Modes

[waxwing]

It is my understanding that before the 17th century, composers wrote in "modes." I am not sure whether "mode" means the same thing today as it did then, but there has definitely been rekindled interest in the idea.

Here's my scrappy understanding of modes.

Let's say we play a C-major scale.

To switch modes, we would go up one whole step (to a D) and begin the same C major scale from that point (not sharping the F and C as you would in the D-major scale). This is called Dorian mode.

Then, we can continue from there. Starting on an E and proceeding to the E one octave higher would yield Phrygian mode.

F --> F Lydian mode.

G --> G Mixolydian mode

A --> A Aeolian mode

B --> B Locrian mode

I believe that another name for a C-major scale would be Ionian mode, but few people actually call it that.

From this basic idea, I believe we can transpose to any key, and then go through the same process to play in a different mode. Key signature would help indicate whether the line of music is in a particular key or a different mode (resembling at first glance that key).

Okay, after that horribly long-winded (and basic) description, I'd like some insight.

A favorite mode?

A favorite composer who writes in modes?

A mental model whereby a musician can approach/learn to use modes?

Anything, really....

[SheepDog]

As a bass player (and this applies to guitar as well), the modes come out as being "shapes" under the hand. It makes it really easy to improvise in whatever key you want.

The band I was in was mostly blues, and we played a lot in Mixolydian mode (Ionian/major with a flat 7) for major blues, and Aeolian mode for minor blues. If we played a simple I-IV-V 12 bar progression, in a major key, you would play the mixolydian for each of the chords. This is the simplest of the blues patterns, of course. The really nice thing about it is you can improvise on the mood, and not worry so much about the notes.

This is just a simple example, but I thought it was relevant.

BTW, not all blues players know it by the mode name, but they often follow the patterns nonetheless.

[kuranes]

I am not a musician and so my understanding of modes is even more scrappy than Waxwing's. It seems like you're on the right track with what you're learning.

Oftentimes you can find modal music in Jazz. Sheepdog and I both dig Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue". Playing in that band is Bill Evans, somebody that I recall is associated with Western modal music. Evans also had his own small band. Other Westerners with interesting systems include Elliott Sharp, who works Fibonacci series patterns into his music, and Butch Morris. George Russell has some interesting ideas also.

Getting away from Western music, the realm of music from India is very associated with modal music in the purest form. No change of keys. Steady unvarying ground tone with the melody aspect much further developed. 22 tones per octave, which is nearly double the Western system. I prefer Hindustani to Carnatic. A site that used to have info on this subject is www.medieval.org/music/world.html Haven't checked it in a while.

[lexiphanic]

I'm currently stuck in c minor. Modes I shall mess with another time.

[Pan]

There's no simple explanation of the Medieval/Renaissance modes, partly because the usage changed over the several hundred years they were in use, but here's a very short explanation, which is hopefully clear enough for you to find of some use...

Medieval

There are actually eight modes used in Gregorian chant. There are four authentic modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and four plagal modes: Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian and Hypomixolydian. (Ionian, Aeolian and Locrian are more modern inventions, as is the idea of transposing modes)

The way the medieval modes were defined actually has to do with two important tones - the final and the reciting tone, and it’s far more useful musically to think of them this way, rather than just as different divisions of the major scale. So Dorian starts on D, Phrygian on E, etc. The difference between authentic and plagal forms is in the reciting tone and the melodic range.

These modes are actually pretty simple to improvise in, as long as you’re not too concerned about historically correct cadences and the like. For instance, Dorian mode has a final of D, and has a reciting tone of A, so a basic chant in Dorian mode will have the following shape:

DFAAAAAAAAAAAAGA GAAAAAAAAAGFEFD

So, phrase 1: you start on the final, get up to the reciting tone somehow, hang out for a while, and then end with some simple cadence
Phrase 2: Start with some simple figure (or not), finish whatever it is you were saying, and then make some sort of cadence to the same note you started on.

Hypodorian is exactly like Dorian, except the reciting tone is F instead of A, and you are allowed to go below the final at the beginning and in your final cadence. (It’s more complicated than that, of course, but whatever) Just choose a mode and play around.


........................Final...Reciting tone.....range
Authentic
Dorian:.................D..........A..............D --> D
Phrygian:..............E..........C..............E --> E
Lydian:.................F..........C..............F --> F
Mixolydian:............G..........D..............G --> G

Plagal
Hypodorian:...........D..........F..............A --> A
Hypophrygian:........E..........A..............B --> B
Hypolydian:............F..........A..............C --> C
Hypomixolydian:......G..........C..............D --> D

Renaissance

The most popular method of composition in the Renaissance (at least for serious music) was to use a chant as a starting point and write polyphonically around it. So Renaissance compositions are said to be in the mode of their chant component (the “tenor”). Toward the end of the Renaissance, things get extremely complicated, wth composers starting to borrow notes from other modes whenever it suited them, and by the end of the 16th century, determining the mode of a composition is like trying to decide what key Mahler is in… it’s hardly a useful question because it keeps shifting.

