Leavitt

BASSOON ETUDES ON DIATONIC MODES 1
BASSOON ETUDES ON DIATONIC MODES:

A REVIEW OF PRE-EXISTING INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS AND MATERIALS WITH
EMPHASIS ON DIATONIC MODES FOR BASSOON
INCLUDING ORIGINAL ETUDES
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Master of Music Education
Bassoon Pedagogy Emphasis
Henry S. Leavitt
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
May, 2019
Abstract
High school students of instrumental music encounter ever increasing scaler resources in
performance. Instructional materials to assist students are few. This thesis provides a review of
pre-existing teaching methods and materials dealing with diatonic modes followed by
information about diatonic modes and a set of short etudes for high school-aged bassoon
students.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to those who have influenced both this thesis and my bassoon education.
Dr. William Peebles
Dr. Patricia Holland
Dr. Stephanie Patterson
Dr. Michael Butler
Brenda Casciani
Joshua Hood
Contents
Part 1: .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Restatement of Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 4
Why Modal Scales? ................................................................................................................................ 4
Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Pop and Art Music ........................................................................ 5
Examples of Modal Scale Usage – Jazz ................................................................................................ 6
Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Modes Close to Home.................................................................... 6
Teaching Methods Concerning Modal Theory and Performance...................................................... 7
Pre-Existing Bassoon Etudes using Diatonic Modes ....................................................................... 9
Non-Bassoon Etudes for Studying Diatonic Modes ....................................................................... 12
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 12
Part II: Original Etudes........................................................................................................................... 14
Etude Limitations ............................................................................................................................. 14
Etude Usage ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Set No.1 – Key of C .......................................................................................................................... 15
Set No.2 – Modes in additional keys ............................................................................................... 22
Set No.3 – Technical mode exercises ............................................................................................... 30
Works Cited .............................................................................................................................................. 34
Part 1:
Restatement of Purpose
Private performance lessons provide instructors the freedom to introduce new concepts to
their students alongside the current course load provided by their school. Though there is often
not much time to include a music theory discussion as a part of the half hour to hour lesson,
introducing a student to at least a few theory topics early on can help with their later musical
endeavors and provide some context for their current performance. This thesis provides a review
of current available materials and is supplemented with a series of short exercises designed to
familiarize high school level bassoon students with the concept of modal scales through
performance.
Why Modal Scales?
Modal scales as a topic are a logical extension of a common requirement, the
memorization and performance of major scales. This logical extension through diatonic modes is
supported by James Naigus, lecturer of horn at University of Georgia. In Professor Naigus’
article Etudes á la Modes, a case is made that “contemporary music has an abundance of less
common intervallic sequences” and modes “stretch the ear to hear less common intervallic
sequences.” (2017, p.41) It is not uncommon for a student who is only familiar with major scales
to respond to a modal scale by saying that it sounds “wrong” rather than just “different.”
(Peebles, 2018, n.p.) This auditory stretching is a path that ultimately expands to the practice of
chromatic and atonal music.

Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Pop and Art Music
In one of Leonard Bernstein’s (1966) Young People’s Concerts, Leonard Bernstein
discussed modes, what they are, how they can function, and where they exist. A point made early
on in this lecture is that modal scales come from the early church modes, but “from about the
time of Bach until the beginning of our own century (20th century), roughly 200 years, our
western music has been based on two modes: the major and the minor.” Before and since this
period of 200 years composers made greater use of these other scales. Some of the art and pop
music examples given by Bernstein include:
• Claude Debussy’s Fêtes begins in Dorian mode

