Noodle Challenge Day 4
Swipe a Swiftie
“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.”
Noodle Soup for the Soul
Before we dive into today’s Noodle, I want to reflect on what “WHAT IF” looks like throughout this challenge.
Day #3’s Noodle encouraged you to mess around with the magic of Mixolydian. I use the word “mess” because noodling is a search and rescue operation. It’s like losing your phone. You turn the house upside down until you find it. In your urgency to rescue the hand-sized companion you can’t live without, you leave a trail of clothes strewn on the bed, backpacks overturned, and sofa cushions scattered on the floor. Nothing matters when you locate the beloved device, not even the mess.
Noodling is similar. It gets messy because you are desperate to find that diamond in the rough. You must hunt and peck your way to polish that diamond until you know every facet.
In the first two noodles, you created patterns, even pieces that were instantly beautiful and satisfying. When encountering Mixolydian, you may not have stumbled upon something that immediately satisfied your “classical musician” expectations; however, you unearthed something unforgettable in this process. In Mixolydian, the dominant chord is minor.
Put that nugget in your back pocket, pull it out the next time you encounter a dominant (V) chord, and ask yourself, “WHAT IF I.” What if I plug in a minor chord instead of the expected major chord?
Try it now—return to your first “Heart and Soul” noodle. Substitute G major with a G minor chord by adding a Bb. Now you’ve discovered the magic of Mixolydian and the wonder of “WHAT IF I!”
Noodle Info
Taylor Swift knows how to write hit songs. Let some of her sparkles rub off on you and swipe one of her strategies for your back pocket.
Taylor often bases her melodies on ONE pitch, with a few others thrown in for interest. Try it yourself and explore your harmonic options.
Psst…don’t forget to push record!
Your Challenge
Choose a pitch—I chose G, as shown below.
Think of as many chords as you can that include that pitch.
Pulse the same pitch in the right hand as your left hand changes chords.
Be brave and step out into black key chords, too. Notice the chords I didn’t include below like Eb, Gm..Fadd2, to name a few.
Choose a left-hand pattern of your choice.
Aim to settle on your favorite combination of chords.
Feel free to use more than just one pitch in your melody…Taylor does, too!
EXTRA: In what chord does your pitch function as the 9th? 11th? 13th?
Always ask yourself: What if I?
Did you stumble upon something amazing today?
Make sure to share it on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @leilaviss.
Use the hashtag #30daynoodlechallenge.
Every pitch has a function in a chord—the root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.
Pete the Pitch Profiler is a great tool to help you master chord spelling and discover common tones between chords.
