I think it's CRUCIAL to know BOTH ways of interpreting the modes. I found it more confusing when it was explained this way. Once I started interpreting modes as "scales" beginning on certain degrees of the major scale - the method against which you advise, then everything made sense to me. From there, I was able to piece together the "major with a flat 7" approach. It probably depends on how you first learned it. BOTH METHODS OF INTERPRETATION ARE NECESSARY, and people are usually only taught how to think about it from one direction. That leaves you staring at the wall instead of looking around the room. It doesn't matter which wall you're facing. This was a very thorough explanation of one approach, though. Well done!
Very true. I was never able to comprehend altering the C Major scale in so many ways because there was no explanation as per how everything in music is relative and must be placed into it's proper "context." to fully see the whole picture. When I started to see that there are 7 C modes located in 7 different Keys, it all started to make more sense. Here are all of the C modes and the actual Keys each C is contained within. G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, & Db. Uniquely, these Keys are all conveniently located on the Circle of 5ths in a perfect sequence moving counter-clockwise in 4ths. Since this kind of musical perfection can happen for the Key of C, then it can also happen for all modes which will summarily show up in 7 Keys with each starting point on the 12 degrees of the Circle. All of the answers are right in front of us all the time. We just need to perceive how to see them. The key to learning this thought process is knowing your scales both alphabetically and numerically. All the rest will fall in place when you begin to think alpha-numerically..
Exactly. This is a little more towards just memorization, vs a fun trick that can help you if you can’t remember. I have a memory disability, so the fun trick is what got me through school. I do wish my professor had spent more time relating the darker scales to minor, though, this was really helpful, even if I won’t remember what to flat or sharp.
The way I'm going to remember them is as following: If we start with the major scale, we got Ionian. Want to go brighter? Sharpen the 4th, and we have Lydian. Want to go darker? Flatten the 7th, and we have Mixolydian. Both modes close to the major scale have lydian in their name, I'm sure that's helpful. If we start with the minor scale, we got Aeolian. Want to go brighter? Sharpen the 6th and we have Dorian. Want to go darker? Flatten the 2nd and we have Phrygian. Want to go even darker than that? Flatten the 5th and we have Locrian. In other words, I think it's easier to remember, Dorian, Phrygian and Locrian by their relation to the minor scale, rather than to the major scale.
Phrygian is the darker one. Mixolydian is the mellow one. Dorian is a less sad mode for cheerless songs. Give hope and brightness. Aeolion has a cool more laid back sound. Locrian sounds bad because of the b5 a tritone. So use the phrygian to avoid the tritone. If you want to use locrian avoid the 5th. Lydian has a magical sound.
Heres every information i have wih these modes. Dorian- a less sad mode. Giving more brightness and hope for cheerless songs. Applying ethereal intriguing quality to a melody. A less minor mode Phrygian - Sounds dark & unnerving but also exotic. Gives elusive mysterious sort of sound. Most appear in rock and hiphop songs giving the right tonality and mood. Lydian - has a bright, ethereal magical sound. Has a potent sound. Mixolydian - sounds mellow, relaxed, bluesy yet bold sound. Its a less directional than a major scale. Its like a cool c major scale and gives joy to a song Aeolian - has a mournful solemn sound. Gives a song a cooler more laid-back sound Locrian - Not recommended and hard to use for composing music because of the dissonance of the b5 a tritone. Instead use the Phrygian to avoid the dissonance. But if you wanna use locrian just avoid the 5th.
Excellent explanation, thanks. Those “dark” modes don’t sound so dark in cultures that use them a lot, eg Greek, Persian, Turkish, Arabic have gleefully happy music that is all kinds of minor. Ethiopian music often uses flattened 5th scales/ modes. Balkan music often includes flattened 2nd with major 3rds.
I was going to ask if Locrian was rarely used in music in general or rarely used in Western styles of music. You named a lot of Middle Eastern/Eastern Europe cultures and an African culture as using these "rarely used" types of scales.
Also, Phrygian is strongly associated with Spanish guitar. For example, _concierto de aranjuez_ (second movement - the famous bit) is basically just a phrygian scale.
Actually it is just B minor normal key stuff. Spain by chick corea borrows the form. However the solo cadenza passage toward the end, is actually in G# Phrygian. Compare the two sections to hear the difference
@SheetFiber that's Phrygian dominant, as most Arabic music uses a ton of semitonal, if not microtonal degrees for their styles. Spanish music is typically diatonic and will frequently "borrow" chords, other voicings, etc
After dozens of weak, lengthy videos about modes I found this to be the best explanation ever. This is concise, short and straight. I'd wish I could find this video waaay earlier.
This is by far the best guide to modes I've found. I'll be watching this atleast once a day for the next month and a half when I have my entrance exam for the music conservatory
I have spent many hours in workshops, reading and watching TH-cam videos trying to understand modes. I mostly understand them now and how to use them. However, I wish I had seen this video before all that. This is the clearest, easy-to-understand, dare I say 'obvious' explanation of modes I've encountered. I find all your videos terrific. Thanks.
Even when playing existing pieces, I sometimes use modal interchange to accentuate the emotion of a certain musical moment. For example, if I want to inject some hope or triumph into a song that's written in Aeolian, I might play a major IV chord where a minor iv should be, momentarily moving into the Dorian mode.
Ever since I started listening to Yes I have been fascinated with the way they (Steve Howe especially) jumps around keys with modes so fast you can't tell half of the time. I recommend them for learning some interesting ways to use modes and parallel keys
Perfect! This is exactly how I think of modes and I also think it's easier for the brain to remember differences relative to other scales than remembering all the absolute intervals.
For the beginners thats even more confused as me Ionian = all white keys starting with C Dorian = D Phrygian = E Lydian = F Mixolydian = G Aeolian = A Locrian = B It confused me even more for some reason But I still learn something on this video, like when to use those kinds of scales. Still a great video
But can you play them in every key easily? You need to know the pattern of each in order to play in every key. Add what you know about starting on C then add all of this so you can move around the keyboard with ease. I have an issue with teachers stick with C and in the middle of the keyboard. Students are then scared of black notes and the other octaves. They cannot easily transpose.
I've been telling people for YEARS about relating modes to the major and minor scale. I pretty much tell everyone that there's 3 modes based around a major chord (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian), 3 minor chords (Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian), and a diminished one. Modes are often taught rather ineffectively, and so many people get confused with them. This was a great video! I also try to explain to people that learning how resolutions happen and where the progression resolves would be your tonic, or the key of the song. I pretty much tell everyone keys are most likely going to be in a major or minor key, and the characteristic notes of the modes are just unique accent note within the key that provide extra color and tension to the root.
For me, instead of memorizing which notes are flattened from it's major or minor counterpart. I figured which notes have the half step between them. Each mode should have two, everything else is a whole step.
I really like this angle on modes; the arrangement from 'brightest' to 'darkest' appeals to my emotional memory vs the intervals moving which appeals to my logical memory Thank You! --instant new subscriber👍
I have a really big question: How do you keep the gravity of the scale around the 1st degree? How do I keep the Dorian C from falling into the BbM or the Gm?
@@maheshpadalingam3137 I've been experimenting with this ever since asking. I'll try incorporating open triads as a concept. I really like the sound of that wide tone spread.