• Sibelius’s Sixth Symphony opens in Dorian mode
• Liszt’s Second Hungarian Rhapsody uses Phrygian mode
• Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade uses Phrygian mode
• Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kije includes a piccolo solo in Lydian mode
• The Polonaises and Mazurkas of Chopin use Lydian and other modes
• Pop-tune references include “Along Comes Mary” by Tandyn Almer, which is in Dorian
mode
Educator Georgia A. Newlin (2013), whose method of teaching diatonic modes will be
discussed later, includes a number of music examples including: the use of the Lydian mode in
Bela Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, the melody of Britney Spears’ “If U
Seek Amy,” which uses a descending Phrygian scale, and the Lennon-McCartney Song “We Can
Work It Out,” which uses harmonic progression specific to Mixolydian, to name just a few.
Examples of Modal Scale Usage – Jazz
Modal scales are an important part of jazz performance and theory; so important that
there is even a style called modal jazz. This style of music was fathered by jazz performers Miles
Davis and John Coltrane as well the theories of George Russell and his Lydian Chromatic
Concept. (Clement, 2014, p.3) This music broke from regular jazz tradition lacking “typical
harmonic sequence.” Modal music exists in a space where melodies and harmonies are created
from the pitches of a single scale and maintained for an elongated period of time. Some
examples of modal jazz include the 1958 recording Milesstones originally titled “Miles” and
1959 release of Kind of Blue. (Lawn, 2007, p.308) Although the bassoon is not a traditional jazz
instrument, the barriers that have kept the bassoon and jazz separated have eroded over time.
Some important performers who have brought the bassoon into this genre include jazz doubler
and pedagogue Yusef Lateef, and American Jazz Bassoonists Paul Hanson and Michael
Rabinowitz.
Youtube channels on jazz music theory, such as Walk That Bass and the videos of Rick
Beato, Quamon Fowler, and Chad Lefkowitz-Brown provide students with resources for
understanding the use of modal scales and their related harmonies in jazz and composition
contexts.
Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Modes Close to Home
In April 2018, the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony, which operates out of the
University Wisconsin-Stevens Point, performed Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. This piece
makes use of the diatonic modes as discussed by Eastman Alumni Ella de los Reyes who
analyzed the work in her masters thesis from June of 1950. Ella de los Reyes teachers at the time
were Dr. Allen Irvine McHose and Dr. Wayne Barlow. In her analysis multiple instances of
modal scales are found in the “bridge passages” of the first movement. The first mode is A
Phrygian and G Mixolydian follows. (1950, p.11-12) This use of mode was reaffirmed in an
interview with Kurt Van Tiem (2019), conductor of the Central Wisconsin Youth Orchestra
(CWYSOP), who mentioned the use of modes in the second movement titled, I pini presso una
catacomba, (The Pines Near a Catacomb). In this instance Van Tiem had drawn a connection
between the composer’s use of modes and the sound of liturgical music. Van Tiem made a point
to discuss modal scale usage with students during the rehearsal.
Teaching Methods Concerning Modal Theory and Performance
Members of the music education community agree about the importance of studying
modes, a claim that is supported by numerous articles outlining methods used to teach diatonic
modes.
A Musical Times article, The Modes in Musical Tuition by H. Gill (1937), provides
anecdotal evidence for early education in modal scales. The author, a piano instructor, had a
nine-year-old pupil who, after six months of concerted practice, had achieved a “major-scale
foundation of two octaves in similar and contrary motion in all keys.” (p.710) Following this
accomplishment, the author foresaw possible difficulty introducing the student to minor scales.
The instructor asked the student to play and sing the C major scale starting on A or la and
thereby introduced the Aeolian mode or natural minor. Explaining the old modes established a
bridge to both melodic and harmonic forms of minor. The Lydian, Dorian, Mixolydian, and
Locrian modes were later introduced in the same way as Aeolian. With these scales introduced, a
cycle was provided by the instructor where the student would move between the modes by
raising or lowering certain intervals in a given succession, emphasizing a learned flexibility on
what relationships are possible while maintaining the same pitch center.
A more detailed practical method of teaching mode recognition and performance is
outlined in the article “Teaching Students to Hear, Sing, Play, Identify, and Enjoy the Modes" by
Georgia A. Newlin (2013). The method uses a number of different approaches including visual
aids, written assignments, vocal exercises, and listening examples.
The centerpiece of the Newlin article is the
Bronson Mode-Star, a graphic representation of how
the diatonic modes are related to each other through
their shared pentatonic scales and hexachords. Each tip
of the star is labeled with the name of a diatonic mode
and each internal vertex is labeled pi referring to a
pentatonic scale or with a single number referring to a
removed scale degree referring to a hexachord.

Figure 1. Bronson Mode Star, From The
Ballad as Song (p.85), by B.H. Bronson, 1970,
Activities suggested included: Oakland, CA: University of California Press.
Copyright [1970] by University of California
• Students performing modal scales in Press. Reprinted with permission.
canon
• Singing modal variations on the simple melody titled “The Swan” using solfege
• Singing closely related scales in unison in order to magnify the shared pitches of
the modes along with their unique intervallic differences

