There’s a lot of confusion about modes. The usual way of explaining them is that they are ‘relatives’ of one another - Dorian is the 2nd mode of major, Dorian is like playing D to D on white notes on the piano, etc.
But this can be confusing. The other way is to ignore the relationship between them and think of them ‘absolutely’, as scales, or palettes of notes, in their own right, each with a tonal centre and a unique set of intervals. And a good way of getting to grips with each mode’s sound is simply listen to the music within each one.
So I thought I'd compile a little list of pieces for people to get familiar with each mode's sound. Feel free to suggest!
Ionian (the major scale)
Triumphant, settled, happy, resolute, unambiguous.
Over the Rainbow - Arlen & Harburg
Happy Birthday - Patty Hill
God save the Queen
Winnie the Pooh
I was Born to Love You - Freddie
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Doe a Deer / Do Re Me - Rogers & Hammerstein
The Four Seasons (Spring) - Vivaldi
Since You Been Gone - Rainbow
Brown-Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
If I Could Fly - Joe Satriani
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cindi Lauper
Take On Me - a-ha
Jump - Van Halen
Red Red Wine - UB40
Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Comments
Dorian (the minor scale but with a raised 6th)
Sad yet optimistic, quirky, peppery, light, old-fashioned.
Coconut Grove - David Lee Roth
What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor
Greensleeves
Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd
Apache - The Shadows
Thriller - Michael Jackson
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - Ennio Morricone
A View to a Kill - Dorian Dorian
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
So What - Miles Davis
Oye Como Va - Santana
Stayin’ Alive - The Bee Gees
Silent Witness theme tune
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Phrygian (the minor scale but with a lowered 2nd)
Dark, eastern, mysterious, salty, moody.
Modern Times - New Model Army
War - Joe Satriani
Remember Tomorrow - Iron Maiden
For the Love of God - Steve Vai
Harvester of Sorrow - Metallica
Powerslave - Iron Maiden
Wherever I May Roam - Metallica
Time - Joe Satriani
Bagatelle no 2 - William Walton
MikroKosmos - Bella Bartok
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Lydian (the major scale with an augmented (raised) 4th)
Questioning, airy, spicy, sharp, ambiguous.
Flying in a Blue Dream - Joe Satriani
Giant Balls of Gold - Steve Vai
The Riddle - Steve Vai
Wake Up - Rage Against the Machine
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Mixolydian (the major scale with a lowered 7th)
Steadfast, resolute, genuine, rocky.
Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns n’ Roses
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Spiritwalker - The Cult
Sweet Home Alabama (D Mixolydian) - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Come Up and See Me (especially instrumental intro) - Steve Harley
You Really Got Me - The Kinks
Material World - Madonna
Celebration - Kool and the Gang
Led Boots - Jeff Beck
Walkin’ by Myself - Gary Moore
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Aeolian (the natural minor scale)
Tragic, pessimistic, warm, calm, pensive, romantic.
Black Magic Woman - Santana
Losing my Religion - REM
Street Spirit - Radiohead
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Locrian (the minor scale with a diminished (lowered) 5th)
Unsettled, unresolved, uncomfortable, weird.
Army of Me - Björk
Harvester of Sorrow (guitar solo) - Metallica
5th piano concerto, 5th movement, ‘Vivo’ - Prokofiev
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Although the notes of C Ionion and D Dorian are the same, Over the Rainbow sounds much more 'major key' than Greensleeves does because of where the tonality of the song is centred.
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Phrygian Dominant & Harmonic Minor, usually.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
I don’t really though lol
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
That's how I learned things by ear before I knew what labels to put on things. I worked out the major and minor 5 note shapes by copying solos by Clapton, Hendrix and Kossoff etc, although I didn't know they were called 'pentatonics' at the time.
Then I heard players putting in extra notes. For example: Wishbone Ash sometimes used 'classical' minor type sounds which were the minor pentatonic with an added 2 and b6. I called it the 'classical minor' scale until I later learned it was the Aeolian mode. Peter Frampton used a jazz minor type sound which was the minor pentatonic with an added 2 and 6. I called it the jazz minor scale until I later learned it was the Dorian mode.
That's how I learned by ear. Hear a type of sound, put my own label on it and try to relate it to something I already knew. Then re-label the type of sound when I discovered a more universally accepted term.
I think of modes in terms of their intervals relative to their root note. The major and minor pentatonic patterns are useful templates, for me upon, which to build other scales. I view modes as useful labels to put on types of sound. So it's good that @viz is coming up with real world musical examples.
To learn the intervals that produce these sounds it's far easier to view it from a keyboard rather than a fretboard. All the intervals are right there in front of you .... just start from C to C for the first mode (ionian - major scale) and note the intervals ... then start from D through to D (Dorian mode) and note the intervals ...then start from E through to E and note the intervals that produce the third mode etc
I think I'm probably not thinking it right myself and there's probably something wrong with the above but it's enabled me to produce modal sounds in all keys.
Has to be said though .... half the modes seem to me to be of limited use playing typical western music .....at the moment I use knowledge of what notes are in the underlying chords to spice up my solo's but I'm sure there's a secret to using the modes here ?