Discussion 2b - Modes and Pentonic Scales

Class Discussion

Order the modes from lightest to darkest.

• Lydian, sharp ^4

• Ionian, no changes from the major scale

• Mixolydian, flat ^7

• Dorian, flat ^3 and flat ^7

• Aeolian, flat ^3, flat^6, flat ^7

• Phrygian, flat ^2, flat ^3, flat ^6, and flat ^7

• Locrian, flat ^2, flat ^3, flat ^5, flat ^6, and flat ^7

“Why do the modes sound generally darker as we add more flats (or take away sharps)?”

• Partially from societal bias, partially from inherant consonance and dissonance built in our brains for survival purposes.

“How do most people think about modes?”

• As a major scale starting on different pitches. Using the same pitch collection with a different tonic.

“How do you label intervals?”

• It’s important to remember that a dyad (two notes played together) is different than an interval (the spae between two pitches).

• Intervals are labeled with a quality first (merfect, major, minor, diminished, and augmented), and a size next (unison, second, third, fourth, etc.).

• Harmonic intervals are intervals played together, melodic intervals are played seperately (one after another).

• Simple intervals are intervals within the octave, compound intervals are inervals are that stretch further than an octave.

Class discussion 2021

Modes of Happy Birthday From Lightest to Darkest

Lydian, sharp ^4

Ionian, no changes from the major scale

Mixolydian, flat ^7

Dorian, flat ^3 and flat ^7

Aeolian, flat ^3, flat^6, flat ^7

Phrygian, flat ^2, flat ^3, flat ^6, and flat ^7

Locrian, flat ^2, flat ^3, flat ^5, flat ^6, and flat ^7

Pentatonic Scales Tricks

-Take out the tri-tone notes (Degree 4 and 7) from the major scale for major pentatonic.

-Minor pentatonic can be remembered as taking out scale degree 2 and 6.

-Major and Minor are the same pitches, but just organized in a different order (different starting point). They are modes of each other.

Bobby McFerrin Video

He could demonstrate that the pentatonic scale can be used independently and easily taught.

Even though it is missing the two notes that we considered important scale degrees, if can still be expressive and interesting (and it is in our bones). The Major Pentatonic scale, how the audience knew about Mi and So (from McFerrin’s demonstration)

**Major Pentatonic: Do, Re, Mi, So, La or ^1, ^2, ^3, ^5, ^6.

**Minor Pentatonic: Do, Me, Fa, Sol, Te or ^1, ^b3, ^4, ^5, ^b7.

###Notes Continued on Wednesday September 1, 2021.

Mixed Modes Lydian Dominant (Do,Re, Mi, Fi, So, La, Te, Do). Compared to major, we have a raised 4th (fi) and a lowered 7th (Te). Lydian Dominant, rather than Lydian Mixolydian. Easier to say. Very useful for dealing with altered chords (we will get to that).

How to practice/learn the modes: for example, F Phrygian 1: (Relative): What scale is F the ^3 of? 2: (Parallel): What tones are altered in a Phyrgian Scale?

How to find Phrygian Dominant: Build a domninat scale upon the ^5 of the Phrygian scale. (a.k.a the locrian scale).

If you raise a pitch, you are wanting to resolve it upwards. If you lower a pitch, you want it to resolve downwards.

Further Reading

From Open Music Theory

The Chromatic Scale

The chromatic scale consists entirely of half steps, and uses every pitch on the keyboard within a single octave. Here is the chromatic scale that spans the pitches C4 through C5.