A question regarding modes?

Question

I have been told that modes are basically notes from the same scale, but played in different starting positions it order to make them sound different. However, I wanted to ask if I need to start on the same note of my mode as the current chord on the chord progression?

E.g. Say I am in the key of C major. While playing a F major chord, do I need to start off my F Lydian scale with the same root note as the F major in order to define it as a mode? I.e. playing a F note with the F major chord?

Or can I start on a different note from the root note in the chord. I.e. Playing an "A" note instead of a F note on a F major chord?


Lastly, if I play an A minor chord of the C major chord progression while playing the D dorian mode, would I be playing in the Dorian mode or the Aeolian mode?

I find this concept of modes quite confusing, so it would be really helpful if someone could enlighten me.

Answer 1

q1 : you do not need to start you melody with the first note (tonic) of the mode, it's up to you to make a melody that "you" like above the chord progression, but, you should try to reflect the "feel" of the mode. play each mode as a scale and experiment making some simple tunes.



q2 : although the question seems rather confusing, but i get your drift :)

what you're asking is while playing dorian D you add an A minor chord to the progression, right ?



the A minor chord in D dorian is the dominant chord (fifth chord) of that mode, which will help emphasise the dorian mode.



Just a note: the only relationship between D dorian or F lydian to C major scale is the key signature.

consider each mode as a diiferent "type" of scale

we have major minor dorian phrygian etc.

learn each mode seperately, understand the spaces between its notes, and play them as scales alot to get the feel of each.

Answer 2

You've gotten more than a little bit mixed up about how modes work. Think of D dorian in the same way you would think about E major or d minor. For most purposes they function in exactly the same way.



A mode works in almost the way as the major and minor keys you are familiar with. like the major and minor keys a mode can start on any pitch. So piece or a passage is in the Lydian mode. The way you know if you're in that mode is because there is a specific relationship of functional harmony. So start off thinking about the major mode: you have a scale that is W-W-h-W-W-W-h. If you also want to think about harmony then the dominant chord is major and the tonic chord is major. The Dorian mode is W-h-W-W-W-h-W. which has a minor chord for both tonic and dominant. A mode is defined by its sequence of steps in it's scale and by the way its harmonies function.



Your first example would not really be in the Lydian mode unless there was a modulation away from the key of C. Even if the pitches on their own would make a Lydian scale you also have to consider the context. If the surrounding harmonies and melodies modulate away from C then it could be Lydian, although the most likely interpretation would simply be that the scale was a melodic flourish.



Your next example is gibberish:

"Lastly, if I play an A minor chord of the C major chord progression while playing the D dorian mode, would I be playing in the Dorian mode or the Aeolian mode? "



The terms are mixed up and describing things they shouldn't describe. If you could provide a link to score to show what you mean that would be helpful. Again modes are like keys. You need a context to establish them. Simply playing the sequence of notes DEFGABC does not necessarily mean you are in D dorian. You would need other clues from the harmony or repeated emphasis to establish that mode.

Answer 3

You are really over thinking everything; modes really aren't that complicated once you understand them. For example, in D major, playing a scale from one E to the next would be an E dorian scale, but you would stay in the same key as D. Here is a little cheat sheet that might help you. Each number is a degree of a scale; so for example in the key of C, 1 would be c, 2 would be d, 3 would be e and so on. There is no 8 as it is the same as 1. The mode name listed next to those numbers is the mode that it is when you play from one octave of a scale degree to the next while staying in the same key:



for major scales:

1: Ionian (major)

2: dorian

3: phrygian

4: lydian

5: mixolydian

6: aeolian (minor)

7: locrian



for NATURAL minor scales:

1: aeolian (minor)

2: locrian

3: ionian (major)

4: dorian

5: phrygian

6: lydian

7: mixolydian