Get started on your piano journey here: www.betterpian... Follow me! Instagram: bit.ly/2WoR7W1 Twitter: bit.ly/2I02YAt Facebook: bit.ly/2K4rHq8 TikTok: bit.ly/2X7pnlN
If you can build major (ionian) and minor (aeolian) by ear, the list becomes even easier. Ionian = natural major Dorian = minor 6 Phrygian = minor b2 Lydian = major #4 Mixolydian = major b7 Aeolian = natural minor Locrian = minor b2 b5 if you familiar with these go on with the modes of melodic minor Melodic minor Dorian b2 / phrygian 6 Lydian #5 Mixolydian #4 Mixolydian b6 / ("melodic major") Locrian 2 Altered scale / ("major #1 form the 7 xD") I personally have been able to memorize these since I have thought of these names. On the other hand, you should always understand the scales in context, which means that you don't need to know the full scales, just the intervals that set the scale apart.
I have an explanation that I like to give my students that combines these two ways of describing the modes. You take the pattern of whole steps and half steps, and cycle them. Ionian: WWH WWWH Dorian: WHW WWHW Phrygian: HWW WHWW Lydian: WWW HWWH Mixolydian: WWH WWHW Aeolian: WHW WHWW Locrian: HWW HWWW
@@moonshine7374 I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you mean. If you're playing the same notes, it's the same mode. We just usually describe everything in terms of ascending order. If you're wondering about inversion, where we play the same pattern of whole steps and half steps as Ionian, but descending, then yes that would be Phrygian.
I struggled remembering major modes for a long time but I remember it by organising them from the least amount of flats to the most (starting with Lydian with the #4), I created a sentence using the first letter of the modes to help me arrange them. It goes like this - Lydian - LIGHTS Ionian - IN Mixolydian - MID Dorian - DAY Aeolian - ARE Phrygian - PRETTY Locrian - LAME Seeing it written out numerically with it’s corresponding sharps and flats made it look like they were climbing from 7 to 3 to 6 to 2 to 5 etc. Am I over complicating this? Maybe. But I’m an autistic drummer that struggled with melodic music theory (or any theory for that matter) and found something that worked for me. And I applied it whether I had to listen and identify a scale or generally understand what notes belonged to what diatonic scale.
Same here, 6 years playing, 17 y.o. I didn't have much trouble understanding the modes, but I have no idea on how to use them. Really looking forward for the second video of modes
A way I used to remember all the modes is: I Don’t Punch Like Muhammad Ali, or I own the door to the fridge, but Lydia mixed up all the locks. (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian)
I'm gonna be honest... Using this is a terrible idea. Just learn the scales, it's not that hard. Learning them within context is a lot more efficient, though.
@@brianwong7347 I must be a genius then, cause it took me one day of actually using them to remember them. I don't think I am, though, I just pay attention. The reason I even said that in the first place is that if you need a whole mnemonic to remember them, you won't ever be able to improvise or anything like that. Sticking to a mnemonic is a sure fire way to NOT learn the names of the scales, or at least what they actually are.
After years of confusion with modes, I literally reached this conclusion on my own 1 week before I saw this video. This was exactly my method of thinking about modes, and I'm so happy that you can help other people understand it better!
Don't forget about the modes for the melodic minor scales! I = Melodic Minor Scale (b3) also called minor major. II = Phrygian #13 or Dorian b9 III = Lydian #5 or lydian augmented for cool kids IV = Lydian b7 or lydian dominant (Very nice scale to use in certain situations, I can explain if requested) V = Mixolydian b13 VI = Locrian #9 or half diminished for cool kids. VII = Locrian b11 or diminished whole tone if your a cool kid. These are the modes for melodic minor harmony.
Music theory is like math. Once you understand some of it, you'll see patterns of it everywhere. It really helps to write out notes and scales so you can identify the patterns more easily.
The way I see it, music theory *is* math. It's illustrated in different ways, but in the end, it's all just a bunch of combinations and intervals of semitones in relation to each other. It's called 12-tone equal temperament for a reason.
