Post on 14-Dec-2015
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
Remember
Name Notes Sounds
I Ionian C-C Major
Don’t Dorian D-D Minor
Play Phrygian E-E Minor
Loud Lydian F-F Major
Music Mixolydian G-G Major
After Aeolian A-A Minor
Letterman
Locrian B-B Minor
TRANSPOSING THE MODESMemorize Order of Modes
Mode Name
Starting/ Ending Notes
Key Sig.
Trans-position Interval
Whole & Half StepPatterns
Another way to think of the mode scale
I C Ionian
C – C C Unison WWHWWWH
(Major Scale)
Don’t D Dorian D – D C M2nd Down
WHWWWHW
(Natural minor with raised 6th)
Play E Phrygian
E – E C M3rd Down
HWWWHWW
(Natural minor scale with a lowered 2nd)
Loud F Lydian F – F C P4th Down
WWWHWWH
(Major scale with a raised 4th)
Music G Mixolydian
G – G C P5th Down
WWHWWHW
(Major scale with a lowered 7th)
After A Aeolian
A – A C M6th Down
WHWWHWW
(Natural minor scale)
Letterman B Locrian B – B C 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 ScaleM Mixolydian b7th
Minor Sounding Modes – from Natural MinorD Dorian #6A Aeolian Natural Minor ScaleP 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 ModalLevel 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