Seems to me you got to the crucial point of modes, when you said "I AM C-Don't Mess With Me!" and started to explain it's not quite so easy to do that with Dm if you want to use the Dorian mode, and then manfully resisted any temptation to mention by far the most important thing to understand about modes, the question of tonal center. You even got to the stage of asking yourself if your riff was in fact in Dorian ("is this actually modal?") and then proceeded to make it undeniably Dorian without explaining what you were doing. You did this by putting a string progression under it, Dm-F-G-Dm, a progression that firmly established Dm as the tonic chord, the tonal center (by virtue of Dm starting the progression and then being repeated at the end of it). I only say this because just because you play a bunch of white notes and try to hit D a lot or start with D doesn't make it Dorian necessarily, nor is it in any way necessary to start with a D note at all for it to be Dorian. What matters for D Dorian is that you establish Dm as the tonic, the I chord, the tonal center, whatever you want to call it, and play all white notes over it, i.e. stick to the C major scale instead of the D minor scale that would normally be used over a chord progression starting with D minor. This is what confuses the hell out of people ( I know it did me) because virtually all videos about modes go on about scales and intervals but cry off dealing with the key issue of tonal center. Without understanding this people try to write something in Dorian, say, and then can't understand why it doesn't seem to work as advertised ( I know I did until I finally twigged it)
So if I understand you correctly, the catch to using a different mode is to 'introduce' a new tonal center to the same key. And that's why modes are so related to their actual key. I never really understood the place modes occupy in music theory ("It's kind of a key, but not really"), but that really makes sense to me.
@@RyanAvx Well, that's Guy's job really. Reason I posted that comment was 'cos he didn't explain, he cried off it. Reason he did that, of course, is the same reason why video after video about modes on UA-cam cries off it - it's blindingly obvious what it is if you already know but virtually impossible to explain simply and quickly to someone who doesn't. I hope Guy has another crack at this topic and figures out a good way to explain what tonal center is and why it's important. I'll say a little more in response to Bone Daddy's question below.
@@gerkirschbaum That's getting pretty close so you sound like very nearly there. Sticking with C major as example we got seven chords (C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim) and the scale is all the white notes etc. So if we have a chord progression C-Am-F-G7, say, we will all hear C maj as the I chord, the "home" chord, the "tonic" chord. This means C maj is the "tonal center". We say this song is in the key of C maj too. What it means is that we hear all the notes and chords in the piece relative to C and the C major chord in particular (what Guy meant by "I AM C-Don't Mess With Me") Now what Guy did was write a chord progression of Dm-F-G-Dm under his riff. He's using the same chords found in C major and he's using the C major scale (all the white notes etc) but we see/hear no sign of C major in it. Instead the progression (and the riff) are built on Dm so we hear everything relative to Dm, not C. Dm is the second degree of the "base" scale of C major so it is in Dorian, technically the Dorian mode of C major, usually called simply D Dorian. Another example based on the C major family would be the chord progression G-F-C-G. Here G is the tonal center, the I chord, whatever, and since G is the fifth degree of C major that's called the Myxolidian mode of C major or G Myxolidian for short. Same principle. Why this is important is that since Guy's tune has Dm as it's I chord you would expect the D minor scale to be used - D, E, F, G, A, B♭, and C. But it's not, the Bb is changed to B as it would be in the C major scale. A lot of people talk about this as "sharpening the 6th" which is one way of looking at it, and is very useful for practical playing purposes, but is also very confusing for composition and analysis purposes. Whatever the point is that this unexpected "sharpened 6th" B note and G major chord (it should be Gm by rights) sound "wrong" but in a very nice way - the Dorian way, it's what gives it the Dorian flavour or feel. General, if you want to know what mode a tune is in or you want to write a tune in a specific mode you should start with three rules of thumb which are almost always correct: Look at the chord progression of the piece and the tonal center will be found as: 1. The chord the progression begins with, unless........ 2. .......Another chord in the progression is played for longer than the first chord (and any other chord), or....... 3.........Another chord is repeated more times than the first chord (or any other chord) Almost always one of these will be true and tell you the tonal center (occasionally is will be ambiguous in which case you are dealing advanced modal music and/or composers deliberately messing with your head). All you have to do then is then check what "base" key the chords come from (and most folk know that easily enough) and if there's a variance with the tonal center you read off the mode according to the degree of the base scale the tonal center resides (so 2nd is Dorian, 3rd is Phrygian, 4th Lydian, 5th Myxolidian, 6th Aeolean (which is almost always just called minor) and 7th Locrian). To write your own tune in a specific mode you follow this procedure in reverse so-to-speak.
The crazy professor of music theory. Really, no one comes close to this man on youtube in terms of his succinct, easily conveyed and accessible manner of music theory and Ive watched so many videos. Would love to just sit with this guy and jam something out, Id probably learn more in a day than the last 20 years. Teaching is a gift that knowledge doesnt instill.
