Using modes of the major scale?

[Matt Hartman]

Very good piece, but I don't think I could have told it's Dorian. It was definately among the better mods I've heard both when it comes to sound and composing, but I struggled hearing the Dorian sound. Maybe it has to do with your method of tracking this mod.

He he, thanks Apple J...

I always start out with a directive when writing a peice, yet it never ends up exactly as intended. With this example I started with a G major A Dorian method. But I quickly got bored with revolving around a G major scale and then decided to do A minor Dorian instead of major.

Then all hell broke loose from there and your guess it as good as mine.

[Squirrel Havoc]

I always start out with a directive when writing a peice, yet it never ends up exactly as intended.

I know how that goes, my super-mellow ambient jazzy peice "In Tears" was originally going to be a high energy funk song. Kinda funny how things don't work out how you planned, but sometimes work out better

[Snu]

very nice song matt, reminds me a lot of earthbound...
not sure what you mean by 'a minor dorian'...? if you mean b dorian, that would be based on the a major scale.

looks like its mostly switching between Am and G chords, so neither of those has an F# note in it, which would explain why its hard to hear the dorian mode, its mostly just in the passing notes.

looks like its in a dorian until around pattern 23 where it starts getting chromatic... by pattern 27 looks like b minor... switching between harmonic and dorian and natural minor a lot, as minor is wont to do... then it gets kinda crazy, modulating every couple patters, i like that part :)
...and finaly ends up back at a dorian.

[apple-joe]

OK, keep the replies coming - I'm sure there are several who've got a piece or two in which modes dominate.

[apple-joe]

So, anyone familiar with the Melodic Minor and its modes? I think I might have used the scale three times or so in my tracking. Anyone who's got something to show?

[apple-joe]

I still await more tunes with mode examples by trackers. The interest has been surprisingly low this far?

[KelThuz]

The "Dorian" track is actually very Dorian, classical example, reminds me of King Crimson's Walking On Air. It has this mystical Dorian/Lydian effect.

There is also a very classical Dorian sound in the ancient Rome fanfares. Just recall the classical film soundtracks eg. from Ben Hur or from Gladiator. The fanfares are utilising Dorian mode in a specific way. For example, if we stick with the C major scale (white keys only): make a chord progression D minor - A minor , and play a D Dorian mode , starting with its 5th, that is A sound. You can either ascend on it or descend. Whatever you do - you get the ancient Roman fanfare sound , especially when you add a fourth to it, and play it with a brass section sound

The Lydian mode is a cousin to Dorian it terms of musically evoked mysticism, although it has the happier (major) tone to it.
Recall the Simpsons theme - it was written in Lydian mode, starting with its 5th and ascending.

My own observation is - it's the chord movement which strenghtens the modal feeling. If you write a tune on chord progression F major and G major only (in C major scale), you will get a Lydian tone to it, regardless of actually focusing on playing this mode.

Well, I don't have a mod example right here, but I can recommend listening to a song of mine I recorded with my band. The verse part (when vocals enter) is Lydian as hell
Link to the song

[apple-joe]

The "Dorian" track is actually very Dorian, classical example, reminds me of King Crimson's Walking On Air. It has this mystical Dorian/Lydian effect.

There is also a very classical Dorian sound in the ancient Rome fanfares. Just recall the classical film soundtracks eg. from Ben Hur or from Gladiator. The fanfares are utilising Dorian mode in a specific way. For example, if we stick with the C major scale (white keys only): make a chord progression D minor - A minor , and play a D Dorian mode , starting with its 5th, that is A sound. You can either ascend on it or descend. Whatever you do - you get the ancient Roman fanfare sound , especially when you add a fourth to it, and play it with a brass section sound

The Lydian mode is a cousin to Dorian it terms of musically evoked mysticism, although it has the happier (major) tone to it.
Recall the Simpsons theme - it was written in Lydian mode, starting with its 5th and ascending.

My own observation is - it's the chord movement which strenghtens the modal feeling. If you write a tune on chord progression F major and G major only (in C major scale), you will get a Lydian tone to it, regardless of actually focusing on playing this mode.

Well, I don't have a mod example right here, but I can recommend listening to a song of mine I recorded with my band. The verse part (when vocals enter) is Lydian as hell
Link to the song

Very, very, very interesting. I'm downloading the song. I'm gonna try your Dmin - Amin example. I have a habit of almost always starting on the root of my current chosen mode. Ie., working in D Dorian, I'll start on the D note - however, I do not have to do that. Nice idea!