Figure out the things that make Bb Maj/Gm sound like Bb Maj/Gm and stay away from these things. For example (Bb Maj): the chords **Bb** - Eb - F (these can also sound like they belong in Gm), melodies from the Major Scale and common chord progressions like 1-5-6-4 or 2-5-1. You _could_ use these eventually but if you do use them sparingly You can play melodies from the Dorian (Focus on the 1, b3, 6, b7) or use a V7 (G7 in this case) to make your rote note C, more significant. (V7 in Dorian would be out of key but acceptable.) You can also just Play Cm very often and for a very long time. Dorian is a very ambiguous mode. It doesn't really have a clear sound of its own. Its not _quite_ Major and it's not _quite_ minor. It is Closer to Minor than Major however, hence the Cm chord being the root of the Dorian mode. I would suggest listening to music in Dorian to get a better feel the mode. One example would be 15 Step by Radiohead
the actual pitch of the written notesvaries from one mode to another (he does touch on this) Enharmonic equivalence is a artefact of equal temperament,and doesnt work in just intonation
I like the way you think. When I teach the modes, and my students are supposed to recognize them aurally, my first question is always "is it basically major or basically minor." They get it easily that way.
Another handy thing to remember about the six non-locrian modes is their relationship between major and minor pentatonic. I like to think of major pentatonic as the background of lydian, ionian and myxolydian, and minor pentatonic as the backbone of dorian, aeolian and phyrigian. The modes are about how you make seven from five, and where you put those pesky minor seconds and tritones.
I was taught to consider "mode" and "mood" as having close association. It can be quite helpful to associate certain modes with certain players......... Lydian mode with Joe Satriani, Phrygian with Al Di Meola, Dorian with Carlos Santana, etc.
Absolutely brilliant, I’ve known for a while the relation modes have with the major scale, but not really come across clear examples highlighting their purposes before now!
After years of playing. Mostly by ear on 🎹 and 🎸. I started hearing about modes.. possibly 10 years ago and only learned their purpose last year A very quick way to learn them is write out 12 major scales. I only learned them accurately about a year ago Anyways .copy them in a row. All the modes there. It's amazing. Let's worked with just a few. Bb is not for beginners, but is a confidence builder. Bb (C D Eb F G A Bb) C D( Eb F G A Bb C D Eb) F G A Bb C D Eb F G A Bb.. It really is amazing that the Eb Lydian is in the third parentheses. Lydian is the major scale with a #4.. An A I think this works in every scale. Eb Lydian is as above is (Eb F G A Bb C D Eb), Eb major scale has no A in it.. Just write out the C scale continuously ..as I did the Bb scale. C D E F G A B C D E .... Try to G to G. A quick way to get the G mixylydian G A B C D E F G . Scale degrees of G 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 .. It's amazing that this can be done in all 12 keys.
I’ve been trying to understand these concepts for years, whereas I considered only 14 scales now you opened my eyes to 98. (Or 91 I’ll use). Thank you so much!!
This is *so* much more helpful than the typical style of teaching. When I was first taught modes, I was just like "ok, that's cool, how is this any different from the major scale?" and then immediately forgot about it because it seemed useless, and now I'm realizing how incredibly indispensable it is
My band teacher teaches scales this way. Last semester in jazz studies we had to do all 12 major, mixolydian, dorian, and blues scales. For example I remember blues as 1 b3 4 #4(b5) 5 b7 1. And in concert band we have to do just one key at a time, for example right now we have been doing D major, the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor. Just start of the 6th scale degree to switch to the minor, then raise the 7th for harmonic, or for melodic raise the 6th and 7th on the way up and lower on the way down. I remember last year I didn’t really bother remembering what scale degrees to change, I just read the scales. After taking jazz studies I find it easier to remember what scale degrees are changed.
It's interesting from the perspective of a middle eastern watching how you interpret phrygian. For us it is synonymous with the sound of sadness and grief
This is a great primer on modes, and I wish I had found it a year ago :) I don't know a lot of music theory, but I've spent the last couple years trying to learn more. Originally learning about modes I was convinced I'd just never get it. Every source I ever found make it so opaque... I eventually did the same thing you do here, by starting with Ionian, and diagramming which degrees differed and how, and identifying the major vs minor modes. I was blown away by how relatively simple it actually is to understand. The extra details you've included here really help tie it up for me.
If you start from the Lydian, which is brightest, then flat the 4th, next is Ionian, then flat the note a fourth away from that, the seventh, this gets the myxolidian, continuing in this way, stepping down fourths will get you all the modes, this time in order from brightness to dark
It's a very good way to explain it to someone who is not very familiar with modes. However I always wonder why people explain just the modes from the major/natural minor scale. There is so much more to say about the different modes of the other minor scales, especially for someone interested in writing music for media. I'd love to see them covered in a coming video, it could give people a lot of interesting ideas
This is very interesting to me. My first theory teacher briefly introduced us to finding the modes by knowing which notes are sharped/flatted, and then he said "but there's an easier way" and showed us the first way you described, the starting on different notes in the major scale. I still find that way easier when it comes to finding the notes of the mode I'm looking for, but I'm gonna try using the other tips you have to know when to use each mode in compositions and what each one sounds like.
This was the way I was taught modes in my theory 1 class in undergrad, and I'm so, so grateful for it, because it was so clear and made so much sense relative to scales I was already familiar with (major/minor). It took me until my second year of grad school (right now, and about 7-8 years after aforementioned theory 1 class) to understand the scale degree version at all, and I would still not use it if given the choice between the two methods.
Thank you Mr Leach. Way back in the 1970’s when I was at college, was a guy from NoVA who “knew the 7 Modes.” He played a fender Stratocaster. and he kept the info to himself, and wouldn’t even tell his fraternity brothers. Now, 43 years later thanks to You, I can apply it myself with some work. Additionally, thanks for pairing a specific mode with various sentiments…purely medieval mindset. Thanks greatly.
Your method is how normally these scales are being thought in music schools in Latvia. I like this approach much better. So easy to create these scales from any note. You also have good examples. Thank you!
Very clear explanation - this video (and one from Jason Zac) finally unlocked my understanding of modes. All of your videos take concepts otherwise presented as obscure and difficult and reveal their simple inner elegance. We are indebted.
THANK YOU! I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THIS CONCEPT! ugh I was so exhausted with all that theory coming at me in the other 184892 TH-cam videos I had to watch to finally get to your video. I just wanted to understand how to apply it and you finally helped me understand this. You're a great teacher
I'm so happy I already learned all of that when I was a 9 year old kid. Using the different modes and the 'colour palettes' of chords and sounds that typically come with each mode is therefor like a natural thing to me to apply when composing and looking for a certain feeling, a mood an thus... a MODE. 🙂
I'm confused at about 1:15. You saying if you play on all white keys but start on G... well are you still thinking in the key of C you were previously talking about or are you saying now were in the key of G?
Brilliant video. Literally I was thinking, hey I just need to know these modes differ, but I'll probably have to watch 7 videos to figure it out. Nope! You've got them all covered. Nice job.
I use this trick for mode scales. For say C dorian being the second mode, the trick is to think of what scale has C for it's second note, which is B flat. What scale is C the forth note of, and that is G, so C lydian is the G scale. C is fifth note of the F scale, so C mixolydian is the F scale. And so on.
@@Nullllus No. The videos I see show flat or sharps at scale degrees, for example like the lydian has a sharp 4. I just think that if I'm in C major, I'm going to be playing the G scale for the lydian sound, or the B flat scale for a dorian sound.
