Lesson 21 - Introduction to modes

Introduction

A mode is a group of scales related to a founding scale, as you keep on inverting the founding scale, you'll discover all it's modes.  Each mode uses the same notes as the founding scale. Every note of the founding scale becomes the root note 1 of a new mode.  This is best illustrated in the key of C, all the white notes on the piano, playing from C to high C. The western major scale has the intervals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. To discover the first mode, invert the scale once by taking the low C note an moving it to the high C position, if you play from D to high D, you're playing the Dorian mode having a harmonic formula 1 2 -3 4 5 6 -7. If you keep on inverting, you'll discover seven modes, a mode for each note of the scale. 

The most important founding scale is the western major scale, the design of the piano is based on this scale. By using the modes of the western major scale, any scale may be described as alterations of the natural modes. The western scale modes will become a foundational to describe any mode possible using pure modal scales. There are seven modal possibilities to describe any scale, you choose the scale with the least modal alterations. This will be investigated in more detail in a later lesson.

The western major scale has seven unique natural modes, each mode having a different emotional feeling. Some modes sound brighter than others. It’s possible to arrange the modes in this order of brightness. A bright sound is when you go up in pitch, a darker sound is when you go down in pitch. To make a song happier, raising your melody lifts the song, lowering your melody gives a sad emotional feeling.

Ionian

The first mode to investigate is called the Ionian, it’s the western major scale, the most important scale in western music. There are twelve Ionian scales in western music because there are twelve notes, here we'll investigate all the modes in the key of C. A mode is also a scale, so if play the western major scale in the key of C, your playing in the Ionian mode.

Dorian

Play the melodic progression from the note D to high D in the key of C. The order of tones and semi-tones is what gives you a different emotional feeling.

Phrygian

Play the melodic progression from the note E to high E. The order of tones and semi-tones is what gives you a different emotional feeling.

Lydian

Play the melodic progression from the note F to high F. Observe how the interval formula is different for each mode.

Mixolydian

Play the melodic progression from the note G to high G.

Aeolian

Play the melodic progression from the note A to high A.

Locrian

Play the melodic progression from the note B to high B.

All the modes of the western major scale

The default diatonic chords associated with each mode.

Chords having the same character