Questions tagged [modes]
For questions concerning the musical modes. These can include historical views of mode by the Greeks or the various rotations of scale collections. Questions about historical views of mode should also include the history tag.
405
questions
0
votes
3
answers
136
views
How to find the parent scale (prime form?) for a group of sibling modes?
Reminder: I know just enough theory to be really annoying. this is everything I know about it. so far.
I've calculated all the possible modes and recently learned they all have names but what eludes ...
- 91
3
votes
2
answers
355
views
When was the term "scale degree" coined? Or where did it originate?
Today is the first time I've heard the term "scale degree". When was the term coined? Or where did it originate?
- 31
1
vote
4
answers
191
views
How should I comprehend Modal Mixture?
I’m studying the concept of modal mixture and there’s one thing that I immediately got curious about.
Supposedly, the majority of POP music (rock, hip hop, r&b, country, etc) is a mixture of Major ...
- 723
3
votes
3
answers
260
views
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 ...
- 723
0
votes
2
answers
113
views
I’m looking for information/references on how we developed the Major Mode (Scale/Key) [closed]
As the title says, I’m looking for some information on the history of how the Major Mode (Scale,Key) was developed/designed. I already know a little bit, that is, I am not completely new to the topic, ...
- 723
-1
votes
1
answer
64
views
How is the 8th greek mode Hypomixolydian illustrated harmonically?
I'm digging into musical modes and came across this article on how the greek mode were used therapeutically. http://wisdomofhypatia.com/OM/BA/MT.html#Performance
He illustrates many facets of each ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
120
views
Parallel heptatonic modes ordered by changing one pitch at a time by half step in circle of fifths order [closed]
The major scale has a property, where we can arrange all of its modes in such a way where consecutive modes differ by only one note which itself only differs by one half step
Locrian
Phrygian
Aeolian
...
- 139
1
vote
2
answers
329
views
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
3
votes
1
answer
120
views
Why is C the tenor of phrygian?
After teaching some students about medieval church modes, I took a question as to precisely why the tenor/confinalis of phrygian/mode III was C rather than B. I answered according to what I had been ...
- 93
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
What modes is the Litany of the Saints in?
I've been looking at the Litany of the Saints. Kyrie Eleison has La as the reciting tone. But then Do is the reciting tone and the finalis. I've yet to find a mode with finalis and tenor on the same ...
- 558
5
votes
7
answers
1k
views
I'm so confused about modes that I can't make a specific title
I started playing guitar almost 30 years ago as a little kid. I'm not great, but I can move my fingers and I know how the scales work and that a scale uses some specific chords.
Now I wanted a new ...
- 51
2
votes
5
answers
303
views
Is there a cadence that supports ^3 ^2 ^1 in the phrygian mode?
My harmony books all talk about the "phrygian half cadence" which is just a half cadence usually approached from iv6. I don't know why this is called a phrygian cadence because it is not a ...
user35708
0
votes
2
answers
240
views
Help in Understanding Modes
Just wanted some clarification and guidance in my attempt to understand the use of modes. I am a bass player involved in playing pop, rock, alt and indie genres; I am not a Jazz/Bebop bassist. My ...
user90561
3
votes
3
answers
236
views
Chromatic Modes?
Are there names for chromatic modes? As in where the "starting note" isn't in the "key" that you're playing. For example, D major but starting on C, as it's something between ...
- 117
6
votes
4
answers
577
views
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
4
votes
3
answers
171
views
How to find the mode of these AC/DC songs?
I'm trying to learn music theory while learn some simple rock songs, such as AC/DC's. For example "Highway to Hell" and "Girls Got Rhythm".
I know these notes are used: G - A - B - ...
- 43
2
votes
5
answers
231
views
What makes the ionian and Aeolian modes different from other modes?
There were initially seven modes back in the era of modal music, but when tonality set in, the use of modes dropped to just two; Ionian and Aeolian, now the major and natural minor scales. Why were ...