@@robertzillman1738 I'm talking about the beginning of the video which explains exactly what you're talking about. What if you play in C major and want to switch to C phrygian? What does this counting help you to achieve?
@@Nullllus I know that C Phyrigian will use the A flat scale, because C is the third note of the A flat scale. Also, the C triad chords will use those A flat 📝 notes too, which he didn't explain.
If you really want a deep dive into modes look into Iain Dixons book "Scales for obsessives". Covers all modes including harmonic and melodic minor, tells you what chords to use them on and uses this exact method of altering the home scale to get the mode. It's a lot of information but incredibly useful and can add so much flavour to your music.
Nice Video! I noticed you only mentioned major scale modes. You should do another one talking about Melodic Minor Scale Modes, and Harmonic Minor Scale Modes!
Take the diatonic scale and just change one note and you get the Harmonic minor, same can be said for the Melodic minor. Sharpen the 5th note = Harmonic minor & flatten the 3rd note and you get the Melodic minor. So they’re basically small alterations of the diatonic scale. To get all the modes from these scales you just target the chord tones (arpeggios) that outline the chord that belongs to the mode. (Basically the chords that belong to each of the scale degrees) This is the fastest most effective way to think about (and learn) all this. It cuts down the memorisation massively.
It's not trivial to leave out any mention of the (ascending) melodic minor mode and just focus on the "Church modes". The former is a standard (particularly in the jazz world), while the Locrian mode is hardly worth mentioning (as indicated in the video).
I used a circle of 5ths to learn the modes. For example, For for the Dorian mode, D is at the top of circle. The next key is A with one sharp, E with 2 sharps, B with 3 sharps, etc. Going to the left of D is G 1 flat, C 2 flats etc.
An important thing about modes is that the underlying harmony is really what dictates them. Without context, all the modes will sound the same regardless of which scale degree you begin or end on. If you create a progression using only the chords from the key of C major, but resolve to the ii chord (D minor), you've created a Dorian progression. If you play the C major scale over the D minor chord, you'll hear the D Dorian scale.
0:53 "[Learn modes ]In how they related to the major and minor scale" I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and I've been telling people for nearly as long EXACTLY what you said. The people that argue with me over modes stop at "Oh, I played a major scale starting on the 3rd; it MUST be Phrygian" when they dont want to dig a bit deeper into properly understanding modes.
Finally a good explanation. I tried the so-called easy ways several timed but never really understood. This one is easier to understand for and easier to remember.
what if I make up some time for you...if you comprehend what he just explain A aeo, maj7 = Harmonic min A dor, maj7 = melodic min A phry maj7 = Harmonic min b2 ( Bb lyd #6) A dor b2, maj7= Harmonic min b2 ( Bb lyd #5, #6) A aeo b5, maj7= Harmonic min b5 A dor b5, maj7 = melodic min b5 A aeo #4, maj7 = Double harmonic min A dor #4, maj7 = Lyd diminished or Lyd b3 or like this....b3, b6, b7 = ( NATURAL min) They're also the SECOND ARPEGGIO of the 1, 4, 5 chords A min.......D min.........E min A min D min E7 A min D7 E7 A MAJ D min E7 ( A Harmonic MAJOR = Ion b6) Those so call N6 chords ( Db of C MAJOR or Bb of A min) You could use lyd #6...Lyd #6...Lyd #5, #6....Lyd #2, #6 or even Ion #6 to VAMP or INSERT into b2.......b3........b5..........b6........b7 CHORD degree of a MAJOR scale Db Eb........Gb.........Ab........Bb The 5 BLACK NOTES or you can use FULL dim H/W Dor b2, #4.....AND Lyd b2, b7 ( Maj3 and min 3rd) There;s just modes from FULL W/H Harmonic min b5 and melodic mn b5 ( maj6 and min6) You can stack MAJOR, min, DOMINANT or dim chords every b3 intervals Vamp it over the G7 chord G7.........Bb..........Db...........E7 Notice Bb7 Db are also N6 chords.... pushing DOWN from C MAJOR towards C min b6 Harmonic MAJOR b3 melodic min b3, b6 Harmonic min b3, b6, b7 NATURAL min That's why you can play Db after C MAJOR or C min or....Bb after A MAJOR or A min as N6 chords example Bb lyd #6 You could Bb 3, 5, 7 Bb maj7 or.................Bb 3, 4, #6 ( same as Bb7) you .............Bb #2, #4...via Lyd #2, #6 or Bb 3, #5 via lyd #5, #6 But I show you the Bb and Db as possible whatever chords when you apply A melodic min b2..it'll simply make Bb/D/F# AUG A min Bb7 into Eb Maj7 E7 into A min A min Bb7 into Eb min Gb MAJ G7 into C MAJOR Notice Db is V of Gb You could C Maj7 F min G7 into C MAJOR....via C Harmonic MAJOR Db maj7 to Gb/F# min G7 into C MAJOR notice F# min/A MAJOR use the Harmonic MAJOR to help push down towards A min aka PARALLEL A MAJOR or min
Thank you for your explanation. I have watched many videos on the topic and this is by far the clearest. What is missing from all of these videos is a video that describes how to use this knowledge. I understand the mechanics of the modes but still don't know how to incorporate them into a composition or solo. How do I create harmonies for these scales? What chords will work with each scale? Should I change modes every time I change chords within a song? A follow up video that applies this knowledge would be appreciated.
The chords for the mode are built from the notes of the mode. In the same way you get the triads for C major from the C major scale, you get the chords for D Dorian from the D Dorian scale. In other words, the exact same chords as C major but starting on Dm. The challenge/tricky part is not accidentally making D Dorian sound like C major by using expected chord progressions from C major. This video is in a composition context, not for taking a jazz solo over shifting harmonic changes. So in the sense of composition, you write a piece of music using that mode as your home 'key'.
I learned the modes by just remembering that they were a scale in a scale. For example the phrygian mode in C is the Ab scale played starting on C. The Dorian scale in the key of C is the Bb scale starting on C, etc. It was too hard remembering which notes to flatten or sharpen in all 7 modes.
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you so much. I've learned the "starting from X scale degree" in the past, but never understood to apply it to the HARMONY. It lead to me trying to do a Dorian Melodic phrase over a C Ionian backing track (when the D would come by) and feeling like it was just over complicated. Especially as when I Improvise I try to follow the chord changes anyways. Hearing the different harmonies and 1-4-5 examples using different modal positions made it much more clear what the characteristics/feelings and purpose of each mode is. Thank you very much
Thank you for this explanation. I had heard the first explanation and had only recently made baby steps toward your explanation, but the ranking of brightest to darkest put it all in context.
I like the way that emphasizes the characteristic of a mode (for example, the one with the flat 7). I like that method better than the one that starts at a different note.
Usually people plan their modes uses based in chords, but one significant thing that i think is often overlooked is their impact in melodies. For example, you might be writing in major, but then at some point you are in chord II, V or vii° and you decide to start a little melodic ascent or descent that starts or end in 2nd degree, that part will sound strongly Dorian flavored. Happened to me a lot and i would not understand why i was writing in minor and that specific bar sounded so happy, or in a major composition a certain bar sounded sinister, it is because you could be acidentally painting it in a mode depending on your melodies starting degrees on certain passages, regardless of what the chords are doing.
