KVR Audio

silenthill2006 · Post by **silenthill2006** » Mon May 11, 2009 1:58 pm

Can anyone suggest Chord Progressions for Aeolian mode? This is my first time trying to compose a piece in this mode and would appreciate some input. Thanks

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon May 11, 2009 2:18 pm

Chord progressions are usually associated with scales rather than modes but since the Aolian has long been used as a scale (the natural minor scale) you're in luck. If you google "natural minor progressions" you'll find lots of info.

silenthill2006 · Post by **silenthill2006** » Mon May 11, 2009 2:22 pm

nuffink wrote:Chord progressions are usually associated with scales rather than modes but since the Aolian has long been used as a scale (the natural minor scale) you're in luck. If you google "natural minor progressions" you'll find lots of info.

Thanks!!

giggedy · Post by **giggedy** » Mon May 11, 2009 8:32 pm

Modes are scales, no?

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Mon May 11, 2009 8:41 pm

Am - Am(b13)

That will give you a distinctly A Aeolian sound

EDIT: Nuffink is of course right, without a droning static tonic its gonna fall into the "natural minor" camp ...... thousands of progressions and songs, much more harmonic movement etc).

But the above two-chord progression will sound quasi-modal, due to the static tonic juxtaposed with the b13, which is a note that is distinctly aeolian.

I do exactly this in the opening bars (and throughout) of the song "In My Head" on our myspace ..... check it out if you want to hear that kind of sound.

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:09 pm

giggedy wrote:Modes are scales, no?

Not quite. Modes have a specific start point scales don't. The Major scale is the Major scale no matter which scale degree you start on. The Aeolian mode can only start on the 6th degree of the scale, the Phrygian only on the 3rd. Scales contain modes.

Rellik · Post by **Rellik** » Mon May 18, 2009 6:49 am

nuffink wrote:
giggedy wrote:Modes are scales, no?
Not quite. Modes have a specific start point scales don't. The Major scale is the Major scale no matter which scale degree you start on. The Aeolian mode can only start on the 6th degree of the scale, the Phrygian only on the 3rd. Scales contain modes.

My knowledge isn't super-cultivated, but I think that may be an overly technical way of looking at it.

When you refer to a scale you generally are specifically referring to the first mode of that scale. Looking at modes "of a scale" is useful in analyzing how those modes relate diatonically to other modes of that scale, but it's more common (and more generally useful) just to think of modes as "alternate scales" which simply have different (and distinctive) pitch patterns.

So I would say, yeah, modes are scales, basically.

daniel-b · Post by **daniel-b** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:15 am

Why did you call it aeolian? It's only natural minor, nothing special... :)

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:20 am

Aeolian is the "relative minor" to the ionian or major scale. In C, the aeolian would be the 6th degree, no flats or sharps. So in theory, the aeolian standard progression would be A minor, D minor, E minor as a 1/4/5

Where allot of people get thrown is that in a minor key, people frequently use the dorian as a soling technique.......that is a different story all together.

visa tapani · Post by **visa tapani** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:47 am

daniel-b wrote:Why did you call it aeolian? It's only natural minor, nothing special...

It's not natural minor if it's not used in a functional way, just as ionian is not major if it's not used functionally. For example Stravisnky uses aeolian and ionian but rarely major and minor.

Melkor wrote:Am - Am(b13)
That will give you a distinctly A Aeolian sound

Well that can be A harmonic minor as well. For example if you play Am - F - E9-8 you have a chord progression that starts like yours but sounds distinctly like harmonic minor.

daniel-b · Post by **daniel-b** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:54 am

nuffink wrote:
giggedy wrote:Modes are scales, no?
Not quite. Modes have a specific start point scales don't. The Major scale is the Major scale no matter which scale degree you start on. The Aeolian mode can only start on the 6th degree of the scale, the Phrygian only on the 3rd. Scales contain modes.

I think that's not 100% right, or am i misunderstood your post? I can start the aeolian on e (e-f#-g-a-b-c-d-e) and the the phrygian on a (a-a#-c-d-e-f-g-a) for example.

If you want to use only the white keys, than yes you have to start for the aeolian mode on the 6th and for the phrygian on the 3rd degree of the major scale/ionian mode.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:57 am

right, a white key only would be though in Aminor......though of course if it was Eminor it would indeed be the scale you mentioned (one sharp)

I think we are all kinda saying the same thing, just in different ways of typing

daniel-b · Post by **daniel-b** » Mon May 18, 2009 8:03 am

visa tapani wrote:
daniel-b wrote:Why did you call it aeolian? It's only natural minor, nothing special... :)
It's not natural minor if it's not used in a functional way, just as ionian is not major if it's not used functionally. For example Stravisnky uses aeolian and ionian but rarely major and minor.

Sorry, i don't see the difference until yet. Any example why a piece of music is in aeolian and NOT in natural minor?

Or did you mean is aeolian fixed to a?!

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Mon May 18, 2009 8:11 am

visa tapani wrote:
Melkor wrote:Am - Am(b13)
That will give you a distinctly A Aeolian sound
Well that can be A harmonic minor as well. For example if you play Am - F - E9-8 you have a chord progression that starts like yours but sounds distinctly like harmonic minor.

Well, i would have a serious hard time calling my progression A Harmonic Minor without the C and G# present.

The progression you gave has it, but mine does not.

Mine has a static tonic, or drone, which is a hallmark of modal in the sense that i thought we were using it (aeolian vs natural minor) ......

MUCH MUCH different to Harmonic Minor or, say, Natural Minor, which are much more "western" based and therefore abandon the ancient idea of "static tonics" for actual harmonic movement aka moving chord progressions aka the progression you listed.

Melkor · Post by **Melkor** » Mon May 18, 2009 8:34 am

daniel-b wrote: Or did you mean is aeolian fixed to a?!

The old modal system basically had a fixed note, as you describe, with other colour notes of the mode used at will, for almost exclusively melodic purposes.
Harmony didnt really exist then.

This is the sense that i use the term modal, as opposed to western harmony.

So for me:
Am - F - G - Am .... would be Natural Minor

and

Am - Am(no5,b13) - Am7(no5) - Am ... would be Aeolian

Hope that clears it up