MusicalModesExplained

1 Musical Modes Explained By Larry Martin [email protected] Modes are confusing to many non-musicians and people new to music, not least because practically everything written about them is either overly complex, or so simplistic that nothing is really explained. The Wikipedia entry for modes spends most of its verbiage on arcane historical aspects, and only at the end does it get to "Modern Western Modes," but by then the non -musician is apt to feel bewildered. On the other extreme, many web sites - including Youtube videos on the subject - fail to clarify the differences and similarities among terms like "modes," "scales," "minor scale," "major scale," etc. Instead these terms are thrown out willy-nilly, without clear explanation. Modes have encompassed a lot of musical patterns over the centuries of musical history, but today the term "mode" applies to one of seven specific sequences of musical notes. A mode is a specific sequence of whole steps and half steps that begins on one note and ends on the same note an octave higher, e.g., C to C or D to D. There are 7 commonly-recognized musical modes today, each with a different sequence of half steps and whole steps. They are best demonstrated by starting on a specific white note of the keyboard and playing only white notes until you get to the same note an octave higher. They are listed in the table below the keyboard ( W refers to "whole step" and h to "half step") . MODE SEQUENCE OF NOTES STEPS Another name: Ionian C D E F G A B C W-W-h-W-W-W-h Major scale Dorian D E F G A B C D W-h-W-W-W-h-W Phrygian E F G A B C D E h-W-W-W-h-W-W Lydian F G A B C D E F W-W-W-h-W-W-h Mixolydian G A B C D E F G W-W-h-W-W-h-W Aeolian A B C D E F G A W-h-W-W-h-W-W Minor scale Locrian B C D E F G A B h-W-W-h-W-W-W

2 Any two adjacent keys - black or white - are a half step apart. For example, C-C# are a half step apart, as are E-F and B-C. Any two keys with one key in between them are a whole step apart. For example, C-D are a whole step apart, as are E-F# and B-C#. What you really have with each new mode is a different sequence of half steps and whole steps, and it is that specific sequence that defines each mode. Historically, the term " mode " and not "scale" was used for all these note sequences, going back to the ancient Greeks. Over time, the term for two particular modes - ionian and aeolian - came to be called "scales." Today we call the ionian mode the major scale, and the aeolian mode the minor scale (more specifically, the natural minor scale). The term "mode" is still used for the other note sequences. This variation in terminology is one reason for confusion generated by many articles and web videos about modes. Although all 7 modes are variations on whole-step half-step sequences, only two of the vari ations are now called "scales" and the other five are still called "modes." So both " mode " and " scale " are simply a sequence of 8 notes, with the intervals between two successive notes either a half step or whole step apart. Whole step and half step are best appreciated on the piano keyboard, shown above. (Each black key can be labeled as a sharp or a flat.) The seven modes, with their sequence of whole steps and half steps, are shown in another table, below. Note that the ionian mode is also the major scale, and the aeolian mode is the minor scale. (More specifically, the aeolian mode is the natural minor scale. There are two other minor scales, the harmonic minor and melodic minor, which are not represented by any of these modes.) This table emphasizes the point that each mode can be determined by starting on a successive note of the C major scale (white keys only). In this way all the half steps are B-C and E-F. Again, the term "minor scale" in thi s table is the natural minor scale. (Table is from http://www.lotusmusic.com/lm_modes.html.)  If you start on C and play C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C you will get the C ionian mode sequence, which is W-W-h-W-W-W-h. This is also the sequence for the major scale. The ionian mode and the major scale are synonymous.  If you start on D and play D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D you will get the D dorian mode sequence, which is W-h-W-W-W-h-W. This mode does not have another Major scale Minor Scale

3 scale name. It goes by the name of the root note and "dorian." Thus if you start the scale on D it is "D doria n"; if you start on E it is "E dorian," etc.  If you start on E and play E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E you will get the E phrygian Mode sequence, which is h-W-W-W-h-W-W. This mode does not have another scale name. It goes by the name of the root note and " p hrygian." Thus if you start the scale on E it is "E p hrygia n"; if you start on F it is "F p hrygian," etc.  If you start on A and play A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A you will get the aeolian mode sequence, which is W-h-W-W-h-W-W. This is also the sequence for the natural minor scale. The aeolian mode and natural minor scale are synonymous. Similarly, the other four modes have a unique sequence of half steps and whole steps. *** So that's how the modes are derived and named. Once you understand that each mode has a specific pattern of whole steps and half steps, it should be easy to see that within each mode there are 12 possible scales or "keys". That' s because, within any octave there are 12 possible notes. The full octave that includes all the keys is called the chromatic scale, and is best visualized on the piano keyboard. From C to C are 12 notes (not counting the 2 nd C). Chromatic Scale To create the 12 possible scales for any given mode, all you do is take that mode's specific sequence of whole steps and half steps and start it on each of the 12 chromatic scale keys. For example, by moving the ionian pattern so that it starts on D, you now have the D ionian mode (D major scale). In order to keep the same pattern of whole steps and half steps, this D major scale includes both F# and C#. D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D W W h W W W h So there are 12 possible major scales, or keys, for the ionian mode. These major scales are listed below, with four examples shown on the treble clef. They all have the ionian (major scale) sequence of whole notes and half notes: W-W-h-W-W-W-h. Note the terminology in the treble clef examples. The C major ionian mode is called simply "ionian mode." The D major scale is called " D ionian ". The E major scale is