Jazz players do not see modes as "useless" at all. "Au contraire". Nice video 😌👍 Interesting analysis in therms of "bright" and "dark", but I feel that in Jazz way of seeing, the aspect of TENSION comes also to mind: the more or less tension caused by each mode. 😌👍
This is how I like to think of it. Even if it’s just a kind of shortcut. But it’s easy to apply that formula to a scale so you can generate a given mode when you need it.
Do you think you could do a video similar to this talking about the modes of the harmonic minor scales etc? Your explanations are so well recieved… hoping to take lessons in the future🤞🏽
While I agree that typically the modes are brighter the more sharpened the scale degrees are vs darker the more flattened, this should be taken with a grain of salt: Like take harmonic minor, technically it should be brighter because its seventh scale degree is not flattened (= the same as in Ionian) and therefore should be brighter than Aeolian. But most often it gives a far more intimidating or even scary sound than just Aeolian, which is sad but also quite mild. Or Hungarian minor which is harmonic minor with a raised 4th, but has an even more sinister sound to it than just harmonic minor. When you overdo it with sharpening scale degrees on the other hand, you can get very outlandish scales like Lydian augmented (5th scale degree sharpened), which results in the tonic chord being an augmented triad, which doesn't sound happy anymore in the classical sense. It creates a feeling of wonder, which can also be used in an unsettling way.
A great video and thank you very much for this. Every time I'm having trouble, or I'm stuck, or even when i am just trying to relax, your videos really help me through anything. This is also how a friend taught me these modes, with the characteristic interval and thinking with sharps and flats instead of mode names. Again, thanks..
When I'm playing around with music, personally I like to indicate the Ionian mode by throwing in both a maj7 and a add4 of that chord, so like Cmaj7 and Cadd4 for C Ionian.
I believe the modes were introduced as C Ionian , D Dorian, etc. only using natural notes of the modern piano because that’s how Monks long ago used to sing them for their chants and so forth. I think they were commonly known as “church modes”. Now since the Baroque Era( The time of Bach and his contemporaries )they learned about key signatures. Thus, the taking of Ionian and doing all the adjustments to the various scale degrees creates modes in every key in the western framework of music. Composers have used these to create different colours and moods in music since. The fact that a piece is written in a certain key signature only informs the players of how many sharps or flats are assigned to each notes in that key. But when you see adjustments to notes while playing you are probably playing around with modes and different tonal centres and modulations in the music. Like how a painter can use the primary Colors to create anything they want; so can a composer with the 7 notes of the major or minor scales. Pretty fascinating stuff.
OMG finally a video that explains modes properly and easily. So if I understand it. It's not starting the major scale (C Major) on a different note for everything different mode. But rather you can think of it like that conceptually because what this analogy of starting different modes on different notes of the C major scale is explaining is the modal structures effect on that key you start on. So if you are in D Dorian you would play it like if you were playing the C major scale starting on D. Because what you did is flatten the 3rd and 7th of the D major scale as per the Dorian modes structure (flat 3 and 7th). Making the D major scale all white keys on the piano like if it were actually a C major scale starting on D. Finally an explanation that makes sense. Why do so many people explain this so wrong. It's so confusing
As usual, thank you Ryan for your top notch videos. It would be interesting if you could make a video on the harmony used with modes, the tonic and the dominant/sub dominant chords, the harmonic rhythm, the strong and weak stress, the chords that should not be used since they imply resolution to the I. the duration of vamps, chord line cliches, ostinattos and such and such. I took Modal harmony at Berklee and I still believe there is a lot to be said about the harmony. Even more than the melodic aspect of modes. Cheers from Argentina.
FWIW: The other thing I found really helpful, was understanding that different modes, have different degrees of stability … you can play almost any chord combination in either Ionian or Aeolian, and unless you really push it, the tonal center will still be the tonal center … but if you make the wrong chord choices in most other modes, and especially the less stable ones … what was once the likes of E Phrygian VERY quickly turns into a mode with a stronger center of gravity, typically C Ionian or A Aeolian, whether you like it or not, and then poof! There goes all your work trying to setup a modal sound - so not all modes are equally stable, and this does effect your chord choices.
MODES (In 1 paragraph) The ability to play 7 chord sets from 7 degrees in any given major scale, shifting across a spectrum of 7 degrees to achieve a bright sound, or medium tonality or sad and dark. This gives a composer a range across a spectrum to write emotionally expressive music. Any piece of music written in a degree can then have 6 other options of pitch shifting applied to it.
The magic of the modes are the harmonies that can be derived through them via modal interchange. That’s the basis, from there the melodic possibilities open up. Just a tip for those guys that know their modes but are having trouble really evoking their sounds.
🍿 CHORDS Film Composers use for the HOLLYWOOD SOUND th-cam.com/video/ouyRJSt_dM8/w-d-xo.html
Ryan, Great video. Have you seen “Harmonic Experience” by W. A. Mathieu? He has a wonderful approach to the modes. Great video.
Finally an extremely clear explanation of modes. I love your use of the ranking from light to dark - makes a lot of sense. Thanks a million!
Glad to hear it was helpful!
it's pretty common to rank them like that. you'd find it in almost any book
@@aysegulozguler7712 Although that may very well be true not all books explain this as clearly as Ryan does. So: well done Ryan!
@@iamfrankbiesta yes he indeed did a good job! well done ryan!
Just go to the store buy a book
What's so important about knowing this is being able to transpose to any key easily. When everything is learned from C, people struggle to do this.
This. This is my problem.
I think it's CRUCIAL to know BOTH ways of interpreting the modes. I found it more confusing when it was explained this way. Once I started interpreting modes as "scales" beginning on certain degrees of the major scale - the method against which you advise, then everything made sense to me. From there, I was able to piece together the "major with a flat 7" approach. It probably depends on how you first learned it. BOTH METHODS OF INTERPRETATION ARE NECESSARY, and people are usually only taught how to think about it from one direction. That leaves you staring at the wall instead of looking around the room. It doesn't matter which wall you're facing. This was a very thorough explanation of one approach, though. Well done!
Very true. I was never able to comprehend altering the C Major scale in so many ways because there was no explanation as per how everything in music is relative and must be placed into it's proper "context." to fully see the whole picture. When I started to see that there are 7 C modes located in 7 different Keys, it all started to make more sense. Here are all of the C modes and the actual Keys each C is contained within. G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, & Db. Uniquely, these Keys are all conveniently located on the Circle of 5ths in a perfect sequence moving counter-clockwise in 4ths. Since this kind of musical perfection can happen for the Key of C, then it can also happen for all modes which will summarily show up in 7 Keys with each starting point on the 12 degrees of the Circle. All of the answers are right in front of us all the time. We just need to perceive how to see them. The key to learning this thought process is knowing your scales both alphabetically and numerically. All the rest will fall in place when you begin to think alpha-numerically..
Exactly. This is a little more towards just memorization, vs a fun trick that can help you if you can’t remember. I have a memory disability, so the fun trick is what got me through school. I do wish my professor had spent more time relating the darker scales to minor, though, this was really helpful, even if I won’t remember what to flat or sharp.
Thank you. Very useful. I had only considered starting on different degrees of each scale before. The examples are very helpful.
@@scottmoyer1357 what is the name of your channel ?
Yep.
The way I'm going to remember them is as following:
If we start with the major scale, we got Ionian.
Want to go brighter? Sharpen the 4th, and we have Lydian.
Want to go darker? Flatten the 7th, and we have Mixolydian.
