Understanding the Modes

Road Map for the Week Tuesday All the modes – how to identify them – what to call them Monday Hear the modes – how scales work – where modes come from Wednesday Choosing chords for each mode - Part I Thursday Choosing chords for each mode – Part II Friday Mixed Mode Music - - Inter-Modal Music - Wrap up & Review

GOALS By the end of the week you should be able to:  Name the modes  Determine their scales  Recognize the mood of each mode  Select chords that support each mode  Transpose any melody into a different mode

The Handouts you don’t have! Click on the “Handouts” tab In the pull-down menu select “Understanding the Modes” Reach me at:

What the Modes Provide 2. Expanded Musical Expression The six useful modes provide the tonal population for improvisation on a tune and the raw material for composing new melodies. 1.Fresh Musical Pallet it’s the way to change the mood Moving a melody into different modes gets a lot more mileage out of a tune and increases audience enjoyment. 3. Consonant Performance Knowledge of the chords which are characteristic of each mode is essential in order to support a melody with proper choices of chords.

What is a Mode of the Musical Scale? A mode of the diatonic scale is formed by shifting the starting point of the musical scale to another tone of the diatonic scale without changing the key signature or the order of whole and half steps within the scale. Seven modes exist on the diatonic scale – one for each tone of the scale.

History of the Modes  Musical modes first described by Pythagoras  Musical modes originated when music was monophonic. At that time each mode has a unique sound.  In the modern world of polyphonic music, the seven unique modes are:  three major-sounding modes  three minor- sounding modes  one unstable mode

The Scale & Its Pattern The Diatonic Scale – Pattern - Intervals

The Circle of 5ths Circle of 5ths chord progressions Circle of 5ths Modes and the Circle of 5ths

Names of the Modes Ionian Dorian Locrian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian I D on’t Particularly L ike M y A unt’s L over

Ben Levin on Modes 1/3

Ionian Mode Tone C D E F G A B Step whole whole half whole whole whole half Solfege do re me fa so la ti Sample 1 of Ionian Mode - Visitors

Dorian Mode Tone D E F G A B C Step whole half whole whole whole half whole Solfege re me fa so la ti do Sample of Dorian Mode – The Beach at Dusk

Phrygian Mode Solfege me fa so la ti do re E-Phrygian E F G A B C D B-Phrygian B C D E F# G A F#- Phrygian F# G A B C# D E Step half whole whole whole half whole whole Sample Phrygian ModeGypsy Meghan

Lydian Mode Solfege fa so la ti do re me F-Lydian F G A B C D E G-Lydian G A B C# D E F# C-Lydian C D E F# G A B Step whole whole whole half whole whole half Sample 1 Lydian ModeSample 2 Lydian Mode - Chicago Reel

Mixolydian Mode Solfege so la ti do re mi fa G- Mixolydian G A B C D E F D - Mixolydian D E F# G A B C Step whole whole half whole whole half whole Sample Mixolydian Mode

Aeolian Mode Solfege la ti do re me fa so A-Aeolian A B C D E F G E-Aeolian E F# G A B C D B-Aeolian B C# D E F# G A Step whole half whole whole half whole whole Sample 1 Aeolian Mode Sample 2 Aeolian Mode

Ben Levin on Modes 2/3

Ben Levin on Modes 3/3

Altered Tones – another way of thinking G-IonianG-MixolydianTones Altered from Ionian Scale that Names the Mode G G A A B B C C D D E E F#F-naturalFlatten the 7th

The Circle of 5ths – Altered Tones - Modes ModeTones Altered from Ionian Lydian #4th Ionian none Mixolydian b7th Dorian b7th, b3rd Aeolian b7th, b3rd, b6th Phrygian b7th, b3rd, b6th, b2nd Locrian b7th, b3rd, b6th, b2nd, b5th L evitation I s M ostly D one A gainst P hysical L aws

Modes in the Key Signature of “G” All 7 modes of the G Key Signature On Top of old Smokey – in all 7 modes

Changing the Mode of a Tune Example: change the G Ionian version of On Top of Old Smokey into the mode to the Lydian mode of the G scale. 1. Preserve the key signature For On Top of Old Smokey the modulated tune will appear to have a key signature of G. That is, one sharp. But the tune will be In the Lydian mode of G. 2. Transpose the melody by the interval of the mode The Lydian mode begins on the 4 th degree of the scale: G – A – B – C. Simply move the pitch of each tone up by a 4 th. 3. Choose the chords characteristic of the mode and that best support the melody

Selecting Chords for Each Mode The END of Rules Now It’s Only Guidelines and Your Ear

Selecting Chords in the Modes Method 1: Start with the tonic chord of the mode - this sets the tonal center Move UP to the next neighboring chord Move DOWN to the neighboring chord below the root chord Ionian = I ii vii dim Lydian = IV V iii Dorian = ii iii IMixolydian - V VI IV Phrygian = iii IV iiAeolian = vi vii dim V Locrian = vii dim I vi

Selecting Chords in the Modes – method 1 The important chords of a mode are the tonic chord (the one that names the mode) plus The chord one step above the tonic chord and The chord one step below the tonic chord

Selecting Chords in the Modes – method 2 The important chords of a mode are the tonic chord (the one that names the mode) plus any chord that includes the most recently added altered tone of the mode

ModeMost Recently Altered Tone – MRAT Tonic ChordChords Containing MRAT F-Lydian 4# Bb becomes B F majorG major E minor B dim C-Ionian none C major F major A minor G-Mixolydian b7 F# becomes F G majorF major D minor B dim D-Dorian b7 – b3 C# becomes C D minorA minor C major F major A-Aeolian b7 – b3 – b6 G# becomes G A minorG major C major E minor E-Phrygian b7 – b3 – b6 – b2 D# becomes D E minorD major G major B dim Method 2 – Most Recently Altered Tone

Ben Levin 1 - Selecting Chords for the Modes

Ben Levin 2 - Selecting Chords for the Modes

Ben Levin Modal Interchange & Mixed Modes A Mixed Mode Melody