All Questions
61 questions
5
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Harmonizing modes other than major and minor
Everywhere I turn for a lesson on music theory I see a way to harmonize the major scale (Ionian) and the minor scale (Aeolian) but they never harmonize the other modes of the major scale. Any help ...
- 146
0
votes
0
answers
33
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How does harmonic progression work in modes which aren't Ionian and Aeolian? [duplicate]
I have seen some similar questions to this but nothing that quite cuts close enough.
In major and minor, it is widely considered that harmonic progression works as follows (broadly speaking- don't ...
- 793
3
votes
2
answers
97
views
Three consecutive dissonances in verset fugue
I've been playing from a collection of versets (fugues) by Gottlieb Muffat.
https://imslp.org/wiki/72_Versetl_sammt_12_Toccaten_(Muffat%2C_Gottlieb)
The versets are arranged by the old Church tones ...
- 59.5k
5
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3
answers
1k
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How to handle songs whose scales are neither major or minor in harmonic mixing?
Harmonic mixing typically relies on the circle of fifths, often renamed as the "Camelot wheel" in the context of harmonic mixing. However, that circle/wheel only contains two scales: major ...
- 1,597
3
votes
3
answers
316
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How many notes does it take to state the key? To Have "Tonality"?
I'm referring to "tonal dominant function" as this gentleman is talking about in this video.
How many notes in a "melody" do you need to state the ...
- 1,018
1
vote
2
answers
691
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Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved - why single note outside mode?
In Bob Marley's song "Could You Be Loved" popcorn picking is used which is a percussive sounding rhythm guitar technique.
The song is in B minor key and uses these cords: Bmi, D, Emi, F#mi, ...
- 183
6
votes
4
answers
948
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Lydian harmony: What chords are tonic (T), subdominant (S), and dominant (D)?
The Lydian mode is the brightest-sounding mode and I am interested in how to utilize it.
Diatonic chords in Lydian = I, II, iii, ivø, V, vi, vii
What chords are tonic, subdominant, and dominant, in ...
user92536
6
votes
6
answers
813
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Does anyone have tips or tricks for remembering the function of mode harmony?
When I mean by that, I understand how the 7 modes are constructed:
Ionian: Major scale with no alterations
Dorian: natural minor scale with 1 alteration: #6
Phrygian: natural minor scale with 1 ...
- 63
2
votes
2
answers
100
views
How to determine if a song is in F#Aeolian or D Lydian or Ab Locrian
Hello how are you? :) delighted to be here in my first post, I am a graduate of Sound Engineering and I am currently studying modern harmony in a self-taught way, I have been able to understand the ...
- 33
-3
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3
answers
176
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Given a four note combination under the span of a fourth, does this chart correctly show the number of times it will appear in a scale?
I have made this chart
that shows how many times will a four note combination under the span of a fourth whether perfect or augmented appear in a scale and some observations, so I wanted to ask you if ...
user85162
5
votes
1
answer
242
views
What did Schoenberg mean with this?
A couple of years ago I decided to formalize my harmony studies (I'm a mathematician) by reading Schoenberg's book Theory of Harmony, however I left it since it felt a little too difficult for my ...
- 223
5
votes
1
answer
369
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Help me figure out the mode of this Howard Shore piece
I have been trying to harmonically analyse this piece by Howard Shore called “Beyond the Forest”, an Elvish song from the Hobbit. I have included the sheet music below (page two is linked) and you can ...
2
votes
0
answers
48
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What are some useful resources for modal study? [closed]
I'm looking for some useful historical references for modal study. Specifically, great books or texts on how modes evolved, progressed and became the elusive subject they are today.
What resources ...
- 21
5
votes
3
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712
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Why is there no fourth minor scale with a natural 6 and a flat 7?
These scales are considered the minor scales:
natural: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
harmonic: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
melodic: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 (ascending)
However, this scale:
4th min: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 ...
- 85
1
vote
3
answers
263
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Modal Chord Progressions [duplicate]
I understand how the modes sound different by targeting certain notes. That part is coming together aurally. What I don't understand is how a chord progression can be model. Since chord progressions ...
- 1,213
2
votes
2
answers
685
views
What harmonic resources underlie on Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" song which make it so beautiful?
Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" is in the key of DMaj (I) , but the second arpegio chord (and perhaps the one that gives to the song his special sound) is G7 (IV7), whose 7th is a note that ...
0
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1
answer
59
views
What key is this in? [closed]
I'm new in the forum. I have lots of unasked questions about music theory because I'm a self taught musician with no formal training, so I have a lot of confusion between concepts like, for example, ...
- 1
4
votes
4
answers
1k
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Why does A minor scale sound the "best" over Dm and C chord progression?
I created a little loop with the following two intervals:
D A and C G
Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/ybsukagd
In looking at what scale to use to solo over that simple progression, I thought D ...
- 141
1
vote
1
answer
78
views
How to negatively harmonize a major key into different modes other than Aeolian (minor) mode? (T7i inversion)
The T7i inversion transforms a major key into its parallel minor (Aeolian mode).
How do I transform a major key into other modes?
Are there inversions other than T7i?
- 335
1
vote
1
answer
293
views
How to convert from one mode to the other? [closed]
I have no idea how modes work atm, I'm pretty competent everywhere else in theory, but I struggle with modes.
Is it at all possible to convert modes? like from minor to phrygian? and what would be ...
5
votes
1
answer
618
views
How to use “synthetic modes”
Im having trouble understanding a concept in Persichetti’s book 20th century harmony (Page 43) where he introduces new scales he calls synthetic scales.
Just before that he talks about the church ...
- 83
5
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3
answers
627
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Why weren't Ionian / Aeolian / Locrian modes considered Gregorian modes?
It is said that the Ionian (major), Aeolian (natural minor), and Locrian modes weren't really three of the ancient church (Gregorian) modes. What is the reason?
user53472
11
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4
answers
3k
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Is Locrian a minor mode or is it a diminished mode?
I have heard 2 different schools of thought when describing the Locrian mode. The first one that I heard several years ago, when I first heard about modes is that it is a minor mode, despite its ...
- 6,654
0
votes
2
answers
287
views
Relationship between extended diatonic chords and modes?
If we have C major, the diatonic chords are:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim, C
If we turn each of these chords to diatonic 13th chord versions of themselves:
Cmaj13, Dmin13, Emin13, Fmaj13, G13, Amin13, ...
user34288
0
votes
1
answer
196
views
Why do some phrygian dominant pieces end on the iv chord?
I was looking at Itzhak Perlman playing Shalom Aleichem It starts (0:14) in E Phrygian Dominant with the i chord, but ends (4:16) in A minor, the iv chord.
I've seen the same thing happen with Hava ...
user34288
8
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Are all modes relative to Ionian (major) in Roman numeral analysis?
I saw in this Wikipedia article that there are a lot of flats and sharps in the modal natural chords. And I was wondering if it's because they all refer to Ionian.
So in Aeolian the "bIII" chord is ...
user34288
6
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Are the 1,4,5 the primary chords in all modes?
I know in both major (Ionian) and minor (Aeolian) the 1 4 5 chords are the primary chords. as they seem to come up more often than other chords. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_triad
In Aeolian ...
user34288
1
vote
4
answers
150
views
Key and possible missing "tonic chord"
I just figured out in this tune the chords F major and e minor fit, and they are repeated all over. Surely its a simple and repetitive piece, but what I am wondering is, the only key where both chords ...
- 1,525
1
vote
1
answer
66
views
How do I tell which mode this extract uses?
In this exercise, the key signature has two flats but it's marked as C minor. There's a footnote that simply says 'modal key signature'. How do I work out which mode to use in my harmonisation?
- 1,349
0
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1
answer
1k
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Can someone please explain differences between Ionian dorian phrygian (etc) scales [duplicate]
If you have C scale, C, D, E, F, G, A, H, C this is already Ionian.
C dorian scale is when you play same tones but start from second tone, in this case D. I am correct?
- 11
8
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2
answers
3k
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What do we call a chord progression that doesn't have a tonic chord?
I came up with a chord progression the other day:
Fm7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 G7
It's clearly in C minor. But instead of resolving to Cm, I was looping through it. What catched my attention was that it ...
- 1,921
4
votes
1
answer
349
views
What is the use of the minor V chord in this song?
First of all, I would like to say hi since this is the first question I've had on this website. I recently came across Officially missing you by Tamia and when I look up the chord progression on ...