Simple and clear! Great! I put my cent on how to memorize modes: I) IONIAN = Major scale II) DORIAN = Natural Minor Scale with #6 III) PHRYGIAN = Natural Minor Scale with b2 IV) LYDIAN = Major Scale with #4 V) MIXOLYDIAN = Major Scale with b7 VI) EOLIAN = Natural Minor Scale VII) LOCRIAN = Natural Minor Scale with b2 and b5 Hope it could help :)
Excellent, explained by someone who clearly actually understands it, I’ve toyed with learning many times, but always ended up thinking I was missing critical parts. It’s still difficult to learn, but knowing where you should end up, is priceless, and extremely rare… you are a brilliant master teacher.
Hi Guy, I stumbled across your channel yesterday and already I'm hooked. Thank you so very much for re-igniting my passion for music composition and theory. I am sure I am not going to be the first person to tell you that your enthusiasm is totally infectious. Thanks again.
Nice explanation and demo - thank you Guy. I thought I would share my method of remembering the church modes in case it helps anyone. If you start with the Lydian Mode you will see from the video that this is based on the white notes starting on F. Where to go from there? Well - if you go in the order of the cycle of 5ths you will get white note modes starting on F, C, G, D, A, E, B. I prefer to think of the modes in this order rather than simply going from C to B up the C major scale. Listening to them in this order you should get the sense that they move from bright to dark in feeling. So there is a mnemonic - LIM DAP LOC F - Lydian C - Ionian (a regular major scale) G - Mixolydian D - Dorian A - Aeolian (a natural minor scale) E - Phrygian B - LOCrian An added consequence of thinking in this way is that, if you want to come up with a key signature that works for the mode starting on a particular note you want to write in you simply take the key signature of the major key that starts on that note and add sharps (or subtract flats) that are related to the base white note from the above list as follows: Lydian - subtract a flat (because one flat is the key signature of F major) - or add a sharp - means the same thing Ionian - change nothing Mixolydian - subtract a sharp (because one sharp is the key signature of G major) - or add a flat - means the same thing Dorian - subtract two sharps (because two sharps is the key signature of D major) - or add two flats - means the same thing Aeolian - subtract three sharps (because three sharps is the key signature of A major) - or add three flats - means the same thing - of course we are all used to this when talking about relative minor scales Phrygian - subtract four sharps (because four sharps is the key signature of E major) - or add four flats - means the same thing Locrian - subtract five sharps (because five sharps is the key signature of B major) - or add five flats - means the same thing Having said all that, lots of composers prefer not to use key signatures at all but just put in all the accidentals when writing in modal keys and that's cool too (ask any horn player)
Thank you good education during my afternoon coffee break. I often amuse myself, that lydian and dorian are neighbours in a posh cul de sac in Essex. I live a sheltered life.
Thank you. I'm just about to purchase my first midi keyboard, and the choice was between a model with a pitch and mod wheel and a volume slider or a cheaper one without it. Seeing your wheel-work in this video just convinced me that it is worth the extra money. Before watching this, I was thinking "when will I ever use pitch-bend? That's such a niche thing...", but this convinced me that I probably need it. I do not want to fall into the same trap I did when I got my first piece of DJ gear and opted for a cheaper model without a phase knob.
Blimey Guy, I've learned more since I discovered your channel than I ever learned during music lessons years ago at school - and I passed grade 5 theory and grade 7 violin.
Two and a half minutes in and I have a revelation! I now know what a mode is. Thank you for this simple explanation. I'll now watch the rest of the vid.
Mate, i just wanna say I effin LOVEE YOUUU!!! As a long term musician and a chef I felt exactly what you meant. Ive often seen these modes /scales and thought how cumbersome it would be to learn them all as i didnt understand the relationship between them and perhaps what I may already be aware of so I didnt bother learning for years and what you have showed me has made me kick myself🤣 God bless you and your brilliant gift not just of music but of being able to teach the unteachable (my dinasaur part of my mind that refuses improving on things it thinks it knows well)
A mode is simply starting to play on a different note of the scale-using different patterns of intervals, which produces a new colour. Ie: Begin on D play a Major Scale pattern (W W H W W W H) D E F# GB C# D# E producing a different sound. DORIAN MODE PATTERN: W H WW W H W Start on D: D E F G A B C D -is called D Dorian Therefore, modes result in a new pattern of Intervals, resulting in a different-sounding scale! Start on Bb: W H W W W H W BbC#D E F# G#A Bb, produces Bb Dorian. E: Phyrgian HWWWHWW F: Lydian G: Myxolydian A: Aolian B:
You know, sometimes someone tells you something and you feel like someone just ripped off your blindfold. I viewed several explanations on modes, and now it just fell into it’s place. Amazing feeling.
So fascinating. I'm a new subscriber and I have not had anyone explain and demonstrate music theory so clearly and enthusiastically the way you do. Thank you, Sir! 😊
In a sea of Logic this and Logic that, its refreshing to see Cubase on a PC for a change. Well done for the video, always informative and entertaining as ever.
Thanks, really great videos, have done electronic music for 30 years without learning the piano, lazy me, but this has been a new discovery for learning my great passion in life, I've skipped the laziness and now learning a lot thanks to your videos :)
This is really good - should be viewed by anyone who wants to get a better understanding of modes. Referring modes to tonal centres is something which is not well explained elsewhere. Also the final observation that one can take things further and use different scale patterns takes one to other places.