- 1,606
0
votes
1
answer
145
views
Is there a common name for the scale [0 2 4 5 7 8 10] (C D E F G Ab Bb C)? [duplicate]
Is there a standard or common way to refer to the scale with pitch classes 024578T or C-D-E-F-G-Ab-Bb-C (on C)?
There's many ways to refer to it as a mixture of another scale. Like saying "...
6
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Confusion on modes
I'm a bit confused about the modes. I'm learning them by ear through this app, where the app explains what to listen for. For instance: dorian has 2b (flats), and lydian has 1# (sharp).
The thing I'm ...
- 101
1
vote
2
answers
121
views
How come scales that differ in their ascent and descent tend to use raised notes going up and lowered notes going down regardless of musical culture?
A great variety of scales across the world differ in the way they go up and down. Some examples that come to mind are the Melodic minor that has A and B natural going up but Bb and Ab going down. A ...
1
vote
2
answers
91
views
Are there any scales (in any musical culture) that can contain non-fixed members (ones that can be sharped or flattened at will)?
I am wondering if there are any scales (that are in actual use) that also contain non-fixed pitches. By that I mean that in addition to having several fixed pitches, also have some "flexible"...
1
vote
3
answers
66
views
Modes by ear tips and tricks
Going to learn all the modes by ear. But finding info about is this strangely hard?
Ionian and Aeolian is the same as major and minor, right?
And what about the rest, you guys got any tips?
So far I'...
- 101
5
votes
4
answers
383
views
Clarification of modes, mixed understanding of how they work
I'm just diving into music theory having largely ignored it in my playing up until now. I believe I've got the basics down of how to move modes around the finger board. But, there is some "...
user90535
2
votes
1
answer
282
views
How does the analyze function work by taking 'key' in music21 library(python)? From a passed midi file, how can it determine the key and mode?
score = music21.converter.parse('filename.mid')
key = score.analyze('key')
print(key.tonic.name, key.mode)
This gives the key and the mode of a given midi file. How can I get similar information on ...
- 51
4
votes
2
answers
460
views
Does it make sense to swich note and mode depending on the chord being played?
So, C Aeolian and A# Mixolydian have the same notes right? That means that the difference is just which notes I emphasize, correct? Like, focusing on A# notes instead of C just makes the sound more ‘...
6
votes
2
answers
494
views
Fux Counterpoint
In Fux's study of First Species modal counterpoint, why is it permitted to raise the 7th as he approached the final cadence. I realize that allowing that creates a leading tone which sounds better, ...
- 111
0
votes
2
answers
151
views
What is the correct term for the "common" pentatonic scale?
So a "pentatonic" scale is just any scale with 5 scale degrees (pitches). Yet, in most music we always just seem to assume that it's the scale with the following number of semitones (half ...
- 113
5
votes
3
answers
627
views
Greek modes, minor and major scales
By definition, a major scale is:
W W H W W W H
similarly, a minor scale is:
W H W W H W W
Now, the standard notion of Greek modes begins with: a major scale, and the construction of the modes with ...
- 273
2
votes
5
answers
270
views
Is Fantaisie Impromptu actually in G# Phrygian?
I’m new to music theory and the definition of key I’ve learned seems to contradict established fact. I’ve been told that the tonic of a piece is the key where the melody comes to rest, where it feels ...
- 121
5
votes
2
answers
267
views
What is the lowered supertonic note called, especially in Phrygian and Locrian modes?
I know most scales/modes like Ionian (major), Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian (natural minor) have a major second note called the supertonic, but some scales/modes like Phrygian and Locrian ...
6
votes
6
answers
735
views
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
117
views
how to properly bring out a modal "color"
Let's please stay in the key of CMaj (C Ionian, D dorian, E phrygian, etc.)
If for example, if I have an underlying CMaj triad (C-E-G), but wanted to emphasize the middle note (E), I could solo using (...
- 31
1
vote
4
answers
104
views
Lydian mode alleviates the clashing between the (M3) & (P4), but creates just as much between the (#4) & (5)?
I'm very confused when choosing modes to solo over my chord progressions. I've read that the Lydian scale is often used over underlying Major or Major 7th chords, to cut down on the natural clashing ...
