MUSIC THEORY BOOTCAMP Lesson 09: Modes Modes • One of the most (needlessly) confusing music theory concepts • What is a mode? • If you google the definition or go to the Mode page on Wikipedia, you are going to get a lengthy description that doesn’t make any sense (to me). Modes • What is a mode? According to wikipedia… • “A type of scale coupled with a set of characteristic melodic behaviors” – Uh…you mean like every other SCALE? – Keep reading and there’s a good chance that you will get a headache Modes • What’s the difference between a MODE and a SCALE? • If you are asking me, I’m going to tell you that there really isn’t one. – To me, you can change the name of all the modes to “Scales” and absolutely nothing would be different. • To me, this is why modes are needlessly confusing to so many musicians trying to learn them. • But…since EVERYONE calls them modes, I’m not going to argue… Modes • If you understand the concept of Relative Keys (which you totally should by now) then Modes are a piece of cake • ALL OF THE MODES ARE RELATED TO A MAJOR SCALE • THEY CONTAIN THE EXACT SAME NOTES BUT HAVE A DIFFERENT ROOT Modes • There are 7 Modes. Each mode is built off a scale degree of the major scale (7 notes of the Major Scale = 7 Modes) and they all have weird names • Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian • Way to remember the order of them: I Don’t Play Lame Music Any Longer Ionian Mode • The Ionian Mode is the EXACT same thing as the MAJOR SCALE. There is literally NO difference other than it has a weird sounding name. • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • C Ionian Mode = C D E F G A B • The C Ionian Mode is harmonized the exact same way as the Major Scale…same chords, same extensions…however there is a little bit more of a specific definition of MODAL KEYS that I’ll talk about in a bit. Dorian Mode • The Dorian Mode is built off of the SECOND scale degree of the Major Scale • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • D Dorian Mode = D E F G A B • SAME notes, different ROOT • You could say that the D Dorian Mode is RELATIVE to the C Major Scale – The A Dorian Mode would be RELATIVE to the G Major scale and so on… Dorian Mode • You can also look at the Dorian Mode as a formula to see how it compares to the ROOT Major Scale • Dorian Formula = 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 • D MAJOR = D E F# G A B C# • D DORIAN = D E F G A B C Phrygian Mode • The Phrygian Mode is built off of the THIRD scale degree of the Major Scale • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • E Phrygian Mode = E F G A B C • SAME notes, different ROOT • You could say that the E Phrygian Mode is RELATIVE to the C Major Scale – The B Phrygian Mode would be RELATIVE to the G Major scale and so on… Phrygian Mode • You can also look at the Phrygian Mode as a formula to see how it compares to the ROOT Major Scale • Phrygian Formula = – 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 • E MAJOR = E F# G# A B C# D# • E PHRYGIAN = E F G A B C D Lydian Mode • The Lydian Mode is built off of the FOURTH scale degree of the Major Scale • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • F Lydian Mode = F G A B C D E • SAME notes, different ROOT • You could say that the F Lydian Mode is RELATIVE to the C Major Scale – The C Lydian Mode would be RELATIVE to the G Major scale and so on… Lydian Mode • You can also look at the Lydian Mode as a formula to see how it compares to the ROOT Major Scale • Lydian Formula = 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 • F MAJOR = F G A Bb C D E • F LYDIAN MODE = F G A B C D E Mixolydian Mode • The Mixoydian Mode is built off of the FIFTH scale degree of the Major Scale • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • G Mixolydian Mode = G A B C D E F • SAME notes, different ROOT • You could say that the G Mixolydian Mode is RELATIVE to the C Major Scale • The D Mixolydian Mode would be RELATIVE to the G Major scale and so on… Mixolydian Mode • You can also look at the Mixolydian Mode as a formula to see how it compares to the ROOT Major Scale • Mixolydian Formula = 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 • G MAJOR = G A B C D E F# • G MIXOLYDIAN MODE = G A B C D E F Aeolian Mode • The Aeolian Mode is the EXACT same thing as THE NATURAL MINOR SCALE. • Built off of the SIXTH degree of the Major Scale • Formula = 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 • A Aeolian (aka Natural Minor) = • A B C D E F G Locrian Mode • The Locrian Mode is built off of the SEVENTH scale degree of the Major Scale • C Major Scale = C D E F G A B • B Locrian Mode = B C D E F G A • SAME notes, different ROOT • You could say that the B Locrian Mode is RELATIVE to the C Major Scale • The F# Locrian Mode would be RELATIVE to the G Major scale and so on… Locrian Mode • You can also look at the Locrian Mode as a formula to see how it compares to the ROOT Major Scale • Locrian Formula = 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 • B MAJOR = B C# D# E F# G# A# • B LOCRIAN MODE = B C D E F G A Using Modes • Now that you understand what Modes are in terms of how to define them, how to find them, and how they relate to the Major Scale…it’s easier to move to the next section of Modes…which is how to use them. Using Modes • The great confusion that I have personally experienced (and I know that countless other musicians have experienced) when it comes to modes is the application of them. It’s easy to regurgitate the information, but you don’t really know something until you can use it. Why Modes Are Confusing • 1) We don’t understand that it’s the chords that tells us what scales we could use or are “appropriate” • If you know the notes of the chords in the progression, you can choose scales that match those notes or clash with those notes. • There is no “right way” or “wrong way” to approach composing or improvising. You could literally do anything you want, use any scale you want over any chord progression. The question is though…is that what you INTENDED to play? Why Modes Are Confusing • 2) We don’t fully grasp what makes a mode different than a major or minor scale • 3) We overcomplicate composing in modes by creating longer chord progressions • 4) We forget that we already know what chords go in these modes. • If you can harmonize a major scale, you can harmonize any mode as long as you understand what major scale it’s relating to. Why Modes Are Confusing • 5) Often times when a song is referenced as being in a mode, it’s not JUST the chord progression that makes it be in a modal key • Especially true if it’s a short progression • The other instruments can imply a modal key • Example: Chord progression = Dm-Em – D Minor (D Aeolian) could be played – D Dorian could also be played What Makes Each Mode Unique? • Let’s start with understanding what makes each mode unique • Break into 2 Categories: Major Modes (modes that have a natural 3rd degree) and Minor Modes (modes that have a flatted 3rd degree) Major Modes • Major Modes • Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian • Example: Taking the chords of C Major, if we create a 4 chord progression that starts with C, our ear always wants to take us back to the C Major Modes • What I tried to do…and what many others try to do…is create a 3 or 4 chord progression but start it with the chord that makes it “Lydian” or “Mixolydian” • For example: • G – Am – F – Dm would use the chords of G Mixolydian Major Modes • For one, when you listen to this progression, it kind of just goes all over the place • And two, what makes this really all that much different than G major? Yeah, the F and Dm chords don’t belong…but it still feels like a G major progression with borrowed chords Major Modes • This approach does make sense at first glance, because it works pretty well with the relative minor scale • The problem that you run into...as soon as you introduce a C chord, your ear identifies that as the home base….or…you create chord progressions that don’t sound “complete” Ionian Mode • We don’t need to look too hard at the Ionian Mode. It’s the exact same thing as the major scale and we’ve covered that already. • The only thing that I think could be argued as a way to differentiate being in the key of C Major vs C Ionian is the reinforcement of the root note via Slash Chords.