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James Banner



Last Updated: 11/30/2009

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Status: In a Relationship
City: Dudley
State: Midlands
Country: UK
Signup Date: 9/2/2007

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julian powell's solo vibes
June 24, 2008 - Tuesday 

Current mood:  happy
Category: Music

I hear many people ask me 'What is a mode?', and they sound really confused as though it is a strange and alien concept, when in all truth a mode is simply a scale starting and ending on a note other than the tonic note of the major scale.

Here is a really simple example I explained to someone not that long ago.

In one octave of the C major scale, you have the notes C D E F G A B and C. By playing those notes, you have just played the C major scale. But what happens if you play those notes, starting on D? (i.e. D E F G A B C and D), you get the D 'dorian mode'. There are many uses for modes, and there are 7 modes in the major scale (listed below in the key of C major). To get to the next mode, start the scale one note up from where you started last.

1st mode (Ionian mode/Major scale):

C D E F G A B C

2nd mode (Dorian mode)

D E F G A B C D

3rd mode (Phrygian mode)

E F G A B C D E

4th mode (Lydian mode)

F G A B C D E F G

5th mode (Mixolydian mode)

G A B C D E F G

6th mode (Aeolian mode/Natural minor scale)

A B C D E F G A

7th mode (Locrian mode)

B C D E F G A B

You can now see that you have arrived back at the original starting position of the C major scale. Of course, these modes are only worth learning if you're going to use them, and know how to use them, which is something I'll go into in another blog entry.

Currently listening:
Balance
By Adam Nitti
Release date: 2001-12-18
10:35 AM
 
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