About the F - G progression. True, it will sound Lydian, but you have to be careful. Remember the classic I - IV - V(7) progression? An F chord followed by a G somewhat prepares our ears for the C major chord. Hence, an efficient trick would be to include a static bass lines which plays the F note through the entire piece - even through the G chord.

[KelThuz]

About the F - G progression. True, it will sound Lydian, but you have to be careful. Remember the classic I - IV - V(7) progression? An F chord followed by a G somewhat prepares our ears for the C major chord. Hence, an efficient trick would be to include a static bass lines which plays the F note through the entire piece - even through the G chord.

yes, definitely! You may also not resolve to C major at all, but drone on F major all the way, or on F-G, and just play on it. I can't think of any popular songs or themes which utilize this at this moment, but I can recommend listening to Steve Vai or Polish highlanders' folk music , it is mostly this trick used there.
Well, I'm a fanatic of Lydian mode actually . Maybe it's because it is the only mode which begins with 3 wholetone intervals and it makes it so different, yet not so alien as the real wholetone scale.

[apple-joe]

About the F - G progression. True, it will sound Lydian, but you have to be careful. Remember the classic I - IV - V(7) progression? An F chord followed by a G somewhat prepares our ears for the C major chord. Hence, an efficient trick would be to include a static bass lines which plays the F note through the entire piece - even through the G chord.

yes, definitely! You may also not resolve to C major at all, but drone on F major all the way, or on F-G, and just play on it. I can't think of any popular songs or themes which utilize this at this moment, but I can recommend listening to Steve Vai or Polish highlanders' folk music , it is mostly this trick used there.
Well, I'm a fanatic of Lydian mode actually . Maybe it's because it is the only mode which begins with 3 wholetone intervals and it makes it so different, yet not so alien as the real wholetone scale.

Right. The Lydian mode is interesting, but also a little tricky. Please provide links to anything you got that is of Lydian character.

[Squirrel Havoc]

No offense guys, this is really interesting, but can anyone else follow this? I feel like I'm reading Greek  

[apple-joe]

As in you haven't read about the modes yet? Well, you should; it's interesting.

[apple-joe]

The "Dorian" track is actually very Dorian, classical example, reminds me of King Crimson's Walking On Air. It has this mystical Dorian/Lydian effect.

There is also a very classical Dorian sound in the ancient Rome fanfares. Just recall the classical film soundtracks eg. from Ben Hur or from Gladiator. The fanfares are utilising Dorian mode in a specific way. For example, if we stick with the C major scale (white keys only): make a chord progression D minor - A minor , and play a D Dorian mode , starting with its 5th, that is A sound. You can either ascend on it or descend. Whatever you do - you get the ancient Roman fanfare sound , especially when you add a fourth to it, and play it with a brass section sound

The Lydian mode is a cousin to Dorian it terms of musically evoked mysticism, although it has the happier (major) tone to it.
Recall the Simpsons theme - it was written in Lydian mode, starting with its 5th and ascending.

My own observation is - it's the chord movement which strenghtens the modal feeling. If you write a tune on chord progression F major and G major only (in C major scale), you will get a Lydian tone to it, regardless of actually focusing on playing this mode.

Well, I don't have a mod example right here, but I can recommend listening to a song of mine I recorded with my band. The verse part (when vocals enter) is Lydian as hell
Link to the song

I'm gonna link to the Dorian song again. Maybe I didn't concentrate as good as I should. I also listened to the song in your link a few days ago. I was surprised by the a hard rocking atmosphere. I have to listen to that one again too, as the rocking atmosphere almost made me forget about the Lydian-ness (or; Lydian-ity... what sounds best?)

[yrk]

OMG! I came from this:

I don't know. But how bout dis?
http://artman-dg.com/Dorian.it   :wink:

... to this:

Well, I don't have a mod example right here, but I can recommend listening to a song of mine I recorded with my band. The verse part (when vocals enter) is Lydian as hell
Link to the song

... and basically had a heart attack....  

Both are really cool though... I think I'll try to fiddle around a bit some of these scales...

[apple-joe]

Gonna listen to both again. They were quite different yes, weren't they.