Both modes close to the major scale have lydian in their name, I'm sure that's helpful.
If we start with the minor scale, we got Aeolian.
Want to go brighter? Sharpen the 6th and we have Dorian.
Want to go darker? Flatten the 2nd and we have Phrygian.
Want to go even darker than that? Flatten the 5th and we have Locrian.
In other words, I think it's easier to remember, Dorian, Phrygian and Locrian by their relation to the minor scale, rather than to the major scale.
Phrygian is the darker one. Mixolydian is the mellow one. Dorian is a less sad mode for cheerless songs. Give hope and brightness. Aeolion has a cool more laid back sound. Locrian sounds bad because of the b5 a tritone. So use the phrygian to avoid the tritone. If you want to use locrian avoid the 5th. Lydian has a magical sound.
Dorian is like a minor but with a b6. Making it less minor
edit：Oops i meant because of that sharpend 6 from the minor scale
Is it really work for any kind of genres? I will give some try...
@@thermitty_qxr5276 oh i guess you’re like the magical gatekeeper of subjective music then.
I’ve heard songs in Ionian major which sound dark.
@@CrankyRayy wdym
I really appreciate your dry/strait forward approach. A lot of youtubers try to 'spice up' the info, but I find this much more helpful.
Heres every information i have wih these modes.
Dorian- a less sad mode. Giving more brightness and hope for cheerless songs. Applying ethereal intriguing quality to a melody. A less minor mode
Phrygian - Sounds dark & unnerving but also exotic. Gives elusive mysterious sort of sound. Most appear in rock and hiphop songs giving the right tonality and mood.
Lydian - has a bright, ethereal magical sound. Has a potent sound.
Mixolydian - sounds mellow, relaxed, bluesy yet bold sound. Its a less directional than a major scale. Its like a cool c major scale and gives joy to a song
Aeolian - has a mournful solemn sound. Gives a song a cooler more laid-back sound
Locrian - Not recommended and hard to use for composing music because of the dissonance of the b5 a tritone. Instead use the Phrygian to avoid the dissonance. But if you wanna use locrian just avoid the 5th.
Excellent explanation, thanks. Those “dark” modes don’t sound so dark in cultures that use them a lot, eg Greek, Persian, Turkish, Arabic have gleefully happy music that is all kinds of minor. Ethiopian music often uses flattened 5th scales/ modes. Balkan music often includes flattened 2nd with major 3rds.
I was going to ask if Locrian was rarely used in music in general or rarely used in Western styles of music.
You named a lot of Middle Eastern/Eastern Europe cultures and an African culture as using these "rarely used" types of scales.
Yes, the whole light-dark thing is self-reinforcing cultural biases.
Also, Phrygian is strongly associated with Spanish guitar. For example, _concierto de aranjuez_ (second movement - the famous bit) is basically just a phrygian scale.
Actually it is just B minor normal key stuff. Spain by chick corea borrows the form. However the solo cadenza passage toward the end, is actually in G# Phrygian. Compare the two sections to hear the difference
I associate phrygian for arabic and metal music
@SheetFiber that's Phrygian dominant, as most Arabic music uses a ton of semitonal, if not microtonal degrees for their styles.
Spanish music is typically diatonic and will frequently "borrow" chords, other voicings, etc
After dozens of weak, lengthy videos about modes I found this to be the best explanation ever. This is concise, short and straight. I'd wish I could find this video waaay earlier.
This is by far the best guide to modes I've found. I'll be watching this atleast once a day for the next month and a half when I have my entrance exam for the music conservatory
I have spent many hours in workshops, reading and watching TH-cam videos trying to understand modes. I mostly understand them now and how to use them. However, I wish I had seen this video before all that. This is the clearest, easy-to-understand, dare I say 'obvious' explanation of modes I've encountered. I find all your videos terrific. Thanks.
Super clear. And a pro tip on modal interchange, mixing chords from different modes. Makes me wanna write.
Even when playing existing pieces, I sometimes use modal interchange to accentuate the emotion of a certain musical moment. For example, if I want to inject some hope or triumph into a song that's written in Aeolian, I might play a major IV chord where a minor iv should be, momentarily moving into the Dorian mode.
Ever since I started listening to Yes I have been fascinated with the way they (Steve Howe especially) jumps around keys with modes so fast you can't tell half of the time. I recommend them for learning some interesting ways to use modes and parallel keys
@@InventorZahranIsn't in Aeolian mode the 4th already in major?
@@SheetFiber No. In Aeolian, all the primary chords (1, 4, and 5) are minor. Dorian is the mode where the 4 chord is major.
@@InventorZahran Ah yeah, I count it wrong. In A aeolian, the 4th note is D not F.
Perfect! This is exactly how I think of modes and I also think it's easier for the brain to remember differences relative to other scales than remembering all the absolute intervals.
For the beginners thats even more confused as me
Ionian = all white keys starting with C
Dorian = D
Phrygian = E
Lydian = F
Mixolydian = G
Aeolian = A
Locrian = B
It confused me even more for some reason
But I still learn something on this video, like when to use those kinds of scales. Still a great video
But can you play them in every key easily? You need to know the pattern of each in order to play in every key. Add what you know about starting on C then add all of this so you can move around the keyboard with ease. I have an issue with teachers stick with C and in the middle of the keyboard. Students are then scared of black notes and the other octaves. They cannot easily transpose.
Nice! I was wondering because he mentioned it but never revisited it
I was a music education major in college, and I have never heard the modes explained so well and clearly! Thank you!
I've been telling people for YEARS about relating modes to the major and minor scale. I pretty much tell everyone that there's 3 modes based around a major chord (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian), 3 minor chords (Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian), and a diminished one. Modes are often taught rather ineffectively, and so many people get confused with them. This was a great video!
I also try to explain to people that learning how resolutions happen and where the progression resolves would be your tonic, or the key of the song. I pretty much tell everyone keys are most likely going to be in a major or minor key, and the characteristic notes of the modes are just unique accent note within the key that provide extra color and tension to the root.
For me, instead of memorizing which notes are flattened from it's major or minor counterpart. I figured which notes have the half step between them. Each mode should have two, everything else is a whole step.
That seems like even more to remember. Each mode is simply the major scale with one altered note.
I really like this angle on modes; the arrangement from 'brightest' to 'darkest' appeals to my emotional memory vs the intervals moving which appeals to my logical memory
Thank You! --instant new subscriber👍
I find it is definitely easier to think of modes as modifications of major and minor scales. Mixolydian and Dorian are quite common in pop music.
I have a really big question:
How do you keep the gravity of the scale around the 1st degree?
How do I keep the Dorian C from falling into the BbM or the Gm?
Probably the same way Mozart pinned down chromaticism to a key. Chords, triads, open triads probably? Maybe that would work.
@@maheshpadalingam3137 I've been experimenting with this ever since asking. I'll try incorporating open triads as a concept. I really like the sound of that wide tone spread.
Just end at C, you will make C sound like the tonal
Figure out the things that make Bb Maj/Gm sound like Bb Maj/Gm and stay away from these things. For example (Bb Maj): the chords **Bb** - Eb - F (these can also sound like they belong in Gm), melodies from the Major Scale and common chord progressions like 1-5-6-4 or 2-5-1. You _could_ use these eventually but if you do use them sparingly
You can play melodies from the Dorian (Focus on the 1, b3, 6, b7) or use a V7 (G7 in this case) to make your rote note C, more significant. (V7 in Dorian would be out of key but acceptable.) You can also just Play Cm very often and for a very long time.
