Modes

[Moonstomper]

Ok so I'm trying to teach myself musical theory, I know the difference between major and minor scales. I know and can hear the importance of the 5th, but what are modes? Locrian and Aeolian and suchlike. The book I'm reading at the moment tries to explain it, but I can't take it in, it may as well be in cantonese to me

[XB26354]

There's been more than one (long) thread in this sub-forum about modes. Have you done a search?
If not ready the excellent pinned post at the top about ancient Greek music as it will fill in the (alleged) history.
If you're still unsure after all that:

Take the major scale in C.
Play it up from C to C, then D to D, E to E etc. These are the modes of the Major scale.
They are commonly used nowadays for improvising over certain chords.
If you analyze each major scale mode you'd end up with the following

1 Ionian - major scale, works over major triad, Maj7, 9, 13 chords.
2 Dorian - minor scale with natural 6th - works over minor triad, Min7, 9, 13 chords (depending on the harmony - see Aeolian).
3 Phrygian - an odd mode that does not really work with major or minor, try as sus4 chord with a b9 interval
4 Lydian - like the major scale but with a raised (sharpened) 4th degree. Works like a major scale but sounds great with a Maj7#11 chord.
5 Mixolydian - like the major scale but with a b7 - use over dominant 7th chords
6 Aeolian - like Dorian but with a b6 - works over minor triad, min7, 9, 11 but NOT 13 (clashes)
7 Locrian - rarely used minor scale, most common with a min7b5 chord (but the scale has a b9 which sounds very dissonant if held).

If none of the above makes sense then do some more reading on harmony and hopefully it should click. The above is a gross simplification but a good starting point.
The key is that there are 12 different major scales, so each major scale has the above 7 modes. If you play each mode starting on the same note (i.e., C) then their differences should become apparent pretty quickly.
Cheers
Mat

[leftybassman392]

Taking up SB26354's point with some practical examples that you can play on a guitar or keyboard:

The most important chords in any sequence are the I IV and V (In C major that would be C, F, G in that order).

If you want to know how modal forms sound you could try the following chord sequences:

Ionian Mode (Major Scale) - C or Cmaj7; F or Fmaj7; G or G7

Dorian Mode - Dm or Dm7; G or G7; Am or Am7

Phrygian Mode - Em or Em7; Am or Am7; Bmb5 or Bm7b5 (play strings 2 - 5 on a guitar like a fretted Bm7 but with the 4th string note dropped to 3rd fret)

Lydian Mode - F or Fmaj7; Bmb5 or Bm7b5; C or Cmaj7

Mixolydian Mode - G or G7; C or Cmaj7; Dm or Dm7

Aeolian Mode (Natural Minor) - Am or Am7; Dm or Dm7; Em or Em7

Locrian Mode - Bmb5 or Bm7b5; Em or Em7; F or Fmaj7 (not used much... when you play these chords you'll realise why! )

(You'll need to play with them a bit - once through doesn't fully capture their different personalities)



The other scales you'll commonly meet are the Harmonic Minor and the Melodic Minor. These are both different from any of the above, especially when used by modern players. Each has its own set of Modes. In fact modes of the Melodic Minor are popular with purveyors of what might be termed 'modern' Jazz.

Edited September 18, 2009 by leftybassman392

[Bilbo]

Another way to try and make sense of it:

In the key of C major, the modes are all the white notes and only the white notes on a piano but different modes of the C scale start in different white notes.

If you play an ascending scale starting on C and using only the white notes, you get the Ionian mode
If you play an ascendng scale starting on D but still play only the white notes, you get the Dorian mode

and so on.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Some great replies here. Each mode is a new type of scale based on the original major scale formula but starting at a different point in that scale - as Bilbo notes, in the key of C major you get:

C Ionian (C major scale itself) C D E F G A B C

D Dorian D E F G A B C D

E Phrygian E F G A B C D E

F Lydian F G A B C D E F

G Mixolydian G A B C D E F G

A Aeolian (Natural Minor scale) A B C D E F G A (known as the relative minor scale to C Major)

B Locrian B C D E F G A B

If you carried on, you'd be back at C Ionian (major) one octave higher than the original scale you started at.


Now, if you did the same for G major, you would get:

G Ionian (G major scale itself) G A B C D E F# G

A Dorian A B C D E F# G A

B Phrygian B C D E F# G A B

C Lydian C D E F# G A B C

D Mixolydian D E F# G A B C D

E Aeolian (Natural Minor scale) E F# G A B C D E (known as the relative minor scale to G Major)

F# Locrian F# G A B C D E F#

When formulae are mentioned, start off simply; here's the Major scale (Ionian) formula:

root tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone (or r t t s t t t s)

The root note is also known as the Tonic note - it gives the scale its name.

Therefore, to work out the formulae for each type of mode, we start with Ionian and can go through the others by shifting the root note by one degree (point in the scale) such that the pattern still covers 8 notes - sounds complex but its not at all. Here's the formulae for each of the modes:

Ionian (eg. C major = C D E F G A B C) = r t t s t t t s

Dorian (eg. D dorian = D E F G A B C D) = r t s t t t s t

Phrygian (eg. E phrygian = E F G A B C D E) = r s t t t s t t

Lydian (eg. F lydian = F G A B C D E F) = r t t t s t t s

Mixolydian (eg. G mixolydian = G A B C D E F G) = r t t s t t s t

Aeolian (eg. A aeolian = A B C D E F G A) = r t s t t s t t

Locrian (eg. B locrian = B C D E F G A B ) = r s t t s t t t

Hope this helps!

Nick

[GonzoBass]

[quote name='XB26354' post='601863' date='Sep 17 2009, 12:38 PM']If you play each mode starting on the same note (i.e., C) then their differences should become apparent pretty quickly.[/quote]
Agreed!
This is why I always preferred this guy's approach-
[url="http://www.visionmusic.com/lessons/bassmodes.html"]The Modes[/url]

I think it's a lot easier to see/hear when they are related to one root,
instead of the usual "C major starting on D..."
which [u]can[/u] be misleading or confusing to a beginner.

Plus, if you turn your speakers on,
he plays an example of each.
Always helpful...


Also, here is a worksheet I give my students-

[attachment=33095:Modes.jpeg]
(It should print out horizontally on 8 1/2x11)

This explains the location of the halfsteps in each mode
and how they were derived using the "Starting on D" theory.
The partial necks at the bottom are for you to fill in the 8 note pattern each mode creates,
which you can then move around the neck to whatever root you'd like.

I hope this helps!

Edited September 18, 2009 by GonzoBass