To relate it back to the natural ear, I'd add that what changes when going from C major to D ionian is the tone we hear as the tonic: the basic tone grounding it all because we hear all the of the tones of the scale in relation to it, and place the tonic chord in strategic points of the piece we write. Heard like that, in C major, C is the tonic DO, and CDEFGAB is DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO or I II III IV V VI VII, in D dorian, D is the tonic DO, and DEFGABC is DO RE ME FA SO LA TE DO or I II bIII IV V VI bVII ... . (movable Do solfeg, Do is always the tonic). Etc.
Aw Guy I missed the open house, I got the time change mixed up(Canada was 3 am, oops), no problem, will try and get the next one. Now with the modes, its been a while but I remember when I was younger, I would take a melody or a phrase, and transpose the same phrase through each mode as an exercise. It would always open up differnt musical doors and ideas..thanks playing with these modes is a great way to practice and end up in a creation mode...
The long-term paid music theory course is brilliant. There are moments where it feels like my head is going to explode (some of the notation for example but overall it is very enjoyable.
Basic understanding of the modes by starting on different notes of the same scale is fine but once you've got that, there's a better way of looking at it that will really unlock your understanding. Play the modes in a certain order on the same starting note. The order is sharpest to flattest, so you start with Lydian. In C: C D E F# G A B. Then you flat one interval at a time to go through all the modes. So flatting the #4 we get Ionian C D E F G A B. Then we flat the 7th for Mixolydian C D E F G A Bb. These are all major modes but from now on they'll be minor because now we flat the 3rd for Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb. Then the 6th for Aeolian C D Eb F G Ab Bb. Then the 5th for Phrygian C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb and finally the 2nd for Locrian C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb. We've gone from "most major/brightest" to "most minor/darkest" and we've flatted everything we can. Or have we? If you want an extra bit of fun you can do something very weird and flat the root. Wait what? You get Cb Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb, which is Cb Lydian or B Lydian. You're back to the beginning a semitone down. I think the "same scale starting on different notes" approach can get you hung up which "parent" the mode is from. To give examples from jazz we have Miles' So What and Bill Evans' Nardis which are in D/Eb Dorian and E Phrygian respectively. But because nearly all the chords look like they're in C major students usually try to improvise as though they were in C - it's that "parent" bias thing. Another insight from jazz/rock/Latin is the notion of "dominant equivalents" in the modes, most often encountered as vamps. The classic example is a I bVII pattern (as in On Broadway or even Hard Day's Night) - I is actually home and you're in Mixolydian... And of course all scales have modes - melodic and harmonic minor, harmonic major, double harmonic major, etc. Quite wacky stuff some of it...
This is great, thanks. I don't know if this is common practice but personally I just think of a major scale as 2212221 etc. It's a lot easier to say aloud (as opposed to "whole step whole step half step etc), plus I find it much easier to think about strings of numbers for some reason.
Brilliantly explained. You don't understand anything until you can explain it simply. A very almost existential concept explained in such an elementary way. Keep it up Guy, fantastic work.
Hey Guy always enjoy watching you compose and your animated teaching style. You have a very interesting contrasting textual selection process when it comes to voices in your pieces that are very inspiring. I always learned so much from your videos. Thank you, Greg.
Thanks Guy. Always makes feel good watching and listening to you. You are so creative, and always fill me with inspiration... and to top it all off, I get to have a good laugh 😂
Great explanation...but...A violin does not have any white notes, and guess what I play, so I have to learn what each mode sounds like, memorise that, and learn which notes and “flatted” etc in each mode. That is one example why music theory videos like this are so important. Knowing the theory really does make you a better musician.
There’s a time in your musical life that modal writing comes naturally to jump out of that diatonic rut. And it’s like you were stuck in a little room and someone opens the door and you see a world of trees, flowers, mountains and streams to explore. But that little comfortable room is always there return to as a home base, just to relax.
Guy, thanks so much for making this video. It's been baffling me all year and thought their must be a simple way of understanding this. Well, here it is, well done.
Guy It sounds more like background music for a fantasy film. With fairies flying or similar. Great job explaining the modes. A video explaining the different moods conveyed by each mode might be another good video. Good job
Your not wrong about it sounding like video game music. The shakuhachi line starting at 15:38 sounds alot like the skyrim main theme. Keep up the great content Guy.
Beautiful in every regard! Great explanation. Inspirational theme (getting strong Thomas Newman vibes from that piano theme). Plus, funny analogies part.
I remember the day I really grasped the color of the modes . It was one day when I played them ALL in one key . I think the trouble people have with them is that most often you hear them in reference to the major scale / c ionian b dorian d phygian ..etc .It just sounds like the major scale . So if you present them as / c ionian c dorian c phygian ... you actually hear them in all their glory .In addition you can use a specific chord that accentuates the scale . I remember for many years thinking it was some magic formula . lol However it's all the same notes ,,,,
Started video thinking "Oz Clarke plays piano?" by the middle I'd finally grasped something I couldnt get my head round when preparing for grade 6 cello as a kid, just brilliant, many many thanks for this video!
