How are the Seven Modes (Ionian to Locrian) Created?
How are the Seven Modes (Ionian to Locrian) Created?
What makes a mode?
Sup 👸🏻
Hope you’re having a great day. In the time of writing, its September 26. I’ve been having playing Splatoon because of the Gear vs. Grub vs. Fun Splatfest. The Splatfest is a festival that happens every few weeks. It was quite a gaming experience. It was night with a lot of lights, music, and dancing.
Hearing the modes used in Splatoon’s music made me look back when I started to learn about modes. It was really confusing to grasp at first. Nobody was teaching it in great detail. Every tutorial was different. And I learned later on that every student was having trouble. Now we are going to learn what makes a mode. This email is what I wished I read when I was learning this for the first time.
Coming up…
What about the other modes?
Brightness and darkness of Modes
How to understand if a mode is used
The seven modes fall into two categories: Major Modes and Minor Modes
Each mode is defined by one note
Modes are effects
What about the other modes?
There are other modes, like the Harmonic Minor Modes or the Melodic Minor Modes, but I am not going to talk about that right now. They are a different lesson. When people say “modes”, they often refer to the Seven Modes.
Brightness and darkness of Modes
The seven modes are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. Ionian is the the brightest sounding scale, while Locrian is the darkest. The diagram below shows how it is ordered. The scales with more raised note degrees (♯) gets brighter and brighter; and scales with lowered degrees (♭) it gets darker and darker.
How to understand if a mode is used
We can think of the diatonic notes in a scale as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The diagram above shows the formula on how to make each of the modes. Remember that any of the modes can be used in all the key signatures. This will your main tool in using or analyzing modes. Think of it as numbers.
There is nothing confusing about this. First, know your key signature; and second, use the formula to add the mode.
Example of the seven modes in the key of C major
The seven modes fall into two categories: Major Modes and Minor Modes
3 modes fall under the Major Modes category and 4 modes fall under Minor Modes category. Note that the scales above are just in the key of C Major.
Each mode is defined by one note
This one note helps to show what mode is used. Its the essence.
The Lydian has a ♯4th.
The Mixolydian has a♭7th.
On the minor side, the Dorian has a ♯6th.
The Phygian has a♭2nd.
The locrian has a♭5th and a♭2nd.
Modes are effects
Think of modes as effects; this will make you understand why composers use it.
After reading this, you will now be able to analyze if a song is using a mode! In the future, I’ll write why composers use modes and give examples. See you next week :)
For further learning
8-bit Music Theory - Tutorial Level 2: Modes
Ryan Leach - MODES: How to Understand & Actually Use Them | Music Theory
PianoPig - FREE 'MODES CHEAT SHEET’
Mode Calculator - Calculate any of the major scale modes!
Musician on a Mission - https://music-theory-practice.com/modes/mode-calculator.html