Understanding the Modes A PowerPoint Presentation by Peggy Taylor “Jig” by Violet Archer, Dorian Mode (Celebration Series, Piano Odyssey, Level 5)

Remembering the modes in Order Name Notes Sounds I Ionian C-C Major Don’t Dorian D-D Minor Play Phrygian E-E Loud Lydian F-F Music Mixolydian G-G After Aeolian A-A Letterman Locrian B-B

transposing the modes C Memorize Order of Modes Mode Name Starting/ Ending Notes Key Sig. Trans-position Interval Whole & Half Step Patterns Another way to think of the mode scale I C Ionian C – C C Unison WWHWWWH (Major Scale) Don’t D Dorian D – D M2nd Down WHWWWHW (Natural minor with raised 6th) Play E Phrygian E – E M3rd Down HWWWHWW (Natural minor scale with a lowered 2nd) Loud F Lydian F – F P4th Down WWWHWWH (Major scale with a raised 4th) Music G Mixolydian G – G P5th Down WWHWWHW (Major scale with a lowered 7th) After A Aeolian A – A M6th Down WHWWHWW (Natural minor scale) Letterman B Locrian B – B M7th Down HWWHWWW (Natural minor scale with lowered 2nd and 5th)

Transposing Rule To find the notes for any mode scale from the desired starting note, count down by the transposition interval (see chart) for that mode use the major key signature of the resulting note.

Transposing Example Example: to play a Lydian scale on A the lydian transposition interval is a P4th count down a P4th from A, which is E using the Key Signature for E Major, play the scale, starting and ending on A. “A” Lydian: A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A

LIMDAP METHOD OF TRANSPOSING THE MODES Major Sounding Modes – from Major Scale: L Lydian #4th I Ionian Major Scale M Mixolydian b7th Minor Sounding Modes – from Natural Minor D Dorian #6 A Aeolian Natural Minor Scale P Phrygian b2

Each Mode Has Characteristic Sound Eastern Music – Locrian Mode (Sakura) Jazz – Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, Aeolian Jewish – Phrygian (Hava Nagila) Latin – Mixolydian, Phrygian

Color Spectrum of the Modes LYDIAN - very bright, upbeat. Good for anything very bright and upbeat such as pop, kids music, etc IONIAN - very sweet, happy, bright. Perfect for happy songs, love songs, etc. Used for almost all childrens music MIXOLYDIAN - middle of the road bright scale. Good for light rock, pop, country, etc DORIAN - perfect middle ground. Not too bright, not to dark. Good for country, rock, blues. AEOLIAN - gritty, bluesy, warm sounding rock scale. This is the standard rock and blues scale. PHRYGIAN - dark, classical metal sound. A Randy Rhoads favorite. LOCRIAN - very dark, dissident, brooding. Good for heavy metal, dark classical, etc. Unstable harmonically because it’s chord is diminished

Chords on Modal Scales Create chords from the 1,3,5,(7) tones of a mode scale You should also be able to use any of the available notes of the mode scale to find harmony and melody ideas that will work perfectly.

Tonic Chords on the modes Chord Key Displacement Mode CM 7th CM C - C Ionian Dm 7th CM D - D Dorian Em 7th CM E - E Phrygian FM 7th CM F - F Lydian G Dom7th CM G - G Mixolydian Am 7th CM A - A Aeolian B 1/2 Dim7th CM B - B Locrian

Harmony and Melody A good exercise would be to play the scale tone 7th chords in your left hand while playing the corresponding modes in the right. Learning these modes for the piano, along with the major scales and arpeggios, is very important in improvising on the piano.

Modal Syllabus Selections Beginners: Scarborough Fair, any version Dorian Intro Level *Kabalevsky Song Op. 39, #8 Dorian *David Duke Bear Dance Phrygian Level 1 *Pierre Gallant Invention No. 6 Dorian *David Duke She’s Like the Swallow Dorian *David Duke March Lydian *Paul Sheftel Ins and Outs Modal Level 1-2 Kabalevsky Waltz, Op. 39, No. 13 Begins in Dorian

Modal Syllabus Selections, cont. Level 2 *Bela Bartok Little Dance in Canon Form D Dorian *Chee-Hwa Tan The Land of Nod G Mixolydian From Clark, Contemporary Piano Literature Book 2: Elie Siegmeister Song of the Dark Woods Dorian Shostakovich Waltz Aeolian on A and G Level 3 David Diamond 8 Piano Pieces: Rock-a-Bye Baby Aeolian on D David Diamond 8 Piano Pieces: Jack-a-Dandy Mixolydian on D Level 2-4 Burgess, Marjorie Music a la Mode Various Modes Level 4 *Arpad Balazs Game D Dorian

Modal Syllabus Selections, cont. Level 5 *Violet Archer Jig Dorian Level 6 *Pierre Gallant Sarabande D Mixolydian *Paul Creston Pastoral Dance, Op. 24, #4 F Lydian  Not in Syllabus: Level 5 Kaleidoscope Solos, Book 5 J. George Exotica Phrygian on C Novellette Aeolian and Dorian Everett Stevens Six Modal Miniatures for Piano (may not still be in print – used to be in syllabus) *From the Celebrations Series: Piano Odyssey