The height of modal composition is unquestionably the late Renaissance… especially Palestrina and Victoria. If you do not know Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass then flay yourself immediately. When you’re done, go find it. My vote for best choral composition ever. Really, though, anything by Palestrina is going to be great.

After these guys, the modal system gave way to tonality.

Modern

After tonality reached its height of complexity with Mahler, Bruckner, early Schoenberg, etc. composers starting dinking around with modes again. Notably Bartok, Debussy, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Varese. Some of the modes they use are taken from folk music (Bartok, Stravinsky), others made up new modes (Messiaen, Varese).

Basically, any scale (including major or minor) is a mode… so you can just define a set of notes for yourself (between 5 and 8, say) and start playing around. I think it is useful to think of it along medieval lines… choose some notes and play around to figure out what is the best tonic, and what makes a convincing “dominant” and see what comes out of it.

[cjs55]

And then there's death metal (and some free jazz) which is basically pitch-axis linear counterpoint composition discarding the concept of scale or mode.

Usually it doesn't get mentioned in theory books for some reason =p

[Pan]

But death metal would ROCK in Hypomyxolydian!

No, really.

[deus.ex.machina]

My favorite mode is generally dorian, but all-and-all my favorite scale would be basically a dorian without the b6 and a b5 added to the scale. So that would basically be a blues scale with a M2 added to it. That's definetely my favorite scale for depressing, mood setting, or introspective type of music with a bluesy feel (the b5 really gives it the bluesy feel).

Zakk Wylde uses this kind of scale alot; check out the acoustic version of Stillborne (its in F#m)


I think alot of yall would like that scale as well... :whistle:

[YardGnome]

I'm not much of a Music theorist... But I like the mode for the original Final Fantasy theme song (not sure which mode that is) but it's cool...

[waxwing]

There's no simple explanation of the Medieval/Renaissance modes, partly because the usage changed over the several hundred years they were in use, but here's a very short explanation, which is hopefully clear enough for you to find of some use...

Medieval

There are actually eight modes used in Gregorian chant. There are four authentic modes: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and four plagal modes: Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian and Hypomixolydian. (Ionian, Aeolian and Locrian are more modern inventions, as is the idea of transposing modes)

The way the medieval modes were defined actually has to do with two important tones - the final and the reciting tone, and it’s far more useful musically to think of them this way, rather than just as different divisions of the major scale. So Dorian starts on D, Phrygian on E, etc. The difference between authentic and plagal forms is in the reciting tone and the melodic range.

These modes are actually pretty simple to improvise in, as long as you’re not too concerned about historically correct cadences and the like. For instance, Dorian mode has a final of D, and has a reciting tone of A, so a basic chant in Dorian mode will have the following shape:

DFAAAAAAAAAAAAGA GAAAAAAAAAGFEFD

So, phrase 1: you start on the final, get up to the reciting tone somehow, hang out for a while, and then end with some simple cadence
Phrase 2: Start with some simple figure (or not), finish whatever it is you were saying, and then make some sort of cadence to the same note you started on.

Hypodorian is exactly like Dorian, except the reciting tone is F instead of A, and you are allowed to go below the final at the beginning and in your final cadence. (It’s more complicated than that, of course, but whatever) Just choose a mode and play around.


........................Final...Reciting tone.....range
Authentic
Dorian:.................D..........A..............D --> D
Phrygian:..............E..........C..............E --> E
Lydian:.................F..........C..............F --> F
Mixolydian:............G..........D..............G --> G

Plagal
Hypodorian:...........D..........F..............A --> A
Hypophrygian:........E..........A..............B --> B
Hypolydian:............F..........A..............C --> C
Hypomixolydian:......G..........C..............D --> D

Renaissance

The most popular method of composition in the Renaissance (at least for serious music) was to use a chant as a starting point and write polyphonically around it. So Renaissance compositions are said to be in the mode of their chant component (the “tenor”). Toward the end of the Renaissance, things get extremely complicated, wth composers starting to borrow notes from other modes whenever it suited them, and by the end of the 16th century, determining the mode of a composition is like trying to decide what key Mahler is in… it’s hardly a useful question because it keeps shifting.

The height of modal composition is unquestionably the late Renaissance… especially Palestrina and Victoria. If you do not know Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass then flay yourself immediately. When you’re done, go find it. My vote for best choral composition ever. Really, though, anything by Palestrina is going to be great.

After these guys, the modal system gave way to tonality.

Modern

After tonality reached its height of complexity with Mahler, Bruckner, early Schoenberg, etc. composers starting dinking around with modes again. Notably Bartok, Debussy, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Varese. Some of the modes they use are taken from folk music (Bartok, Stravinsky), others made up new modes (Messiaen, Varese).

Basically, any scale (including major or minor) is a mode… so you can just define a set of notes for yourself (between 5 and 8, say) and start playing around. I think it is useful to think of it along medieval lines… choose some notes and play around to figure out what is the best tonic, and what makes a convincing “dominant” and see what comes out of it.
Very insightful. :)