• Using graph paper to create visual representations of whole- and half-step
relationships within each modal scale
A final very brief pedagogical approach to teaching modes is given in Eric Lynn Harris’
(2006) Teaching Music Theory in The Traditional Wind Band Rehearsal. Though not the central
focus of the piece, diatonic modes are covered in a single paragraph on page 410. Students play a
familiar major scale in unison and then build the modal scales off of its intervals naming the
modes as they go.
Pre-Existing Bassoon Etudes using Diatonic Modes
Though few in number, there are etude books that cover the subject of diatonic modes in
relation to bassoon performance.
An Introduction to Contemporary Music for Bassoon with 64 Etudes, by Stephanie
Willow Patterson:
This book was written as a doctoral dissertation for the University of Iowa and was for
the beginner to intermediate level bassoonist as a way to become familiar with certain aspects of
twentieth-century bassoon performance. The contents of this work include a warm-up section
along with another five units: Scales, Rhythm, Meter, Style, and Extended Techniques.
The warm-up section, p. 1-4, includes a set of long tone exercises which are modal scales
set to changing time signatures. The focus of these etudes is to help students build a familiarity
with the diatonic modes, work on pitch stability, and continuity of the airstream, and provide the
student with some simple examples of mixed meters that are built primarily on quarter note
pulsations. The pitch center for all of the long tone exercises is F.
In Unit 1 Dr. Patterson defines half step/whole step relationships and shows their
location in a number of different scales including major, natural minor, melodic minor, harmonic
minor, the diatonic modes, chromatic, whole tone, and octatonic.
The etudes in this section are quite varied; a few examples are:
Etude 5. Aeoli Oli
• Written in G natural minor aka G Aeolian
• Written in 4/4
• Marked March with no defined tempo
• Uses regular staccato in the first half of the etude and then changes to a slurred dolce
• The etude focuses on primarily stepwise motion
Etude 9. Mixtolydia
• Written in E Mixolydian
• Uses a less common time signature of 4/2
• Has a defined tempo of 96 beats per minute
• Much of the etude is arpeggios
• The articulation is primarily slurred groups of eighth notes starting primarily on beats one
and three of the bar
Etude 12. Melancholic Waltz
• Written in G Locrian
• The time signature is 3/4
• No tempo marking, instead given the marking “Directionless”
• A few of the slurs move through the bar line

There are in total seven etudes based on the diatonic modes with varied pitch centers. The
key signatures for these etudes are limited to no more than four sharps and four flats. (2014)
10 Etudes for Bassoon, by Kenneth Lowman:
The first seven Lowman etudes make use of the diatonic modes followed by a 12-tone set
etude, and then the author’s own synthetic scales. The etudes are technical studies using
continuous motion and regular meter changes. Most of the motion is scalar and there is no
indication of style or phrasing. Each etude is two pages long and there are no breath marks and
few rests that are longer than an eighth note. None of the etudes have any markings referring to a
preferred tempo except for the fourth etude which covers the Lydian mode and is simply marked
as “lively.” Each etude starts in the key of C major, but then modulates without change in key
signature, requiring heavy use of accidentals. All of these reasons and others, could be why Eric
Fassbender rated the difficulty of these etudes at the level of mid-undergraduate to postgraduate
in his annotated bibliography of etudes (2017).
Technique Studies for Jazz Bassoon Improvisation, by Paul Hanson:
This book by notable United States jazz bassoonist Paul Hanson is a useful tool designed
to help bassoon students expand harmonic and melodic technique within the context of jazz
theory. Though the book focuses primarily on major and minor key patterns Hanson does cover
some modal patterns. (Patterson, 2014, 205-206) These modal patterns focus on the Aeolian
mode. Most of the diatonic modes are not explicitly discussed by the author.
Non-Bassoon Etudes for Studying Diatonic Modes
The Modes of Contemporary Music, by Willard Musser and Elliot del Borgo:
This publication explores both scalar and harmonic patterns in the Dorian, Phrygian,
Lydian, and Mixolydian modes. The etudes use both odd and mixed meters. The melody uses
“standard leaps, interval sequences, and range.” (Lane, 1979, p.60)
Approaching Atonality, by Naigus, James:

This book for horn includes sixty progressive etudes that work toward atonality. The
book progresses in the following order: Ionian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Dorian, Lydian, Phrygian,
Phrygian Dominant, Locrian, Super Locrian, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Whole tone,
Octatonic, synthetic, and chromatic. The first twenty-four etudes examine the modes and finish
with the pentatonic scales. Etudes twenty-five to thirty-eight treat tonic with some ambiguity.
Then etudes thirty-nine to forty-two use mixed modes which are followed by etudes forty-three
to sixty that examine the synthetic to the chromatic. (Naigus, 2017, pg.2)
Conclusion
High school-aged students perform modal music, but the number of pedagogical
materials for bassoon are few, and of those few the majority are beyond the abilities of the
average high school bassoon student. Dr. Patterson’s publication provides the most appropriate
examples for young bassoonists, but there is still space for like material. The following original
etudes are a systematic approach to develop the skills required for the performance of modal
music by young bassoonists.