I struggle with the understanding of basic things due to being on the Autism Spectrum but your videos have been making understanding those things so much easier and I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
People learn in different ways. If you don't know what yours is or how you learn, you're going to have trouble. Particularly in school. They tend to bash away at explaining things only one way. They'll try to force you to do it auditorily when you need to have a hand on it to "see" it. For example.
Am I the only person wishing they could have private lessons with this superstar?! In fact, I'd be happy just to go and *meet* Guy and sit in the corner of his studio and just soak up his musicality.
The great thing about learning about the modes is that you learn that the harmony/chords behind the melody is/are 'instrumental' in making the mode work.
I have heard many people say that they have a home-base mode: the one that speaks to them the most and sounds most like their internal clockwork. And home-base changes as you age. I was dorian#4 for years, but now I am mixolydian.
@@TheSunshinedreamer1 Take any Dorian mode (where the root is the 2nd note of the Major scale) but raise the 4th a semitone. It is one of the harmonic minor modes.
Hello Thank you for the great info. I couldn't understand the name of the maker of Shakuhachi instrument you played. Could you please repeat it. thanks a lot
I once thought of viewing a tune in D dorian mode (uses Key signature for C), as being in the key of Dm. After all, the tonal centre or home chord for D dorian is Dm - so why not?. Well, apart from having to flatten all the Bb’s in the score, which is trivial, the D dorian common chords use notes from the C major scale. So the key signature has to be that of key C. If you use the scale for key F (Dm), the chord Bb would lead you to think the tonal centre is F (Dm) and not D Dorian. I think of the tonal centre as being the “home chord”, or where you feel the chords in the tune want to settle. There is an exception to common chords all using the notes in the key signature. In any tune, minor or major, the V chord is usually a dominant 7th chord which uses a major third and a flattened 7th. E.g, a tune in Am would use chord E7 instead of Em.
I have ADHD and i found that your way of teaching is the only one i have found easy to follow and not get distracted! Thank you for your work!
"So much terminology just to get in the way" - welcome to every discipline in the world
Two minutes and 28 seconds into this video and you have already cleared my confusion about modes. Thank you.
Seems to me you got to the crucial point of modes, when you said "I AM C-Don't Mess With Me!" and started to explain it's not quite so easy to do that with Dm if you want to use the Dorian mode, and then manfully resisted any temptation to mention by far the most important thing to understand about modes, the question of tonal center. You even got to the stage of asking yourself if your riff was in fact in Dorian ("is this actually modal?") and then proceeded to make it undeniably Dorian without explaining what you were doing. You did this by putting a string progression under it, Dm-F-G-Dm, a progression that firmly established Dm as the tonic chord, the tonal center (by virtue of Dm starting the progression and then being repeated at the end of it). I only say this because just because you play a bunch of white notes and try to hit D a lot or start with D doesn't make it Dorian necessarily, nor is it in any way necessary to start with a D note at all for it to be Dorian. What matters for D Dorian is that you establish Dm as the tonic, the I chord, the tonal center, whatever you want to call it, and play all white notes over it, i.e. stick to the C major scale instead of the D minor scale that would normally be used over a chord progression starting with D minor. This is what confuses the hell out of people ( I know it did me) because virtually all videos about modes go on about scales and intervals but cry off dealing with the key issue of tonal center. Without understanding this people try to write something in Dorian, say, and then can't understand why it doesn't seem to work as advertised ( I know I did until I finally twigged it)
If F and G are in a key.
It can only be C
So by default Dm is Dorian.
Am is Aeolian.
Em is phygian etc.
Any chance you could elaborate a little bit on what you mean by establishing tonal centre?
So if I understand you correctly, the catch to using a different mode is to 'introduce' a new tonal center to the same key. And that's why modes are so related to their actual key. I never really understood the place modes occupy in music theory ("It's kind of a key, but not really"), but that really makes sense to me.
@@RyanAvx Well, that's Guy's job really. Reason I posted that comment was 'cos he didn't explain, he cried off it. Reason he did that, of course, is the same reason why video after video about modes on UA-cam cries off it - it's blindingly obvious what it is if you already know but virtually impossible to explain simply and quickly to someone who doesn't. I hope Guy has another crack at this topic and figures out a good way to explain what tonal center is and why it's important. I'll say a little more in response to Bone Daddy's question below.
@@gerkirschbaum That's getting pretty close so you sound like very nearly there. Sticking with C major as example we got seven chords (C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim) and the scale is all the white notes etc. So if we have a chord progression C-Am-F-G7, say, we will all hear C maj as the I chord, the "home" chord, the "tonic" chord. This means C maj is the "tonal center". We say this song is in the key of C maj too. What it means is that we hear all the notes and chords in the piece relative to C and the C major chord in particular (what Guy meant by "I AM C-Don't Mess With Me")
Now what Guy did was write a chord progression of Dm-F-G-Dm under his riff. He's using the same chords found in C major and he's using the C major scale (all the white notes etc) but we see/hear no sign of C major in it. Instead the progression (and the riff) are built on Dm so we hear everything relative to Dm, not C. Dm is the second degree of the "base" scale of C major so it is in Dorian, technically the Dorian mode of C major, usually called simply D Dorian. Another example based on the C major family would be the chord progression G-F-C-G. Here G is the tonal center, the I chord, whatever, and since G is the fifth degree of C major that's called the Myxolidian mode of C major or G Myxolidian for short. Same principle.
