Musical Theory III
Modes
There are two naming systems for the modes, the one seen here (the Church names) and also the Greek names. This is very confusing, but to simplify the isssue, I believe the names corrispond as such: (I could be off on a couple, if you know, please speak up.)
[Church name = Greek name]
Dorian = Ionian (I)
Hypodorian = Dorian (II)
Phrygian = Phrygian (III)
Hypophrygian = Lydian (IV)
Lydian = Mixolydian (V)
Hypolydian = Aolean (VI)
Mixolydian = Locrian (VII)
The mode starts on the degree of the scale indicated by the Roman numeral.
Pick any of the previous major scales we have learned. Now, instead of playing the scale from I to VIII (I), play the same scale but start on the third note and finish on the third note. This means you use the same notes as in the scale you picked, but start on a different degree of the scale. You have just played a mode. For example, pick the C major scale. The third note is E. The key of E major, as we learned earlier, is F#, C#, G#, D#. However, playing the Phrygian mode of C (III), the notes are E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, as the key signature of C major has no sharps or flats. That means the F#, C#, G#, and D# have all been lowered a semitone, back to naturals. Remember the idea of the third being a semitone lower in minor scales? If a mode has this lowered third (as compared to the major scale of that same letter name), then it is considered a minor mode. Otherwise, it is considered a major mode.
Quiz Question:
Which of the modern modes are major, and which are minor?
[The first person to post a correct answer here gets a point. When a person has reached 3 points, I will send them a prize. I'll try and come up with a good question every week. The prize will be Jazz related.]
There are two naming systems for the modes, the one seen here (the Church names) and also the Greek names. This is very confusing, but to simplify the isssue, I believe the names corrispond as such: (I could be off on a couple, if you know, please speak up.)[Church name = Greek name]
Dorian = Ionian (I)
Hypodorian = Dorian (II)
Phrygian = Phrygian (III)
Hypophrygian = Lydian (IV)
Lydian = Mixolydian (V)
Hypolydian = Aolean (VI)
Mixolydian = Locrian (VII)
The mode starts on the degree of the scale indicated by the Roman numeral.
Pick any of the previous major scales we have learned. Now, instead of playing the scale from I to VIII (I), play the same scale but start on the third note and finish on the third note. This means you use the same notes as in the scale you picked, but start on a different degree of the scale. You have just played a mode. For example, pick the C major scale. The third note is E. The key of E major, as we learned earlier, is F#, C#, G#, D#. However, playing the Phrygian mode of C (III), the notes are E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, as the key signature of C major has no sharps or flats. That means the F#, C#, G#, and D# have all been lowered a semitone, back to naturals. Remember the idea of the third being a semitone lower in minor scales? If a mode has this lowered third (as compared to the major scale of that same letter name), then it is considered a minor mode. Otherwise, it is considered a major mode.
Quiz Question:
Which of the modern modes are major, and which are minor?
[The first person to post a correct answer here gets a point. When a person has reached 3 points, I will send them a prize. I'll try and come up with a good question every week. The prize will be Jazz related.]
posted by Rose at
12:01 AM
12 Comments:
Here:
Dorian Mode
is a link I have just found on Tommy D.'s blog.
Once again, professor, you are a step ahead of me always. Thank you.
Jack
By
Rose, at Mon Jan 02, 01:22:00 AM MST
Okay, here's where I'm confused, or I mean, here's what I think I understand:
1. The modes cover all eight notes of the scale, and any scale can be played in any mode.
2. In a minor key, the thrid note is lowered by a mode.
3. When a scale is played in one of these modes, there are no sharps or flats -- all notes are played "naturally."
4. As far as I can figure, lowering the third note by a mode would effect every major key except G, since the third note of the scale, B, isn't "sharped" in that key.
5. So the way I'm misunderstanding this, and probably confusing you, is that it seems like the modes themselves aren't major or minor, but it just depends on what key you play them in.
6. I know, I know, I'm flunking theory; do I get a C- for trying? {:
By
ing, at Mon Jan 02, 05:51:00 AM MST
ing,
Okay... here's another way to think about this:
The Key you are in can be compared to the language you are speaking. Depending on the language you speak, you will have certain letters and words available to you, as well as certain sentence structures. The key you are in allows you certain notes to work with, as well as chords, and rules to direct the use of these. (We haven't got to the rules yet, voicings etc.)