Dorian is a very ambiguous mode. It doesn't really have a clear sound of its own. Its not _quite_ Major and it's not _quite_ minor.
It is Closer to Minor than Major however, hence the Cm chord being the root of the Dorian mode.
I would suggest listening to music in Dorian to get a better feel the mode. One example would be 15 Step by Radiohead
the actual pitch of the written notesvaries from one mode to another (he does touch on this) Enharmonic equivalence is a artefact of equal temperament,and doesnt work in just intonation
I like the way you think. When I teach the modes, and my students are supposed to recognize them aurally, my first question is always "is it basically major or basically minor." They get it easily that way.
Dude used modes to make a pokemon type chart and explained everything in 8 minutes🤯🤯this some top notch music education!
Another handy thing to remember about the six non-locrian modes is their relationship between major and minor pentatonic. I like to think of major pentatonic as the background of lydian, ionian and myxolydian, and minor pentatonic as the backbone of dorian, aeolian and phyrigian. The modes are about how you make seven from five, and where you put those pesky minor seconds and tritones.
Excellent footnote. Very useful.
I was taught to consider "mode" and "mood" as having close association. It can be quite helpful to associate certain modes with certain players......... Lydian mode with Joe Satriani, Phrygian with Al Di Meola, Dorian with Carlos Santana, etc.
This is the best explanation of modes I have seen, and I genuinely feel more informed. Thank you!
Absolutely brilliant, I’ve known for a while the relation modes have with the major scale, but not really come across clear examples highlighting their purposes before now!
After years of playing. Mostly by ear on 🎹 and 🎸. I started hearing about modes.. possibly 10 years ago and only learned their purpose last year A very quick way to learn them is write out 12 major scales. I only learned them accurately about a year ago Anyways .copy them in a row.
All the modes there. It's amazing.
Let's worked with just a few. Bb is not for beginners, but is a confidence builder. Bb (C D Eb F G A Bb) C D( Eb F G A Bb C D Eb) F G A Bb C D Eb F G A Bb.. It really is amazing that the Eb Lydian is in the third parentheses. Lydian is the major scale with a #4.. An A I think this works in every scale. Eb Lydian is
as above is (Eb F G A Bb C D Eb),
Eb major scale has no A in it..
Just write out the C scale continuously ..as I did the Bb scale.
C D E F G A B C D E .... Try to G to G. A quick way to get the G mixylydian G A B C D E F G . Scale degrees of G
1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 .. It's amazing that this can be done in all 12 keys.
I’ve been trying to understand these concepts for years, whereas I considered only 14 scales now you opened my eyes to 98. (Or 91 I’ll use). Thank you so much!!
This is *so* much more helpful than the typical style of teaching. When I was first taught modes, I was just like "ok, that's cool, how is this any different from the major scale?" and then immediately forgot about it because it seemed useless, and now I'm realizing how incredibly indispensable it is
I couldnt for the life of me figure out the practical use of modes until you broke it down with examples. Great video. Thank you.
I learned about modes really good from you, thanks!
Glad to hear it!
best explanation so far on yt
Wow, thanks!
My band teacher teaches scales this way. Last semester in jazz studies we had to do all 12 major, mixolydian, dorian, and blues scales. For example I remember blues as 1 b3 4 #4(b5) 5 b7 1. And in concert band we have to do just one key at a time, for example right now we have been doing D major, the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor. Just start of the 6th scale degree to switch to the minor, then raise the 7th for harmonic, or for melodic raise the 6th and 7th on the way up and lower on the way down. I remember last year I didn’t really bother remembering what scale degrees to change, I just read the scales. After taking jazz studies I find it easier to remember what scale degrees are changed.
It's interesting from the perspective of a middle eastern watching how you interpret phrygian. For us it is synonymous with the sound of sadness and grief
This is a great primer on modes, and I wish I had found it a year ago :)
I don't know a lot of music theory, but I've spent the last couple years trying to learn more. Originally learning about modes I was convinced I'd just never get it. Every source I ever found make it so opaque...
I eventually did the same thing you do here, by starting with Ionian, and diagramming which degrees differed and how, and identifying the major vs minor modes. I was blown away by how relatively simple it actually is to understand.
The extra details you've included here really help tie it up for me.
If you start from the Lydian, which is brightest, then flat the 4th, next is Ionian, then flat the note a fourth away from that, the seventh, this gets the myxolidian, continuing in this way, stepping down fourths will get you all the modes, this time in order from brightness to dark
This is INCREDIBLY helpful and clear!
You are the first person to actually explain this. I am subscribing.
It's a very good way to explain it to someone who is not very familiar with modes. However I always wonder why people explain just the modes from the major/natural minor scale. There is so much more to say about the different modes of the other minor scales, especially for someone interested in writing music for media. I'd love to see them covered in a coming video, it could give people a lot of interesting ideas
I hate when people try to explain them as being just the Ionian or Aeolian but a bit different. Each mode is its own thing!!
I didn't realize each mode had such a specific character, thanks for enlightening me!
This is very interesting to me. My first theory teacher briefly introduced us to finding the modes by knowing which notes are sharped/flatted, and then he said "but there's an easier way" and showed us the first way you described, the starting on different notes in the major scale. I still find that way easier when it comes to finding the notes of the mode I'm looking for, but I'm gonna try using the other tips you have to know when to use each mode in compositions and what each one sounds like.
This was the way I was taught modes in my theory 1 class in undergrad, and I'm so, so grateful for it, because it was so clear and made so much sense relative to scales I was already familiar with (major/minor). It took me until my second year of grad school (right now, and about 7-8 years after aforementioned theory 1 class) to understand the scale degree version at all, and I would still not use it if given the choice between the two methods.
Thank you Mr Leach. Way back in the 1970’s when I was at college, was a guy from NoVA who “knew the 7 Modes.” He played a fender Stratocaster. and he kept the info to himself, and wouldn’t even tell his fraternity brothers.
Now, 43 years later thanks to You, I can apply it myself with some work.
Additionally, thanks for pairing a specific mode with various sentiments…purely medieval mindset. Thanks greatly.
Press F for Locrian Scale. :(
my favorite
Or F# if you’re in the key of G (joke)
F 😢
Just found your channel two days ago and I’ve been binging
I use Locrian quite a bit for game soundtracks. You can mellow it out with instrument choice and your rhythm/tempo.
In addition, 1) Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian are built on a major pentatonic; 2) Dorian, Aeolian, and Phrygian are built on a minor pentatonic.
Your method is how normally these scales are being thought in music schools in Latvia. I like this approach much better. So easy to create these scales from any note. You also have good examples. Thank you!
Very clear explanation - this video (and one from Jason Zac) finally unlocked my understanding of modes. All of your videos take concepts otherwise presented as obscure and difficult and reveal their simple inner elegance. We are indebted.
The Best explaination I've ever heard !!! 😀 You were born to teach !!!
Thanks !!!
THANK YOU! I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THIS CONCEPT! ugh I was so exhausted with all that theory coming at me in the other 184892 TH-cam videos I had to watch to finally get to your video. I just wanted to understand how to apply it and you finally helped me understand this. You're a great teacher
Thank you, I start music college in the fall and I don't want to fall behind in classes! amazing and simple video.