- 101
5
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1
answer
705
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What is Vincent Persichetti saying about finding primary chords in the modes?
I'm really confused about what Vincent Persichetti wrote in his book Twentieth Century Harmony, where he says speaking of primary chords in modes, "The Primary chords are the tonic, plus two dominant ...
- 87
5
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1
answer
294
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Do scale degrees in modes have the same harmonic function they have in the major scale?
For example, is V the dominant in all modes?
- 423
5
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2
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303
views
Is it possible to find the mode of the borrowed chord?
I came across a piece which uses a dorian progression:
i - IV - VII - III - ii7 - v - V
V is a borrowed chord, but is it possible to determine from which mode this chord was borrowed? (lydian, ...
- 153
1
vote
1
answer
159
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Playing E Aeolian over B Aeolian progression?
I have this simple Bm G F#m Bm / Bm G F#7 Bm chord progression. AFAIK, that means I'm in B Aeolian (in the key of D major) - plus that F#7 dominant chord that would put me briefly in B harmonic minor? ...
- 27
3
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2
answers
1k
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Can one build a harmonies over mixolydian, as we build harmonies over major and minor?
I was wondering recently, whether mixolydian, lacking the lead tone but otherwise being very similar to major (ionic), was a scale we could use for writing whole songs in.
In Jazz theory, the basic ...
- 259
4
votes
4
answers
845
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Locrian mode and power chords
I'm studying in an online game music course, and I'm experimenting Modes to add unusual sound to the music. I'm a complete newbie in music. So let's have the Locrian mode, the root chord is a dimished ...
- 621
2
votes
2
answers
679
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Modal theory and resolution
Does each mode resolved to their respective roots as modes are to be seen as nothing more than another degree of the same scale/key. Or do they always resolve to the root note of the respective major ...
- 21
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2
answers
4k
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Dominant 7th and Mixolydian
Is the mixolydian mode the same as the dominant 7th? I don't know how else to ask it - My grammar is very good!
- 21
4
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1
answer
1k
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Modal Cadence Options
I understand that when playing in a mode, the cadences are quite different from tonal cadences. For example, in the Phrygian mode a cadence would be IV - iii (or II - i if we're renumbering the chords)...
- 2,344
1
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3
answers
2k
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How to use modes in popular music?
Can a pop song be written using a specific mode for the vocal melody, and another for the chord progression, when both of the modes share the same key signature? (Please note that I am not referring ...
- 115
1
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3
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542
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Diatonic Scales and Modes. How do I reconcile information about Modes?
The accepted answer to what a mode is and how they work is posted here:
What is the difference between a dominant scale VS a mode?
This is what I thought the correct answer was.
Basically that the "...
- 121
5
votes
2
answers
7k
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How are chord progressions built in a modal context vs traditional major/minor context?
This question is asked from the standpoint of popular music as it is today (2016). Let's confine the question to progressions that are 4 bars long, since that's the most generic pattern in pop music.
...
- 2,344
3
votes
4
answers
5k
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Why does modal interchange work? Can any mode be used?
When you're in the key of C major and you use chords from C Dorian, Phyrgian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Why does it sound acceptable to use those chords, and does it work with all ...
- 467
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2
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Key of a Song in Modes
If I'm playing a song in Dorian D would I say that the song is in the key of C?
Or is the song in the key of D, cause that my true tonic?
I guess the question can be boiled down to, is the tonic the ...
- 361
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4
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2k
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What is the tonic of a musical mode?
Let's say I'm playing Dorian D mode. Is my tonic:
C, because Dorian mode is derived from the diatonic scale of C?
Or D, because my tonal center is in D?
- 361
2
votes
1
answer
666
views
Chord progression analysis
In the song "If You Have To Ask" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers there is this instrumental funk interlude with a bunch of seventh and ninth chords and I want to understand this progression more by ...
- 354
26
votes
8
answers
21k
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Is F Lydian mode in the "key" of C Major?
In most cases (if not all), a piece of music without sharps or flats in the key signature, would be considered in the key of C major or A minor. This question assumes the context of Western Music ...
- 27.5k
7
votes
4
answers
3k
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I, (II), III major chord progression?
In Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers, the introduction alternates between D and F# chords, with an E in between as a passing chord in some cases. There is also a g# passing note played over ...
- 333