Let’s dive right in, moving the tonic one white key up each time, and examining how this shift in tonic affects the sound of each new scale we discover. However, for the purposes of this article, we will be going by the major scale-derived all-white-key approach for maximum clarity and understanding. There is another way of deriving each mode from the major scale by lowering certain scale degrees, as the Treble & Bass Project explains. For an aural explanation of deriving each mode from the major scale, tune into Music Student 101’s excellent podcast episode on the topic.
The C note is no longer the center of the scale’s tonal universe, as it was in C major. Not quite a major scale anymore, is it? Instead of a T-T-ST-T-T-T-ST pattern, we now have a T-ST-T-T-T-ST-T pattern. Remember, C major has a very simple key signature – no sharps or flats! Bear with us – this bit of music theory will make sense in a minute! The Major Scale It turns out, the order in which you play notes is just as important as which notes you play. Huh? Why should that make any difference? It’s the same notes, after all! In fact, we can derive each other mode from a single major scale. This is achieved by changing our starting note. What is a Mode?Ī mode is simply a scale derived from the major scale we all know and love – but we change which notes play which roles, and which are emphasized.
SONORITY MODE HOW TO
In this guide to musical modes, we’ll give you a guided tour of the seven modes found in Western music – Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian – and how they are connected to the major scale and natural minor scale, how to easily understand and relate the modes to one another so there’s no confusion, and how you can incorporate them into your improvisation, songwriting, and general understanding. Sound intriguing? It should! Human emotion is complex and multifaceted, so why shouldn’t we show that through the music we make? And, when used in certain ways, they can stir up a cauldron of conflicting moods. They can recall music indigenous to a certain part of the world.
While some music modes certainly sound more cheerful than others and can be divided into “major” and “minor” modes, they each lend a feeling to the music that is more subtle – certain music modes can sound haunting, triumphant, mysterious, or jazzy. They are also sometimes referred to as church modes. Their names are: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian, named after ancient Greek modes. Western Music Theory 101 and practical lessons often neglect to mention that there’s a whole other collection of scales that can evoke moods and atmospheres beyond the cheerful-morose binary. Within the minor scale family, students often learn about the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor, and the distinctive moods each evoke (refer to Portland Piano Lab’s guide for a refresher). If you’re trying to write a melancholy number, minor scales are your best bet. If you’d like your music to sound cheerful and bright, stick to the major scale. Some music theory courses and curricula would have you think that major and minor scales are the be-all and end-all of the world of scales. Within that linear sequence of notes, there is tension and resolution. A collection of notes played in ascending order has the ability to tell a story and convey a mood.
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