Why this is important is that since Guy's tune has Dm as it's I chord you would expect the D minor scale to be used - D, E, F, G, A, B♭, and C. But it's not, the Bb is changed to B as it would be in the C major scale. A lot of people talk about this as "sharpening the 6th" which is one way of looking at it, and is very useful for practical playing purposes, but is also very confusing for composition and analysis purposes. Whatever the point is that this unexpected "sharpened 6th" B note and G major chord (it should be Gm by rights) sound "wrong" but in a very nice way - the Dorian way, it's what gives it the Dorian flavour or feel.
General, if you want to know what mode a tune is in or you want to write a tune in a specific mode you should start with three rules of thumb which are almost always correct:
Look at the chord progression of the piece and the tonal center will be found as:
1. The chord the progression begins with, unless........
2. .......Another chord in the progression is played for longer than the first chord (and any other chord), or.......
3.........Another chord is repeated more times than the first chord (or any other chord)
Almost always one of these will be true and tell you the tonal center (occasionally is will be ambiguous in which case you are dealing advanced modal music and/or composers deliberately messing with your head). All you have to do then is then check what "base" key the chords come from (and most folk know that easily enough) and if there's a variance with the tonal center you read off the mode according to the degree of the base scale the tonal center resides (so 2nd is Dorian, 3rd is Phrygian, 4th Lydian, 5th Myxolidian, 6th Aeolean (which is almost always just called minor) and 7th Locrian). To write your own tune in a specific mode you follow this procedure in reverse so-to-speak.
“Yup, it’s gonna work.” THANK YOU GUY FOR JUST SUMMING UP THE BEST FEELING A COMPOSER CAN HAVE!
The crazy professor of music theory. Really, no one comes close to this man on youtube in terms of his succinct, easily conveyed and accessible manner of music theory and Ive watched so many videos. Would love to just sit with this guy and jam something out, Id probably learn more in a day than the last 20 years. Teaching is a gift that knowledge doesnt instill.
I truly wish I had discovered a music teacher like you thirty years ago.
hello Guy, i just wanted to say thank you for pretty much singlehandedly taking the mystery and absolute befuddlement out of music theory ☕ cheers
Never heard, or seen, modes explained so simply and clearly. Thank you Guy!
Simple and clear! Great!
I put my cent on how to memorize modes:
I) IONIAN = Major scale
II) DORIAN = Natural Minor Scale with #6
III) PHRYGIAN = Natural Minor Scale with b2
IV) LYDIAN = Major Scale with #4
V) MIXOLYDIAN = Major Scale with b7
VI) EOLIAN = Natural Minor Scale
VII) LOCRIAN = Natural Minor Scale with b2 and b5
Hope it could help :)
Excellent, explained by someone who clearly actually understands it, I’ve toyed with learning many times, but always ended up thinking I was missing critical parts. It’s still difficult to learn, but knowing where you should end up, is priceless, and extremely rare… you are a brilliant master teacher.
Your energy level is just wonderful, the child in you is still alive that is what makes you so alive and full of energy.
Hi Guy, I stumbled across your channel yesterday and already I'm hooked. Thank you so very much for re-igniting my passion for music composition and theory. I am sure I am not going to be the first person to tell you that your enthusiasm is totally infectious. Thanks again.
Welcome aboard!
Nice explanation and demo - thank you Guy.
I thought I would share my method of remembering the church modes in case it helps anyone.
If you start with the Lydian Mode you will see from the video that this is based on the white notes starting on F.
Where to go from there? Well - if you go in the order of the cycle of 5ths you will get white note modes starting on F, C, G, D, A, E, B. I prefer to think of the modes in this order rather than simply going from C to B up the C major scale.
Listening to them in this order you should get the sense that they move from bright to dark in feeling.
So there is a mnemonic - LIM DAP LOC
F - Lydian
C - Ionian (a regular major scale)
G - Mixolydian
D - Dorian
A - Aeolian (a natural minor scale)
E - Phrygian
B - LOCrian
An added consequence of thinking in this way is that, if you want to come up with a key signature that works for the mode starting on a particular note you want to write in you simply take the key signature of the major key that starts on that note and add sharps (or subtract flats) that are related to the base white note from the above list as follows:
Lydian - subtract a flat (because one flat is the key signature of F major) - or add a sharp - means the same thing
Ionian - change nothing
Mixolydian - subtract a sharp (because one sharp is the key signature of G major) - or add a flat - means the same thing
Dorian - subtract two sharps (because two sharps is the key signature of D major) - or add two flats - means the same thing
Aeolian - subtract three sharps (because three sharps is the key signature of A major) - or add three flats - means the same thing - of course we are all used to this when talking about relative minor scales
Phrygian - subtract four sharps (because four sharps is the key signature of E major) - or add four flats - means the same thing
Locrian - subtract five sharps (because five sharps is the key signature of B major) - or add five flats - means the same thing
Having said all that, lots of composers prefer not to use key signatures at all but just put in all the accidentals when writing in modal keys and that's cool too (ask any horn player)
Thank you good education during my afternoon coffee break. I often amuse myself, that lydian and dorian are neighbours in a posh cul de sac in Essex. I live a sheltered life.