I'm so happy I already learned all of that when I was a 9 year old kid. Using the different modes and the 'colour palettes' of chords and sounds that typically come with each mode is therefor like a natural thing to me to apply when composing and looking for a certain feeling, a mood an thus... a MODE. 🙂
I'm confused at about 1:15. You saying if you play on all white keys but start on G... well are you still thinking in the key of C you were previously talking about or are you saying now were in the key of G?
Start on G meaning G is “home” or the tonic pitch that the scale resolves to
@@RyanLeach thanks yep that all makes sense then
This video is amazing!!! As a composer myself, I find these informations extremely helpful!!! Thanks a lot!
The best MODES explanation in TH-cam.
Brilliant video. Literally I was thinking, hey I just need to know these modes differ, but I'll probably have to watch 7 videos to figure it out. Nope! You've got them all covered. Nice job.
I use this trick for mode scales. For say C dorian being the second mode, the trick is to think of what scale has C for it's second note, which is B flat. What scale is C the forth note of, and that is G, so C lydian is the G scale. C is fifth note of the F scale, so C mixolydian is the F scale. And so on.
Isn't it exactly the flaw that Ryan addresses in the beginning?
@@Nullllus No. The videos I see show flat or sharps at scale degrees, for example like the lydian has a sharp 4. I just think that if I'm in C major, I'm going to be playing the G scale for the lydian sound, or the B flat scale for a dorian sound.
@@robertzillman1738 I'm talking about the beginning of the video which explains exactly what you're talking about. What if you play in C major and want to switch to C phrygian? What does this counting help you to achieve?
@@Nullllus I know that C Phyrigian will use the A flat scale, because C is the third note of the A flat scale. Also, the C triad chords will use those A flat 📝 notes too, which he didn't explain.
If you really want a deep dive into modes look into Iain Dixons book "Scales for obsessives". Covers all modes including harmonic and melodic minor, tells you what chords to use them on and uses this exact method of altering the home scale to get the mode. It's a lot of information but incredibly useful and can add so much flavour to your music.
My god why was it never explained this way in university, this is so much easier to think about
This video is brilliant and awesome explanation of how to practically use modes, love the description of what kind of music it used for too. Bravo!!
Nice Video! I noticed you only mentioned major scale modes. You should do another one talking about Melodic Minor Scale Modes, and Harmonic Minor Scale Modes!
Take the diatonic scale and just change one note and you get the Harmonic minor, same can be said for the Melodic minor.
Sharpen the 5th note = Harmonic minor & flatten the 3rd note and you get the Melodic minor. So they’re basically small alterations of the diatonic scale.
To get all the modes from these scales you just target the chord tones (arpeggios) that outline the chord that belongs to the mode. (Basically the chords that belong to each of the scale degrees)
This is the fastest most effective way to think about (and learn) all this. It cuts down the memorisation massively.
It's not trivial to leave out any mention of the (ascending) melodic minor mode and just focus on the "Church modes". The former is a standard (particularly in the jazz world), while the Locrian mode is hardly worth mentioning (as indicated in the video).
You put a BIG smile on my face using Link to the Past for the Dorian example. 🙂
Bedankt
Thank you!
I used a circle of 5ths to learn the modes. For example, For for the Dorian mode, D is at the top of circle. The next key is A with one sharp, E with 2 sharps, B with 3 sharps, etc. Going to the left of D is G 1 flat, C 2 flats etc.
An important thing about modes is that the underlying harmony is really what dictates them. Without context, all the modes will sound the same regardless of which scale degree you begin or end on.
If you create a progression using only the chords from the key of C major, but resolve to the ii chord (D minor), you've created a Dorian progression. If you play the C major scale over the D minor chord, you'll hear the D Dorian scale.
0:53 "[Learn modes ]In how they related to the major and minor scale"
I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and I've been telling people for nearly as long EXACTLY what you said. The people that argue with me over modes stop at "Oh, I played a major scale starting on the 3rd; it MUST be Phrygian" when they dont want to dig a bit deeper into properly understanding modes.
I like that graph at 8:21, it sums it up perfectly
Finally a good explanation. I tried the so-called easy ways several timed but never really understood. This one is easier to understand for and easier to remember.
Thanks for using video games as examples and thanks for breaking down the interval formula for all the modes
I wasted YEARS getting to this understanding and am grateful on behalf of all the people who won't, because of this video!
Sorry you had to suffer so long!
what if I make up some time for you...if you comprehend what he just explain
A aeo, maj7 = Harmonic min
A dor, maj7 = melodic min
A phry maj7 = Harmonic min b2 ( Bb lyd #6)
A dor b2, maj7= Harmonic min b2 ( Bb lyd #5, #6)
A aeo b5, maj7= Harmonic min b5
A dor b5, maj7 = melodic min b5
A aeo #4, maj7 = Double harmonic min
A dor #4, maj7 = Lyd diminished or Lyd b3
or like this....b3, b6, b7 = ( NATURAL min)
They're also the SECOND ARPEGGIO of the 1, 4, 5 chords
A min.......D min.........E min
A min D min E7
A min D7 E7
A MAJ D min E7 ( A Harmonic MAJOR = Ion b6)
Those so call N6 chords ( Db of C MAJOR or Bb of A min)
You could use lyd #6...Lyd #6...Lyd #5, #6....Lyd #2, #6 or even Ion #6
to VAMP or INSERT into
b2.......b3........b5..........b6........b7 CHORD degree of a MAJOR scale
Db Eb........Gb.........Ab........Bb
The 5 BLACK NOTES
or you can use FULL dim H/W
Dor b2, #4.....AND Lyd b2, b7 ( Maj3 and min 3rd)
There;s just modes from FULL W/H
Harmonic min b5 and melodic mn b5 ( maj6 and min6)
You can stack MAJOR, min, DOMINANT or dim chords every b3 intervals
Vamp it over the G7 chord
G7.........Bb..........Db...........E7
Notice Bb7 Db are also N6 chords....
pushing DOWN from C MAJOR towards C min
b6 Harmonic MAJOR
b3 melodic min
b3, b6 Harmonic min
b3, b6, b7 NATURAL min
That's why you can play Db after C MAJOR or C min
or....Bb after A MAJOR or A min
as N6 chords
example
Bb lyd #6
You could Bb 3, 5, 7 Bb maj7
or.................Bb 3, 4, #6 ( same as Bb7)
you .............Bb #2, #4...via Lyd #2, #6 or Bb 3, #5 via lyd #5, #6
But I show you the Bb and Db as possible whatever chords
when you apply A melodic min b2..it'll simply make Bb/D/F# AUG
A min Bb7 into Eb Maj7 E7 into A min
A min Bb7 into Eb min Gb MAJ G7 into C MAJOR
Notice Db is V of Gb
You could C Maj7 F min G7 into C MAJOR....via C Harmonic MAJOR
Db maj7 to Gb/F# min G7 into C MAJOR
notice F# min/A MAJOR
use the Harmonic MAJOR to help push down towards A min
aka PARALLEL A MAJOR or min
Thank you for your explanation. I have watched many videos on the topic and this is by far the clearest. What is missing from all of these videos is a video that describes how to use this knowledge. I understand the mechanics of the modes but still don't know how to incorporate them into a composition or solo. How do I create harmonies for these scales? What chords will work with each scale? Should I change modes every time I change chords within a song? A follow up video that applies this knowledge would be appreciated.