A Scale can be thought of as reciting the alphabet. You play all of the notes available to you, in that particular key, in a certain order. Each of these has a Roman numeral attached to it, corrisponding to the order. You will know the 3rd note of C major (III) just as you would know the 3rd letter of the alphabet.
Modes are like different poetic structures. They take the original rules of the key, and change them a little. Like mixing up word orders, or playing with syllabic time. Modes can be played as scales as well. Here is how it works:
1. Pick your key. For example, let's use the key of D major. This means the "language" you are working within is all naturals except F and C, which are sharp.
2. Recite your alphabet. (Just to cement what key you are in). In our example, this would be D E F# G A B C# D.
3. Choose which mode you want to work in, and find it's corrisponding note. For our example, let's use dorian mode. Dorian mode is II, which means the second letter of our alphabet, which is E.
4. Continue to "speak the same language", but start and end on the mode letter. In our example, we would recite the "mode alphabet" as E F# G A B C# D E.
NOTE: There is a difference between E major scale, and this mode. In both we are starting on E, but our notes that we use are different. That's how we know what "language" we are speaking.
E F# G A B C# D E (our mode)
E F# G# A B C# D# E (E major)
I'll talk more about how to use our "poetic structure" later once I've covered chords. For now, just think of it as playing the scale starting on a different note.
Did that help?
Jack
P.S. You can always lower a third in a scale. In the G major scale, the lowered third would be B flat. If the third note of the scale is already a flat, then it would be a double flat. You can always move a semitone lower than where you are.
For example, a freebee:
if you compare our example above, the mode letters with the major scale of the same first note, you'll notice that there is G and G#. As G is a semitone lower than G#, this would make the third flatted. This means the dorian mode is a minor mode.
Do the same exercise for all of the modes in D, or in C or whatever key you like best, and you can find which modes have their third a semiton lower, and which stay where they are. :)
By
Rose, at Mon Jan 02, 05:20:00 PM MST
You cannot flunk this theory class! Even if all you walk away with is questions, you get an A+.
If you don't understand, I fail theory. :)
Jack
By
Rose, at Mon Jan 02, 05:22:00 PM MST
Okay, I think you cleared it up -- in Dorian mode (for instance), only the second note of a given scale is played "naturally," right? The rest of the notes in that scale remain as they are?
Thanks for trying to explain this to me.
By
ing, at Mon Jan 02, 05:47:00 PM MST
O dear god, will someone answer the question correctly and bail me out?
Okay, I'll work on it tomorrow, if I have time. Wait, maybe I'll ask Ticharu to save me!
By
ing, at Thu Jan 05, 06:17:00 PM MST
I guess this question is tougher than I thought...
Remember everyone: there is always Google!
Jack
By
Rose, at Thu Jan 05, 08:24:00 PM MST
I've been here Jack, but just lurking up til now. I was kind of confused, too. Your response to Ing did kind of help. I wasn't sure how to even begin asking questions about this, which is why I didn't sooner!
I actually really liked your response to Ing. Made it more clear for me. :)
By
Nabonidus, at Sun Jan 08, 01:16:00 PM MST
Hi Jack, In music school, we learned the names this way:
Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aolian
Locrian
and we just thought of them as playing all white notes on the piano, Ionian would be C to C all the white notes, thus a major mode. Dorian D to D all white notes, making it minor. and so on.
So my answer is:
Major modes (the ones with a major third between the first and third notes) = Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian; everything else is a minor mode (Dorian, Phrygian, Aolian, and Locrian).
I used to have my piano students play around with the modes, improvising only on the white keys with, let's say, D as their home base, they'd be playing in Dorian. I'd play with them, and we'd make interesting compositions or improvs together.
It's a hard concept to express, and then the question is sort of: So why bother? But it's cool, to know the modes, and you can relate some of them to what we already know, for example, the Ionian (C-C) is really just a major scale and thus easy to recognize; and the Aolian (A-A) is like what we know as the natural minor.
I'm fond of Dorian, myself!
Love it that you're working on this with people. It's cool!
Brina
By
Bri, at Sun Jan 08, 03:27:00 PM MST
Congratulations Brina, that is the correct answer!!
*feels like a game-show host*
Jack
By
Rose, at Sun Jan 08, 05:09:00 PM MST
oh darn you Brina, I was going to say that. NOT!
Congratutlations Brina!!!
Guess I was answering the wrong question. Silly me.
By
lryicsgrl, at Sun Jan 08, 06:35:00 PM MST
I love you, Brina!
By
ing, at Sun Jan 08, 07:23:00 PM MST
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