Modes have been around even longer than the mandolin. They have survived for centuries in folk music and have emerged to the mainstream of popular and jazz music. While they may sometimes sound exotic, they are actually familiar to us in modern-day music, in standards we all know. This is a break down of the seven diatonic modes as used today.
Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine in Major Key followed by the same in a minor key. (Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine in Major Key followed by the same in a minor key.) We hear nearly all tonal music (particularly Western tonal music) in either a major or minor key. The home base of any key is the tonic triad made up of scale degrees 1, 3, and 5. What makes the key sound major or minor is whether the third scale degree is a major or minor third in relation to the tonic or home pitch or scale degree 1 (also, assuming the 5th is a perfect 5th as it usually is). All other scale degrees (2, 4, 6, 7) can have various characteristics, either adhering to…
The Seven Diatonic Modes: an established system for comparison The seven diatonic modes are have their roots in early music of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. These modes survived and thrived through the centuries in folk music and can be found today in popular music, rock, country, blue grass and jazz. Although the original modes of early times have been expanded upon (even Ionian and Locrian modes are later additions), we can use the 7 diatonic modes as basis for “weighing in” regarding the G-L Factor of other scales and elements of music. Ionian mode – identical to the major scale “c” to “c” using white notes on the piano Dorian mode – a minor scale with a raised 6th scale degree “d” to “d”…