The Doors were a pivotal American rock band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite the iconic stature of singer Jim Morrison, the Doors' style was largely centered on keyboardist Ray Manzarek, who filled the role of both accompanist and bass player. Using a Vox Continental organ and a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, he played chords and melodies with his right hand and bass lines with his left.

A cofounder of the band, Manzarek defined the Doors' sound on songs such as “Break on Through,” “Light My Fire,” “Hello, I Love You,” and many more. Along with guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore, Manzarek brought balance and counterpoint to Morrison's often unstable fiery performances. More than any other member, Manzarek was the glue that held the Doors' music together.

Manzarek redefined the role of the keyboardist in popular music. His playing showed great dexterity, steadiness, and independence, and he always kept rock-solid bass lines going even when he was soloing overtop.

Manzarek's solos were usually modal soliloquies that borrowed from jazz, most notably the work of John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Herbie Hancock. Yet, his playing never comes across overtly as jazz because Manzarek rarely used the language of bebop. Instead, he focused on post-bop modal and diatonic explorations.

FIGURE 14-4 emulates Manzarek's style, especially as he played on “Light My Fire” from the self-titled album The Doors (1967). The notes used in the right hand outline an A Dorian scale: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, A. If you wish to get fancy, you may use a B Dorian scale on the B minor chord, which would include the notes C# and G#. You may also play with A and B minor pentatonics, respectively. If you've forgotten any of these scales, see Chapter 5.

FIGURE 14-4: Ray Manzarek Modal Solo

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