- 31
0
votes
2
answers
169
views
Three Notes Per String and the 7 Modes
If the third position of the three notes per string G major scale is the B Phrygian mode, then how do I play that same mode all over the fretboard of the guitar?
- 57
1
vote
2
answers
249
views
In modal harmony, what are "modal tonic chords"?
I'm going through this video: "How to write a MODAL chord PROGRESSION (that sounds modal)", which is very interesting, but at a certain point it refers to:
a. Modal Tonic Chords - chords ...
- 63
1
vote
2
answers
96
views
Descending mode vs. Mixolydian
I looked through my notes and I saw the formula for descending mode. I had written that the formula was "WWHWWHW". I'm confused because I'm sure that is also the formula for the Mixolydian ...
0
votes
2
answers
383
views
How to tell the difference between lydian mode and dorian mode in songs
I am writing a song progression using the lydian mode using AABA form. My chord progression will be
A: E F# A E
A: E F# A E
B: C#m F# A E
A: E F# A E
The scale for the melody is E major pentatonic ...
user35708
6
votes
2
answers
801
views
What are modes added with sharps and flats to make them sound better called?
I'm watching this video about modes and right here he mentions something that sounds like 'musica fikta' which he explains as sharps and flats added to modes to make them sound better (right when ...
- 215
3
votes
6
answers
144
views
Question about Modes
I've been learning about music theory for quite some time now, and I've been wondering. How does one determine the modes of the sharps and flats?
For instance, what is the mode for C#, D#, F#, G#, and ...
2
votes
2
answers
90
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
0
votes
1
answer
41
views
Can you use both diatonic major and minor scale with any mode?
I am learning the modes right now for the Harmonic Major scale. I usually get the idea of a mode by droning some key and then playing all notes of that modem to sort of internalize its sound, and I ...
- 115
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
What mode or scale does Hans Zimmer dwell on in Dune? [closed]
I was listening to the Dune soundtrack just now as background music, and I noticed that it felt very modal. It keeps using the following series of intervals:
wholestep-halfstep-wholestep-halfstep-...
2
votes
2
answers
585
views
Historical origin of the raised sixth scale degree in minor
The way I understand the melodic minor scale — with its raised 6 and 7 ascending and lowered 6 and 7 descending — is that it's representative of how composers operated when composing in minor.
However,...
- 82.7k
4
votes
2
answers
698
views
If a song has no scale degree 6, how to decide between aeolian and dorian?
I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I had "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" stuck in my head this morning (perhaps better known with lyrics about an ant colony, as popularized by a ...
- 15.9k
1
vote
3
answers
128
views
How to transcribe key(or mode) signature to word
Here is my method and it work 80% of the time but sometimes it didn't work. What do I do wrong?
I know how to do all the major no problem.
so:
C = 0
D = 2#
E = 4#
F = 1b
G = 1#
A = 3#
B = 5#
and if ...
- 23
3
votes
3
answers
137
views
Does this mode of voice have a name and a use?
I found when I was a child that if I attempt to sing a note in a particular part of my vocal range, I can produce a chord rather than the usual single note. I can even speak in this mode. It is ...
- 131
7
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Is D minor also F Aeolian?
If I were to write a song in D minor, could I notate it correctly in F Aeolian? Because the subsequent 4th of the root in F Aeolian would be flat, right? Therefore, D minor and F Aeolian, which in ...
- 171
-3
votes
3
answers
159
views
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
9
votes
3
answers
694
views
With modes, is 'tonic' still the appropriate term for naming the first note of the scale?
Or is it better to just call it 'first note' (eg: In D Dorian, is 'D' the tonic or just 'first note'). And I suppose same question for the the rest of the scale degrees too (super tonic, mediant etc.)....
- 101
3
votes
2
answers
252
views
Does this chord fit D minor?
Is it ok to play a g flat chord in a D minor scale? Basically I wrote a song where one riff plays a G flat at the end of it then goes right back to a D minor chord. It’s a rock song. It sounds cool ...
- 31