Part II: Original Etudes
Etude Limitations
To keep these etudes accessible to high school bassoonists, exercises are written at grade
three or below, using limitations asserted by the American Band College Music Grading Chart
(Scott, 2000). Meters include 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, Common time, Cut time, 6/8, 9/8, and easy changing
or asymmetric meters. Tempos can be from Largo to allegro or from 56 to 144 beats per minute
and ritards, accelerandos, and rallentandos may also be used. Note and rest values include all
values in duple meters and easy compound rhythms, but exclude complex syncopation. Rhythms
include basic duple and triple syncopation as well as dotted rhythms. Dynamic markings range
from pianissimo to fortissimo and include decrescendo, crescendo, sforzando, and fortepiano.
Ornaments include trills and grace notes in double to triple groups. The pitch range is from Bb1
to G4. The pieces themselves are from fifteen to twenty bars in length to create a clear sense of
modality.
Etude Usage
The following etudes are given in three sets. The first set contains one etude in each of
the seven modes derived from C Ionian. The second set contains etudes based on G, F, Bb, and D
Ionian. The third section contains three technical etudes based on the Bronson Mode-Star. In
working through these third section etudes the bassoonist will examine the diatonic modes as
well as their related pentatonic scales and hexachords. It should be noted these etudes are
progressive and that the use of key signatures was a conscious decision meant to keep the student
engaged and as a reminder that scales are sets of pitch relationships that can be transposed.
Set No.1 – Key of C
The Ionian mode is our first modal scale as it is our most familiar. This familiarity is due
to the fact that it is identical to our common practice major scale.
Please take a moment to look at the “order of steps.” The (W) indicates a whole-step or two
semitones of separation and the (H) indicates a half-step or one semitone of separation.
The next modal scale is D Dorian which keeps all of the same notes as C Ionian, but the
only difference is that the scale starts on D. This organization will continue throughout all of the
etude sets: Phrygian is built off the third which is E, Lydian the fourth starts on F, Mixolydian
the fifth starts on G, Aeolian the sixth starts on A, and Locrian the seventh starts on B. Perform
the exercises in this book following this printed order.

Set No.2 – Modes in additional keys
In this second etude set we have the chance to reinforce our familiarity with the diatonic modes
through further expansion into new keys. It is important to remember that when a scale
transposes, the interval relationships do not change (i.e. Dorian mode is ordered Whole step, Half
step, Whole step, Whole step, Whole step, Half step, Whole step no matter what note it starts
on).
Set No.3 – Technical mode exercises
This third section is comprised of three technical etudes based on the Bronson Mode-Star,
a graphic representation of how diatonic modes are interrelated. Each etude is built from three
modes, their shared pentatonic scales, and hexachords. Though repetitive these etudes are
designed to introduce students to like material between the diatonic modes and foster a cyclical
thought process.
Works Cited
Publications
Bronson, B.H. (1970). The Ballad as Song. 85. Oakland, CA: University of California Press
Clement, B. (2014). A New Lydian Theory for Frank Zappa’s Modal Music. Music Theory
Spectrum, 36(1), 146–166. https://doi.org/EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/mts/mtu002
Fassbender, E. J. (2017) Etudes for the Bassoon: An Annotated Bibliography and Pedagogical
Guide. (Doctoral Dissertation) Retrieved from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Digital
Scholarship@UNLV
Gill, H. (1937). The Modes in Musical Tuition. The Musical Times,78(1134), 710-712.
doi:10.2307/923352
Harris, E. L., Teaching Music Theory In the Traditional Wind Band Rehearsal: A Rationale,
Survey of Materials, and Recommendations (2006). (Doctoral Dissertation) Retrieved from
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1347
Lane, C. G. (1979) A Comparison of Contemporary Components Used in Selected Twentieth-
Century Flute Solo Literature with Contemporary Components Found in Twentieth-
Century Flute Etude Material. Retrieved from Louisiana State University,
digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9165&context=gradschool_disstheses.
Lawn, R.J. (2007) Experiencing Jazz. New York, NY: McGrawHill
Lowman, K. (1969) Ten Etudes for Bassoon. Western International Music
Naigus, J. (2017). Etudes à La Modes. Horn Call: Journal of the International Horn Society,
47(2), 41–43. Retrieved from

