Scales & Modes???

spinland
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Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:57 am

rcsnydley wrote:
Excellent post gingold, thanks.

Just a quick observation, notice how the W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern moves one position to the right every time and the left most step wraps around to the end. This happens no matter what the beginning note is.

So the modes are really just the major step pattern starting from a different point in the pattern. What note we start with is dependent on the starting note of the "original" pattern. For example, if C is the "original" note then if we started at the third degree, the pattern would start on E and be H-W-W-W-H-W-W and be called the Phrygian mode.

Notice in the example above that the notes in C Ionian are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, likewise the note in E Phrygian are E, F, G, A, B, C, D, the same notes but a different starting note. This is not the same as the E major scale (Ionian) which has the notes E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#. In this case C would be the sixth degree and would have the same notes as the E major scale but start on C instead and be the Aoelian mode.

This would be a great thread to get started on the Theory board.



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Ric
You got it! One of the most famous examples of a "modal" song is the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby in Dorian Mode.


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Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:59 am

gingold wrote:
You got it! One of the most famous examples of a "modal" song is the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby in Dorian Mode.
What does "modal" song mean? Just the fact that it is a mode other than major or minor, or is there more to it than that?

MJ


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Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:06 am

Music Junkie wrote:
gingold wrote:
You got it! One of the most famous examples of a "modal" song is the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby in Dorian Mode.
What does "modal" song mean? Just the fact that it is a mode other than major or minor, or is there more to it than that?

MJ
Just the fact that it's in a different, non-major mode.


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Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:13 am

O.K., that is what I thought, but sometimes little things like that can trip me up later if I gloss over them without making sure.

Thanks again!

MJ


rcsnydley
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Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:23 am

Music Junkie wrote:
rcsnydley wrote:

BTW, this is in the Theory thread.

Cheers!

MJ
Sorry, MJ, I thought I was somewhere else.

Ric


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Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:31 am

Good god man! It's Friday! No need for apologies! Just hoist a pint today and practice till your fingers bleed......

MJ


jeffbokc
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Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:10 pm

rcsnydley wrote:
Music Junkie wrote:
rcsnydley wrote:

BTW, this is in the Theory thread.

Cheers!

MJ
Sorry, MJ, I thought I was somewhere else.

Ric
I'm always somehwere else :silly:


TGSuzanne
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Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:03 pm

For starters learning the Ionian, Dorian, and Aeolian modes are the most important. The Locrian mode comes in to use a bit more when playing jazz, so start by learning the big three starting from any note. That will make your job less daunting.


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