KVR Audio

Ildon · Post by **Ildon** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:34 am

ouroboros wrote:actually, Ildon your explanation makes the most sense to me, it's just that -lacking as I am, I understand at some level what you said, but I can't immediately imagine how it would sound differently.

It doesn't sound any different, really. At least not to me. I mean, there can be small differences I guess, but nothing drastic. People just like to call stuff "modal" I guess.

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:36 am

hence my confusion! When they describe a band as using modal harmonies, without specifying which modes, isn't that only slightly less vague than saying they use harmonies?

Ildon · Post by **Ildon** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:37 am

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:42 am

bastards!

Ildon · Post by **Ildon** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:46 am

I just ignore most western theory altogether. I used to make songs with like, 12 chords just in the first section. Not anymore, though. When someone says "harmony" to me, I go, "bollocks."

jimmythesaint · Post by **jimmythesaint** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 5:45 am

I think this page explains it better than I ever could :

http://www.outsideshore.com/primer/prim ... r-5-3.html

Btw, the rest of the info on this site is pretty top notch if you're interested in learning jazz.

DaveSmom · Post by **DaveSmom** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:26 am

U want D mode (Dorian) simply sit in from of k/board, start from D play only white notes ascending till next D

You want next mode, start at E, again only white notes. You get it?

It's fun

Another way to look at it:

Notes-wise only... D dorian = C major or A minor

Rock turnarounds.. eg. G F C, instead of C F G are actually modes, cool eh? It's just most muso's don't know it

LOL

Pink Floyd are mode fiends... Another Brick In The Wall is (mostly) Dorian

I prefer to use modes to augment harmony, jazz dudes, well that's another story and I don't wanna go there....

rp314 · Post by **rp314** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:31 am

As others have noted, the term "modal" is often used to mean harmonic styles that in some ways don't follow "traditional" harmonic theory. This like just about everything having to do with music theory can be vague, which does not mean that it is not useful and can't help you do interesting things.

An example might be a typical Spanish music progression made up of, say, E Major, F Major and G Major chords. This type of progression works well against a melody in the Lydian mode (E,F,G,A,B,C,D,E).

In Jazz the folks most associated with modal playing are John Coltrane (although Miles Davis and others were doing it before him) and McCoy Tyner. If you play the black keys on your piano a lot you're often playing in something akin to this.

In classical music many composers have done things in modal styles often based on folk music. Bartok, Stravinsky and others often avoided traditional harmony by using modal harmonies.

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:34 am

what about pop music? any modal examples there? I know it's a long shot..

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:38 am

ouroboros wrote:what about pop music? any modal examples there? I know it's a long shot..

Loads of it. Mostly C Ionian.

topaz · Post by **topaz** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:48 am

everything is confusing untill you know

I have tried to explain even the basic modal system to some and they just lock up and say "OMFG that is so hard"

others go "yeh thats simple"

ouroboros wrote:HA!
see, I knew it was confusing

CypherOne · Post by **CypherOne** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:50 am

topaz wrote:others go "yeh thats simple"

Hi!, I'm simple...

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:52 am

topaz wrote:everything is confusing untill you know

I have tried to explain even the basic modal system to some and they just lock up and say "OMFG that is so hard"

others go "yeh thats simple"

ouroboros wrote:HA!
see, I knew it was confusing

I just keep wondering what those damn columns have to do with music...

topaz · Post by **topaz** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:57 am

y
ou know how the modal system works ? so just play all those notes and make harmonys and melodys.

forgot the theory once you know it

ouroboros wrote:I just keep wondering what those damn columns have to do with music...

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:26 am

Just to add to the confusion (or not).

Say you're playing in C major and you play an A minor 7th chord. If you were a trained pianist you'd probably play A dorian over it, because dorian is the default mode for minor 7ths. Now A dorian contains an F# instead of an Fnatural, play it and you're playing in C major. Play the Fnatural instead and you've stayed inside the C Ionian mode. You've been playing modally. Or whacking away at the white keys, whichever you prefer.

##Music Theory- Modes?