ezproxy.uwsp.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthTyp
e=ip,uid&db=a9h&AN=121415736&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Newlin, G. (2013). Teaching Students to Hear, Sing, Play, Identify, and Enjoy the Modes.
Kodaly Envoy, 39(3), 6–15. Retrieved from
ezproxy.uwsp.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=
ip,uid&db=a9h&AN=87377752&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Patterson, S.W. (2014) An Approach to Contemporary Music Pedagogy for Beginning and
Intermediate Level Bassoonists, Including Sixty-Four Original Etudes. (Doctoral
Dissertation) Retrieved from University of Iowa,
https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5038&context=etd.
Reyes, E. (1950) An Analysis of the Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. (Masters Thesis)
Retrieved from Eastman School of Music
https://urresearch.rochester.edu/institutionalPublicationPublicView.action?institutionalItemId
=27549.
Scott M., Max M., Paul S., Ted B. (2000) American Band College Music Grading Chart
Retrieved from https://www.bandworld.org/pdfs/GradingChart.pdf
Videos
Bernstein L. (1966) What Is a Mode?. Leonard Bernstein: Young People's Concerts (Part 1 of
4). Video retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGTT_VK2kVY.

4). Video retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWtUCAYV3so&t=764s.
4). Video retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5dWEPXF_ZU.
4). Video retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UHUDkZeCgU.
Beato, R. (2016) Film Scoring 101 - The Lydian Mode. Retrieved from
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6FbC96CX4E&t=942s.
Beato, R. director. Music Theory - The Dorian Mode. Retrieved from
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsb0oibEEqE&t=307s.
Interviews
Van Tiem, K. (2019, February) phone interview
Patterson, S. (2018, September) personal interview
Peebles, W. (2018, November) personal interview


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BASSOON ETUDES ON DIATONIC MODES 1

BASSOON ETUDES ON DIATONIC MODES:

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Dr. William Peebles

Dr. Patricia Holland

Dr. Stephanie Patterson

Dr. Michael Butler

Why Modal Scales?

Modal scales as a topic are a logical extension of a common requirement, the

supported by James Naigus, lecturer of horn at University of Georgia. In Professor Naigus’

chromatic and atonal music.

Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Pop and Art Music

In one of Leonard Bernstein’s (1966) Young People’s Concerts, Leonard Bernstein

music examples given by Bernstein include:

• Claude Debussy’s Fêtes begins in Dorian mode

Examples of Modal Scale Usage – Jazz

Examples of Modal Scale Usage - Modes Close to Home

to discuss modal scale usage with students during the rehearsal.

Teaching Methods Concerning Modal Theory and Performance

raising or lowering certain intervals in a given succession, emphasizing a learned flexibility on

A more detailed practical method of teaching mode recognition and performance is

aids, written assignments, vocal exercises, and listening examples.

The centerpiece of the Newlin article is the

Bronson Mode-Star, a graphic representation of how

the diatonic modes are related to each other through

their shared pentatonic scales and hexachords. Each tip

of the star is labeled with the name of a diatonic mode

and each internal vertex is labeled pi referring to a

pentatonic scale or with a single number referring to a

removed scale degree referring to a hexachord.

the modes along with their unique intervallic differences

• Using graph paper to create visual representations of whole- and half-step

relationships within each modal scale

modes as they go.

Pre-Existing Bassoon Etudes using Diatonic Modes

relation to bassoon performance.

An Introduction to Contemporary Music for Bassoon with 64 Etudes, by Stephanie

minor, the diatonic modes, chromatic, whole tone, and octatonic.

Etude 5. Aeoli Oli

• Written in G natural minor aka G Aeolian

• Marked March with no defined tempo

• The etude focuses on primarily stepwise motion

• Uses a less common time signature of 4/2

• Has a defined tempo of 96 beats per minute

• Much of the etude is arpeggios

and three of the bar

Etude 12. Melancholic Waltz

• The time signature is 3/4

• No tempo marking, instead given the marking “Directionless”

• A few of the slurs move through the bar line

10 Etudes for Bassoon, by Kenneth Lowman:

in his annotated bibliography of etudes (2017).

Technique Studies for Jazz Bassoon Improvisation, by Paul Hanson:

Non-Bassoon Etudes for Studying Diatonic Modes

“standard leaps, interval sequences, and range.” (Lane, 1979, p.60)

Approaching Atonality, by Naigus, James:

music by young bassoonists.

Part II: Original Etudes

Set No.1 – Key of C

to the fact that it is identical to our common practice major scale.

the exercises in this book following this printed order.

Set No.2 – Modes in additional keys

Set No.3 – Technical mode exercises

Spectrum, 36(1), 146–166. https://doi.org/EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/mts/mtu002