The chords for the mode are built from the notes of the mode. In the same way you get the triads for C major from the C major scale, you get the chords for D Dorian from the D Dorian scale. In other words, the exact same chords as C major but starting on Dm.
The challenge/tricky part is not accidentally making D Dorian sound like C major by using expected chord progressions from C major.
This video is in a composition context, not for taking a jazz solo over shifting harmonic changes. So in the sense of composition, you write a piece of music using that mode as your home 'key'.
I learned the modes by just remembering that they were a scale in a scale. For example the phrygian mode in C is the Ab scale played starting on C. The Dorian scale in the key of C is the Bb scale starting on C, etc. It was too hard remembering which notes to flatten or sharpen in all 7 modes.
That's what he talked about in the beginning
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you so much.
I've learned the "starting from X scale degree" in the past, but never understood to apply it to the HARMONY.
It lead to me trying to do a Dorian Melodic phrase over a C Ionian backing track (when the D would come by) and feeling like it was just over complicated. Especially as when I Improvise I try to follow the chord changes anyways.
Hearing the different harmonies and 1-4-5 examples using different modal positions made it much more clear what the characteristics/feelings and purpose of each mode is.
Thank you very much
Thank you for this explanation. I had heard the first explanation and had only recently made baby steps toward your explanation, but the ranking of brightest to darkest put it all in context.
This is great - I have been confused watching other videos, but this explains Modes well 🙂
I like the way that emphasizes the characteristic of a mode (for example, the one with the flat 7). I like that method better than the one that starts at a different note.
Usually people plan their modes uses based in chords, but one significant thing that i think is often overlooked is their impact in melodies. For example, you might be writing in major, but then at some point you are in chord II, V or vii° and you decide to start a little melodic ascent or descent that starts or end in 2nd degree, that part will sound strongly Dorian flavored.
Happened to me a lot and i would not understand why i was writing in minor and that specific bar sounded so happy, or in a major composition a certain bar sounded sinister, it is because you could be acidentally painting it in a mode depending on your melodies starting degrees on certain passages, regardless of what the chords are doing.
I cannot thank you enough for this video and how you approached this. So helpful, man! SUBSCRIBED!
Jazz players do not see modes as "useless" at all. "Au contraire". Nice video 😌👍 Interesting analysis in therms of "bright" and "dark", but I feel that in Jazz way of seeing, the aspect of TENSION comes also to mind: the more or less tension caused by each mode. 😌👍
This is how I like to think of it. Even if it’s just a kind of shortcut. But it’s easy to apply that formula to a scale so you can generate a given mode when you need it.
Do you think you could do a video similar to this talking about the modes of the harmonic minor scales etc? Your explanations are so well recieved… hoping to take lessons in the future🤞🏽
While I agree that typically the modes are brighter the more sharpened the scale degrees are vs darker the more flattened, this should be taken with a grain of salt:
Like take harmonic minor, technically it should be brighter because its seventh scale degree is not flattened (= the same as in Ionian) and therefore should be brighter than Aeolian. But most often it gives a far more intimidating or even scary sound than just Aeolian, which is sad but also quite mild.
Or Hungarian minor which is harmonic minor with a raised 4th, but has an even more sinister sound to it than just harmonic minor.
When you overdo it with sharpening scale degrees on the other hand, you can get very outlandish scales like Lydian augmented (5th scale degree sharpened), which results in the tonic chord being an augmented triad, which doesn't sound happy anymore in the classical sense. It creates a feeling of wonder, which can also be used in an unsettling way.
A great video and thank you very much for this. Every time I'm having trouble, or I'm stuck, or even when i am just trying to relax, your videos really help me through anything.
This is also how a friend taught me these modes, with the characteristic interval and thinking with sharps and flats instead of mode names. Again, thanks..
Super clear and concise explanation in less than 10 minutes. Thank you!
Really great video Ryan. I think this is a better way to think about modes
Thanks, then mission accomplished!
When I'm playing around with music, personally I like to indicate the Ionian mode by throwing in both a maj7 and a add4 of that chord, so like Cmaj7 and Cadd4 for C Ionian.
I believe the modes were introduced as C Ionian , D Dorian, etc. only using natural notes of the modern piano because that’s how Monks long ago used to sing them for their chants and so forth. I think they were commonly known as “church modes”. Now since the Baroque Era( The time of Bach and his contemporaries )they learned about key signatures. Thus,
the taking of Ionian and doing all the adjustments to the various scale degrees creates modes in every key in the western framework of music. Composers have used these to create different colours and moods in music since. The fact that a piece is written in a certain key signature only informs the players of how many sharps or flats are assigned to each notes in that key. But when you see adjustments to notes while playing you are probably playing around with modes and different tonal centres and modulations in the music. Like how a painter can use the primary Colors to create anything they want; so can a composer with the 7 notes of the major or minor scales. Pretty fascinating stuff.
Thank you for simplifying the modes for me...I now am ready to conquer the Music Therapy Boards!🎶🙌🙌🙌🎉💕
This is great Ryan, very succinct - I'll point my students to this video when we start talking about modes. Thanks!
Thanks - you’ve changed my understanding of modes.
That was a good refresher. Thanks for taking ur time to explain.
OMG finally a video that explains modes properly and easily. So if I understand it. It's not starting the major scale (C Major) on a different note for everything different mode. But rather you can think of it like that conceptually because what this analogy of starting different modes on different notes of the C major scale is explaining is the modal structures effect on that key you start on. So if you are in D Dorian you would play it like if you were playing the C major scale starting on D. Because what you did is flatten the 3rd and 7th of the D major scale as per the Dorian modes structure (flat 3 and 7th). Making the D major scale all white keys on the piano like if it were actually a C major scale starting on D. Finally an explanation that makes sense. Why do so many people explain this so wrong. It's so confusing
Loving the Chrono Trigger reference. Great game. From now on i'll associate the Magus battle with the Phrygian mode. Thanks ;)
GREAT EXPLANATION!!!
As usual, thank you Ryan for your top notch videos. It would be interesting if you could make a video on the harmony used with modes, the tonic and the dominant/sub dominant chords, the harmonic rhythm, the strong and weak stress, the chords that should not be used since they imply resolution to the I. the duration of vamps, chord line cliches, ostinattos and such and such. I took Modal harmony at Berklee and I still believe there is a lot to be said about the harmony. Even more than the melodic aspect of modes. Cheers from Argentina.
Beautiful and clear. Thanks
FWIW: The other thing I found really helpful, was understanding that different modes, have different degrees of stability … you can play almost any chord combination in either Ionian or Aeolian, and unless you really push it, the tonal center will still be the tonal center … but if you make the wrong chord choices in most other modes, and especially the less stable ones … what was once the likes of E Phrygian VERY quickly turns into a mode with a stronger center of gravity, typically C Ionian or A Aeolian, whether you like it or not, and then poof! There goes all your work trying to setup a modal sound - so not all modes are equally stable, and this does effect your chord choices.
MODES (In 1 paragraph)
The ability to play 7 chord sets from 7 degrees in any given major scale, shifting across a spectrum of 7 degrees to achieve a bright sound, or medium tonality or sad and dark. This gives a composer a range across a spectrum to write emotionally expressive music. Any piece of music written in a degree can then have 6 other options of pitch shifting applied to it.
The magic of the modes are the harmonies that can be derived through them via modal interchange. That’s the basis, from there the melodic possibilities open up. Just a tip for those guys that know their modes but are having trouble really evoking their sounds.