CH 5- Modes and Other Scales

1. Modes

  • Simple Definition: Displaced Major Scale

    • Ex. FMaj: F G A Bb C D E F

      • Make different note the root

      • If replaced root sounded like root note, you have an official mode

      • Note the relationship between D and F (sixth) from last chapter

      • D minor scale and a mode of F major

  • Modes are formed when you call any other note besides the original root of the scale the root

  • 7 notes in Major Scale= Seven Modes

  • Used to spice up traditional Major and minor scales

Modal History

  • Gained prominence during golden age of Gregorian chants

    • Composed melodies of vocal plainchant

2.Modal Scales

  • Major Scales can be looked at from seven different angles- One mode from each note of the scale

  • Think of modes as their own entities, however closely related to Major scales

Ionian

  • Traditional Major Scale

  • W W H W W W H

Dorian

  • Major scale played from its second note

  • Minor-type scale with raised sixth; “flavored minor scale”

  • Pattern: W H W W W H W

Phrygian

  • Formed by creating scale from third note of parent major scale

  • Often used by Spanish composers

  • Minor scale with lowered second note

  • Pattern: H W W W H W W

Lydian

  • Formed from 4th note of the Major Scale

  • Provides striking, beautiful, bright sound- conveys uplifting spirit- used by film composers

  • Raises fourth note of Major Scale by half a step

  • Pattern: W W W H W W H

Mixolydian

  • Fifth mode of the Major Scale

  • Slightly darker sound related to Major scale

  • lowers seventh note of major scale a half step

  • Coincides with dominant seventh chord

  • Pattern: W W H W W H W

Aeolian

  • Sixth mode of the Major Scale (Natural Minor Scale)

  • Pattern: W H W W H W W

  • Major scale with lowered third, sixth, and seventh notes

Locrian

  • Seventh mode of the Major Scale

  • Pattern: H W W H W W W

  • Lowered second and fifth notes

Spelling modes on their own

  • Remember which number mode it is

  • Backtrack and find parent scale

  • Spell scale correctly

3. Other Important Scales

Major Pentatonic

  • Contain 5 notes per octave compared to Major and Minor Scales

    • Penta → Five

    • Tonic → “tones”/ “notes”

  • Major Pentatonic omites fourth and seventh tones

  • First, second, third, fifth and sixth notes of major scale

Minor Pentatonic

  • Leaves out second and sixth tones from a natural minor scale

  • First, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh notes of a natural minor scale

Whole Tone

  • Scale built entirely with whole steps; symmetric scale

  • Six note scale

  • Only two different whole-tone scales: C or Db

    • Forming on anything other than these will yield the same notes as C or Db whole-tone scales

  • C and D whole tone scales contain the same notes

Diminished/ Octatonic Scales

  • Diminished scale built on repeating intervals, always half or whole steps

  • Two varieties of diminished scales

    • One starts with pattern of whole-step, half-step intervals

    • One uses half step/ whole step intervals