The pitch center concept is clear (common pitch/note to all chords). To apply chord changes (changing the mode), it is necessary to know the specific chord that 1) includes the unique sound of the new desired mode and 2) ensure that mode's representative chord includes the target common/pitch sound. Question: Is there only one chord that exemplifies the desired mode's unique sound or does each mode have 2 unique intervals that are characteristic of the mode and there is some flexibility as to the construction of the chord as long as it includes the unique interval? Sorry if this is confusing.

[@Allthewrongkeys821]

No, there is not only one chord to exemplify any mode. This question might require some context to answer. I'm gonna use the mode progression at @2:48 but lets just focus on E lydian (E, F#, G#, A#, B , C#, D#) to E mixolydian. ( E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D ) Whether you're trying to figure out chords or a lead melody over this modal change you're gonna want to consider the interval differences between the modes you're transitioning to and from. Theres only two intervals changing the #4 ---> P4 and the M7 ---> m7. The rest of the notes from e lydian are unchanged (E, F#, G#, B, C#, ) these unchanging notes can be used without care. they'll sound good over either mode. but if neither of our new notes are being played upon the change (be it in the chords or melody) then the listener/other musicians don't really have any indication that there is any modal change. I recommend you focus on the notes of a any mode and then play around with building chords with those notes in any and every possible way. The modes dont work because of the chords, the chords work because of the modes. good luck, and obligatory pocket sand.

[@lawboss]

@@Allthewrongkeys821 That helped, thank you.

[@carmanxxx8402]

Hi there ¡¡ asking from Spain, would you like to display me the " etude " from the cuban master Leo Brower you,ve partially showed as an example of pitch axis theory ??? .... advice... you should hear a Brower´s composition named Un Dia de Noviembre (A November´s Day) so simple but so full of harmony capabilities. Thanks

[@user-oy7gz5bf2h]

3:06 That is not E mixolydian. I'm not here to pick a fight, but this should be corrected. Edit: I'm not saying this just to make a point either. As an educator, it is very important to me that information be correct.

[@xiaco8309]

I’ve always said that Satch was my music teacher. Not in person but studying his music. Half the time I don’t know what chord I’m playing but i can visualize the scales I’m using and compose chords based off of the notes in the scale and go between keys with that simple pitch axis. I love the bluesy vibe of going from an E axis and playing the Dorian scales with chords and then switching to either the E harmonic minor to the C minor or A major and F# minor. The possibilities are endless

[@bassofspades500]

Hmm.. Seems like someone took Modal mixture and Pedal point and decided to throw their own stamp on it.... This is why there's too many names for the same things in music theory.

[@GioBardZero]

I'd call it a composition technique and as much as I love Joe's music, it's a bit too bold to coin something that modal jazzers, impressionist, and even romantic composers have been doing for over a century as one's own theory.

[@QJamTracks]

True and a good point... I called it that way because many rock guitarists can relate to Joe Satriani, more than Jazz players and post classical composers who did this way before Joe did. It's just that it's an important part of his composition style.

[@marcoolivares1591]

el mejor, ni siquiera se inglés y entendí todo

[@naashimdovi2272]

There are so many lesson about pitch Axis but yours the only best 👍

[@Sioux177]

Helpful in developing my music!👍

[@enricosenno7767]

Which lukather's songs display this techniques? Cheers

[@QJamTracks]

I wouldn't know a particular song, but alle these kinds of guitarists use this in one way or the other.

[@naashimdovi2272]

Could you elaborate differences of Pitch Axis and Pedal Point ?

[@nomandad2000]

“Wishin you were here” by Chicago also comes to mind

[@emanuelgarcia2041]

Follow the tritones.....

[@LeviClay]

You know you didn’t play E mixolydian in that jam right? :/

[@merlin5420]

I just feel sorry for the bass players 😂😂😂

[@benkoi8310]

My nose was bleeding at the middle part of the video 😅

[@dhrishatbaruah8943]

It's Tosin Abasi ☠️

[@QJamTracks]

Can't believe I made that mistake! I'll burn in hell for this... Twice ;)

[@JuanReyes-ht1bd]

BB KING used this his whole career using the minor and major third 😂

[@Illumignostic]

It is not a theory. Its just silly

[@davetur869]

Lo que estabas tocando es más propio de Steve Vai