Ha!
@@ThinkSpaceEducation Teacher: You cannot hear comments
The comment:
That is the first time I truly finally understand what modes are actually.
Thank you.
I'm just about to purchase my first midi keyboard, and the choice was between a model with a pitch and mod wheel and a volume slider or a cheaper one without it.
Seeing your wheel-work in this video just convinced me that it is worth the extra money. Before watching this, I was thinking "when will I ever use pitch-bend? That's such a niche thing...", but this convinced me that I probably need it.
I do not want to fall into the same trap I did when I got my first piece of DJ gear and opted for a cheaper model without a phase knob.
Guy Michelmore you are a gold mine of musical inspiration !
Love your "How to write music" and ""Music theory" courses !
Thank YOU !
Blimey Guy, I've learned more since I discovered your channel than I ever learned during music lessons years ago at school - and I passed grade 5 theory and grade 7 violin.
7:46 Beautiful theme Guy! The perfect "Dorian" sound with a nice "Celtic" character.
MANNNN, I came for the modes and stayed for the music. just beautiful!
That piece of music was BEAUTIFUL!
I was in awe honestly!
You can do it too!
first charles, then guy, what a lucky man i am. i’m gonna be so good at modes by the end of this week
I was *just* thinking this
Who is Charles? What channel am I missing out on?
@@ergophonic Search for Charles Cornell
Just watched him as well!
I have struggled with theory for years! Finally! someone that makes sense of it all. Thank You so much.
Two and a half minutes in and I have a revelation! I now know what a mode is. Thank you for this simple explanation. I'll now watch the rest of the vid.
Best, simplest tutorial on modes (the scales thereof) to be found on UA-cam. Thanks!
I'm going to paint my room a nice shade of Deep Cringe.
JIM LUKET Avoid Deep cringe - personal experience, light cringe with an obtuse ceiling.
I saw a picture of my bedroom when I was 13 and back then I didn’t even realize it was deep cringe 🤔
Thank you Guy! This is how I was taught modes 45 years ago but so many current UA-camrs want to make it so much harder than it is.
Check this link out for a good modes primer: ua-cam.com/video/8z_MwotLh1M/v-deo.html. This guy nails it.
I love this dude!, learned more in 2 VIDEOS then in my whole life of playing (27 years) Thank you!!
Dang
Mate, i just wanna say I effin LOVEE YOUUU!!! As a long term musician and a chef I felt exactly what you meant. Ive often seen these modes /scales and thought how cumbersome it would be to learn them all as i didnt understand the relationship between them and perhaps what I may already be aware of so I didnt bother learning for years and what you have showed me has made me kick myself🤣 God bless you and your brilliant gift not just of music but of being able to teach the unteachable (my dinasaur part of my mind that refuses improving on things it thinks it knows well)
A mode is simply starting to play on a different note of the scale-using different patterns of intervals, which produces a new colour. Ie: Begin on D play a Major Scale pattern (W W H W W W H)
D E F# GB C# D# E producing a different sound.
DORIAN MODE PATTERN:
W H WW W H W Start on D:
D E F G A B C D -is called D Dorian
Therefore, modes result in a new pattern of Intervals, resulting in a different-sounding scale! Start on Bb:
W H W W W H W
BbC#D E F# G#A Bb, produces Bb Dorian.
E: Phyrgian HWWWHWW
F: Lydian
G: Myxolydian
A: Aolian
B:
The diagram @ 3:37 explained it better than I have ever seen elsewhere. That was my eureka moment! Thank you so much!
This has become my favorite UA-cam site. Thank-you.
Yes, I thought the same; it does sound like a game menu. It reminded me of Age of Empires somewhat.
THANKY YOU SO MUCH!!! You inspired me to learn more about music and now its my whole life!! You're the best Guy!
You know, sometimes someone tells you something and you feel like someone just ripped off your blindfold. I viewed several explanations on modes, and now it just fell into it’s place. Amazing feeling.
I’ve tried to understand modes for years and you made it seem like child’s play! Brilliant
OMG, this was so inspiring. I found myself drawing after you„ve started composing. Colors and shapes came so naturally. Thank you.
Dear Guy,
I am working as a Clown and I get so much inspiration by your marvelous and original lessons.
Clown Rudolfo
Thank you so much, Guy! I've always strugged with modes for some reason, but this has really helped. Lovely composition too.
So fascinating. I'm a new subscriber and I have not had anyone explain and demonstrate music theory so clearly and enthusiastically the way you do. Thank you, Sir! 😊
Phenomenal instruction. Thank you
In a sea of Logic this and Logic that, its refreshing to see Cubase on a PC for a change. Well done for the video, always informative and entertaining as ever.
Thanks, really great videos, have done electronic music for 30 years without learning the piano, lazy me, but this has been a new discovery for learning my great passion in life, I've skipped the laziness and now learning a lot thanks to your videos :)
This is really good - should be viewed by anyone who wants to get a better understanding of modes. Referring modes to tonal centres is something which is not well explained elsewhere. Also the final observation that one can take things further and use different scale patterns takes one to other places.
