Modes1

Modes

Modes are important to the keyboardist or bassist because it gives freedom to the player to be able to work with more notes than would be available if the performer simply appegiated the chords or only played the notes that are expressed within the chord symbol. Modes are not something you will right down and be able to use in your next church service. Modes are concepts that take a while to develop and use on the spot. However, the time used in learning the concept of modes is well spent and you will notice that you can be more confident if say you hear a "run in your head" and you are not to sure what it is and how to play it. Modes are "blocks" of foundation in your musical ability, something you can draw from and something that solidifies good musicianship.

Scales

First lets start out with what modes are built upon, scales.

-Major Scale formula in steps-
1-1-1/2-1-1-1-1/2

Example in C major
C-(whole step to a) D-(whole step to an) E-(half step to an) F-(whole step to a) G
-(whole step to an) A-(whole step to a) B- (half step to a) C

Natural Minor Scales
are based upon major scales they simply refer to the relative major scale.
You find the minor scale by just going up a minor third from your root.

Example in Eminor
E natural minor scale is based upon the major scale of G.
They have only one # (sharp) in their key signatures (that being F#).
So you start on an E and "act" like your actually on a G major scale.
E minor: E - F# - G (the realtive major) - A - B - C - D - E
G major: G - A - B - C - D - E (the realative minor) - F# - G

Harmonic Minor Scales
Harmonic minor scales are simply natural minors scales that have a natural seventh
The seventh in a natural minor scale is flatted. If you play a C natural minor scale you play;
C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
The Bb is the seventh and compared to a C major scale the seventh is Flatted.
C natural minor- C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - (Bb) - C
C major- C - D - E - F - G - A - (B) - C

C Harmonic Minor looks like this because of the natural seventh;
C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - (B) - C

example in A minor
A natural minor- A - B - C - D - E - F - (G) - A
A harmonic minor- A - B - C - D - E - F - (G#) - A

Applying Modes

Modes are best used when ever the chord presented is outside of the tonal key center. Chords built upon the tonal key center are made from this pattern (in Roman Numerals the capitol numbers represent a major chord, the lower case numbers represent a minor chord, except for the seventh and that is diminished)

I - ii - iii - IV - V - vi - vii(dim)
Example in C major:
C(major) - Dm(minor) - Em(minor) - F(major) - G(major) - Am(minor) - Bdim.(diminished)
Example in F major:
F(major) - Gm(minor) - Am(minor) - Bb(major) - C(major) - Dm(minor) - Edim(diminished)

A chord that is outside the tonal key center is anything that you might encounter within a particular key, that breaks the above rules given above. If, in the key of C major, you encountered a D(major) chord, you would have encounted a chord that isnt within the tonal key center. D(major) has an F# that is not within the major scale of C.
What would happen if you encountered an A(major) chord in the key of F major. A(major) presents a C# that is not found within the major scale of F, therefor it is out of the tonal key center.

Page 2

Home

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws