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This is a great addition and really helps with visualizing the modes. Top work, dont over complicate it!
If it's ok, at some point, could I run some code by you? Nothing heavy. Would just be good to see if I'm doing something fundamentally bad for performance, that sort of thing.
I don’t know how you could get round it but as a next stage of development would it be possible for it to account for the flat keys, F, Bb, Eb, Ab and Db? Other tools on the net struggle with this issue by the way; they either ignore it or show both alternatives which looks ugly. Could your note names maybe fade into their flat equivalents as the wheel turns? - that’d be amazing.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
BTW I've just installed the app and it's running fine on my phone. I just need to remember that Ionian is major when trying to align it...
I appreciate what you're saying. In my lessons, which are part of an introduction to music theory and the major scale, I discuss enharmonics, although not at the point at which the modes are first introduced. And there are two reasons for this.
Firstly, I think enharmonics add confusion to that subject that isn't really helpful. You can perfectly understand the intervalic nature of the major scale (and most of music theory) without coming up against enharmonic note naming. It's left until a later chapter (actually the following one, I think).
Secondly, and more fundamentally, I don't really like the convention. I completely appreciate its function in standard notation, but elsewhere, I don't really see the point. Calling the F in C# major 'E#' seems basically ludicrous to me.
And I did think about labelling or numbering the modes on the wheel, but I thought it would lead to further visual clutter and make it less appealing.
I don't think it needs any different labelling. I was just joking that it takes my brain a bit too remember that Ionian is the major scale.
One thing for consideration though @LeeCassidy - I might be better if the wheel snapped to each note rather than free turning. It can be a bit fiddly to get it to sit neatly.
That’s why I’m saying it would be fantastic if the tool could deal with the flat keys. It’s not a modal issue, it’s not an enharmonic issue; it’s a keys issue. Though of course it applies to all the modes of all the flat keys too, so for example the relative minor (or Aeolian) of Db major is Bb minor, which also has 5 flats, not A# minor which would have 7 sharps. Similarly there’s no such thing as D# Dorian, F# Lydian or G# Mixolydian.
It’s such a nice tool, and all it would need is for the 5 sharp notes all to be replaced with their flat equivalents for your C#, D#, G# and A# Ionians, and for F Ionian. You could leave them as they are for F# Ionian. Don’t know if it’s easy or even possible but it would make the tool perfect, that’s all. (And the F in F# Ionian ought really to be renamed as an E#, which you might not like and would add an additional level of programming complexity because it only applies to that one key).
By the way I completely agree that you can understand the major scale agnostically of key; in fact I made a compendium of all 7-note scales here: different colour scheme though!
http://www.guitaristtv.com/Downloads/Modes%202014_02_18%20-%20for%20GTV.xlsx
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Sorry, that was a typo. I meant F#major.
You say it's not an enharmonic issue, that it's a key issue. I think I would say it's using a system/convention of using enharmonic names for the notes of keys, and that ultimately is done so that they can be easily written in standard notation. You can talk about the key of Bflat, for example, and use only sharps in just about every way other than standard notation and not encounter any issues.
Setting Ionian to C# on this tool, it's perfectly intelligible what that scale is, what notes it uses, what note fits where in the order, etc.
I say all this, but it's not like I'm waging a jihad against the circle of fourths or anything. It's just that I think this tool is intelligible as it is. I accept what you're saying, that it is not describing the notes with respect to common practice in written music, but I feel it's effective for those who know that stuff and those who don't. And I think for those who don't, it may be a source of confusion.
Creating it isn't too much of an issue for the website, at least I don't think it is. But the app, it would add a layer of complexity I can't work through yet, I'm afraid.
That spreadsheet. Jeez, that's comprehensive, and a very cool resource. That would make a fantastic web library of some sort, especially with the bundled MIDI. I think I might just slightly prefer my colour scheme, though!
By the way, I hope none of this comes across as aggro, or argumentative. I appreciate what you're saying, and taking the time to check this thing and feedback.
I really agree with you about simplicity: everything, from the system of sharps and flats, and frameworks like the circle of fifths, and harmonic and melodic naming comventions, right to the design of the piano keyboard and even the development of western music itself through the centuries - every element of the system is coherent with all the others, and like you say, it’s all been steered to make things easy. But unless you’re using the whole system, or at least more than one element of it, I suppose some solutions can indeed come across as over-complicated.
So if you think it’s easier on balance to approach modes purely aurally and not worry about how many degrees away from Ionian Dorian is - at least initially - then ok. And what we’re talking about would affect pianists much more than rock guitarists anyway - a pianist would actually find it very hard to think in A# major, it would hurt the brain too much! But for those who don’t read music or who don’t need to use harmonic or melodic theory or discuss with classical musicians, I guess names don’t matter as much.
Cheers
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
I also don't agree it'd hurt a pianist's brain to ditch thinking in terms of enharmonic naming conventions. I maintain the only real issue is with notation. Otherwise, it's no more intellectually taxing or complex to use all sharps or all flats, just different to classic/orthodox convention. I mean, Eflat major is no trickier to think of than Bflat major, despite having one more flat. Adding a few extra sharps or flats by extending the reach of either direction in the circle of fifths/fourths doesn't make it any trickier to understand. The only problem is notating it.
Would you mind sharing the other tools you made? Particularly interested in where you went with the penta- and hexatonic scales. There's a lot of ground to be covered there.