To relate it back to the natural ear, I'd add that what changes when going from C major to D ionian is the tone we hear as the tonic: the basic tone grounding it all because we hear all the of the tones of the scale in relation to it, and place the tonic chord in strategic points of the piece we write.
Heard like that, in C major, C is the tonic DO, and CDEFGAB is DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO or I II III IV V VI VII, in D dorian, D is the tonic DO, and DEFGABC is DO RE ME FA SO LA TE DO or I II bIII IV V VI bVII ... . (movable Do solfeg, Do is always the tonic). Etc.
Aw Guy I missed the open house, I got the time change mixed up(Canada was 3 am, oops), no problem, will try and get the next one. Now with the modes, its been a while but I remember when I was younger, I would take a melody or a phrase, and transpose the same phrase through each mode as an exercise. It would always open up differnt musical doors and ideas..thanks playing with these modes is a great way to practice and end up in a creation mode...
Hi Peter - We're doing a postgrad event on youtube tomorrow at 6pm UK time. And yes. I love modes
Peter HWS good tip, I’ll try that!
The long-term paid music theory course is brilliant. There are moments where it feels like my head is going to explode (some of the notation for example but overall it is very enjoyable.
That music you slapped together was beautiful. I teared up tbh.
Thank you Guy, I often wondered what modes was all about your explanation at the start has enlightened me!!
Basic understanding of the modes by starting on different notes of the same scale is fine but once you've got that, there's a better way of looking at it that will really unlock your understanding.
Play the modes in a certain order on the same starting note. The order is sharpest to flattest, so you start with Lydian. In C: C D E F# G A B. Then you flat one interval at a time to go through all the modes. So flatting the #4 we get Ionian C D E F G A B. Then we flat the 7th for Mixolydian C D E F G A Bb. These are all major modes but from now on they'll be minor because now we flat the 3rd for Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb. Then the 6th for Aeolian C D Eb F G Ab Bb. Then the 5th for Phrygian C D Eb F Gb Ab Bb and finally the 2nd for Locrian C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb.
We've gone from "most major/brightest" to "most minor/darkest" and we've flatted everything we can. Or have we? If you want an extra bit of fun you can do something very weird and flat the root. Wait what? You get Cb Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb, which is Cb Lydian or B Lydian. You're back to the beginning a semitone down.
I think the "same scale starting on different notes" approach can get you hung up which "parent" the mode is from. To give examples from jazz we have Miles' So What and Bill Evans' Nardis which are in D/Eb Dorian and E Phrygian respectively. But because nearly all the chords look like they're in C major students usually try to improvise as though they were in C - it's that "parent" bias thing.
Another insight from jazz/rock/Latin is the notion of "dominant equivalents" in the modes, most often encountered as vamps. The classic example is a I bVII pattern (as in On Broadway or even Hard Day's Night) - I is actually home and you're in Mixolydian...
And of course all scales have modes - melodic and harmonic minor, harmonic major, double harmonic major, etc. Quite wacky stuff some of it...
I realize this was done years ago...this is a treasure, thanks.
This is great, thanks. I don't know if this is common practice but personally I just think of a major scale as 2212221 etc. It's a lot easier to say aloud (as opposed to "whole step whole step half step etc), plus I find it much easier to think about strings of numbers for some reason.
"this is okay"... If only I had a fraction of your talent. Still, beautiful, inspiring and a great tutorial :)
Talent is the disciplene to practince when you arn't feeling inspiret or motivated.
I love your enthusiasm, thankyou Guy... 😀
Brilliantly explained. You don't understand anything until you can explain it simply. A very almost existential concept explained in such an elementary way. Keep it up Guy, fantastic work.
Thank you, You are right. Explaining stuff is a voyage of discovery.
this was one of the best lessons i have ever had... it completely removed the mystery about modes.. and the cart was really valuable thanks J
Hey Guy always enjoy watching you compose and your animated teaching style. You have a very interesting contrasting textual selection process when it comes to voices in your pieces that are very inspiring. I always learned so much from your videos. Thank you, Greg.
Dear Guy I think your a very nice Man. ! Bless You !
Love your lessons !
Best regards from Switzerland.
Talking about games... you're right, Guy. Your piano melody is _very_ close to the piano part of "Track 1" from the game "Banished"
Thanks Guy. Always makes feel good watching and listening to you. You are so creative, and always fill me with inspiration... and to top it all off, I get to have a good laugh 😂
Please make videos with pieces of music from each mode!
This is the most succinct and engaging explanation of modes I have seen. Great video, Guy!
Love this explanation and then the piece of music you go on to create is so beautiful.
So the root note of D reminds me of like every tavern song I've heard in video games...I like this.
Great explanation...but...A violin does not have any white notes, and guess what I play, so I have to learn what each mode sounds like, memorise that, and learn which notes and “flatted” etc in each mode. That is one example why music theory videos like this are so important. Knowing the theory really does make you a better musician.
That was helpful. Thanks for the straightforward explanation.
There’s a time in your musical life that modal writing comes naturally to jump out of that diatonic rut. And it’s like you were stuck in a little room and someone opens the door and you see a world of trees, flowers, mountains and streams to explore. But that little comfortable room is always there return to as a home base, just to relax.
Your way of teaching is brilliant and engaging 👍
I have been involved with this music theory before, but it's put so much helpful and simpler here! Thanks for gifting us!
loving your tutorials guy thank you
Guy, thanks so much for making this video. It's been baffling me all year and thought their must be a simple way of understanding this. Well, here it is, well done.
Guy
It sounds more like background music for a fantasy film.
With fairies flying or similar.
Great job explaining the modes. A video explaining the different moods conveyed by each mode might be another good video.
Good job
"I AM C-Don't Mess With Me!"
You Are A Great Teacher! SO Much love to U and YOURS : ) Cheers .
Nice, engaging video, Guy! Thanks for what you do for the field.
You’re honestly a legend guy!
Your not wrong about it sounding like video game music. The shakuhachi line starting at 15:38 sounds alot like the skyrim main theme. Keep up the great content Guy.
11/10, would tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone again
Another great video!!
Beautiful in every regard! Great explanation. Inspirational theme (getting strong Thomas Newman vibes from that piano theme). Plus, funny analogies part.
Thank you sir. I needed a lift today and your humor and exuberance were just the ticket.
Love the way your teaching , great work, thank you : )
Modes seem to be a really popular topic right now on UA-cam. I've watched two other videos on modes in the past three days and now here's the third.
Im changing my name to Dorian to get ahead
@@ThinkSpaceEducation The Video of Dorian Guy by Octave Styled
lol, was one of the videos on the Charles Cornell channel?
Guy, could you do a video on which instruments blend best in an orchestra? E.g. cello and bassoon, to create different colors that work well together
Demystifying .. demisting .. .. whatever .. and having fun .. Love it .. Thanks Guy
I remember the day I really grasped the color of the modes . It was one day when I played them ALL in one key . I think the trouble people have with them is that most often you hear them in reference to the major scale / c ionian b dorian d phygian ..etc .It just sounds like the major scale . So if you present them as / c ionian c dorian c phygian ... you actually hear them in all their glory .In addition you can use a specific chord that accentuates the scale . I remember for many years thinking it was some magic formula . lol However it's all the same notes ,,,,
This is the best advice in all of the comments I’ve seen in this video! It’s the way to truly crack the concept of modes in my opinion.
Started video thinking "Oz Clarke plays piano?" by the middle I'd finally grasped something I couldnt get my head round when preparing for grade 6 cello as a kid, just brilliant, many many thanks for this video!
thanks!
I struggle with the understanding of basic things due to being on the Autism Spectrum but your videos have been making understanding those things so much easier and I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
People learn in different ways. If you don't know what yours is or how you learn, you're going to have trouble. Particularly in school. They tend to bash away at explaining things only one way.
They'll try to force you to do it auditorily when you need to have a hand on it to "see" it. For example.
I really learn best on my own, slowly, some assistance like an understanding of techniques however can be assistive towards learning.
Am I the only person wishing they could have private lessons with this superstar?! In fact, I'd be happy just to go and *meet* Guy and sit in the corner of his studio and just soak up his musicality.
The great thing about learning about the modes is that you learn that the harmony/chords behind the melody is/are 'instrumental' in making the mode work.
How so exactly?
Very well done!!! Kudos and yay music theory!!! I used to also teach my students the interval system/tones = Majors/Minors!!!
I have heard many people say that they have a home-base mode: the one that speaks to them the most and sounds most like their internal clockwork. And home-base changes as you age. I was dorian#4 for years, but now I am mixolydian.
What is Dorian #4?
@@TheSunshinedreamer1 Take any Dorian mode (where the root is the 2nd note of the Major scale) but raise the 4th a semitone. It is one of the harmonic minor modes.
"DEEP CRINGE" - Spinal Tap's new comeback masterpiece. Much love, Guy!
Guy you are brilliant. Thank you!
Guy, you did subtle! I thought we didn't do subtle! Lovely piece and great explanation (as always).
Hello Thank you for the great info. I couldn't understand the name of the maker of Shakuhachi instrument you played. Could you please repeat it. thanks a lot
I once thought of viewing a tune in D dorian mode (uses Key signature for C), as being in the key of Dm. After all, the tonal centre or home chord for D dorian is Dm - so why not?. Well, apart from having to flatten all the Bb’s in the score, which is trivial, the D dorian common chords use notes from the C major scale. So the key signature has to be that of key C. If you use the scale for key F (Dm), the chord Bb would lead you to think the tonal centre is F (Dm) and not D Dorian. I think of the tonal centre as being the “home chord”, or where you feel the chords in the tune want to settle.
There is an exception to common chords all using the notes in the key signature. In any tune, minor or major, the V chord is usually a dominant 7th chord which uses a major third and a flattened 7th. E.g, a tune in Am would use chord E7 instead of Em.
Thank you Guy as always a pleasure to watch you! :)
You must record that modal gulping tea swallow, add reverb, a great video as usual, thanks Guy
7:14 Megalovania. (you're welcome)
So Guy,,,tomorrow I´m going to arrange a track called "Deep Cringe" in unnatural minor,,,all thanks to you !