I think the easiest way to memorize them is in the order from bright to dark: Lydian: #4 Ionian: Normal Mixolydian: b7 Dorian: b7, b3 Aeolian: b6, b7, b3 Phrygian: b6, b7, b2, b3 Locrian: b5, b6, b7, b2, b3 There is a pattern here, too. The 7th is the first one to be flattened, then the 3rd one. Starting from there, the next note to be flattened is one lower than the ones already flattened, alternating, and starting with the 7th. So after you flattened the 3rd, you flatten the note one lower than the 7th, then the note one lower than the 3rd, and lastly again flattening the one one lower than the sixth. Sorry for the bad explanation lol
What if you were to extend this further.? The pattern is clearly moving up by 4 (b3 + 4 = b7). Moving upwards you get #1 , which is obviously impossible, and then #5. Is this like a scale above Lydian or what?
PCR Dominoes it goes back to locrian but in a different tonality (half step above). So if we are in C it goes Cminor (aeolian) and going up : C dorian, C mixo, C major (ionian), C lydian, C# locrian, C# phrygian, C#aeolian, etc... and it keeps going endlessly till you get back to C again
A good way to remember the order of brightness: Little Idiots Might Declare a Perplexing Limerick I think of it like you have a chain of fifths, right, and that's your scale. You pick one of the notes as your tonic, and the more notes that are "brighter", or higher in the chain of fifths compared to the tonic, the brighter the scale. For example, when the first note in the chain of fifths is the tonic, you wind up with Lydian, the brightest available mode. When the last note in the chain of fifths is the tonic, you wind up with Locrian, the darkest available mode. Basically, you can shift that chain of fifths along the circle of fifths and it gives you your alterations. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that every note also emits the sound of the fifth of the note inside of it, secretly and quietly, due to the overtone series. The missing fundamental effect is cool too, where if you sound out the overtone series of a note, your brain quietly fills in the fundamental note automatically, even though it isn't really there. Maybe our brain associates that with darkness, that "lack of what is naturally there"...
You don't have to memorize 7 3 6 blah blah and 4 1 etc for sharps. Just remember key signatures/circle of fifths. You're just adding the next sharp/flat. circle of fifths: F (one flat, Bb) -> Bb (two flats, Bb Eb) -> Eb (three flats, Bb Eb Ab) -> ... modes by brightness: F ionian (one flat, Bb) -> F mix (two flats, Bb Eb) -> F dorian (three flats, Bb Eb Ab) -> ...
As an educator myself, I enthusiastically commend the way your organized the information in this video. When you discuss the two ways of looking at the Harmonic Minor scale, you're providing your audience with a concrete example of how to "analyze" scales in two different ways forcing us to practice on the modes.
I also look at modes like that but I find more intuitive to separate them in major and minor modes and see the contrast between the major and minor scale, that way the difference between scales is easier to remember: Major Modes Ionian - Regular Major Lydian - Regular major with a #4 Mixolydian - Regular major with a b7 Minor Modes Aeolian - Regular Minor Dorian - Regular minor with a natural 6 Phryghian - Regular minor with a b2 Locrian - Regular Minor with a b2 and b5 Another very important thing that people often overlook in the explanations is that in order to get a Dorian sound or any other mode sound you have to remember that context is crucial. For the notes D E F G A B C D to sound Dorian you need some background harmony that implies that Dm is the central chord. Otherwise if your chords are C - F - G - C it doesn't matter how many time you play D E F G A B C D in sucession it won't sound Dorian
Locrian is diminished. Even if the third is a minor third, i would still create a special category for the only mode that doesn't have a perfect fifth.
I can not agree with you MORE. It is so much easier to use logic, that you mentioned. What is the point to compare minor greek scales with major natural ones? And without showing that THE TONIC/first step prevails - by any harmonic or polyfonic background - these scales will be just a theoretical thing, you're absolutely right.
100% it really helps a lot to divide them up and sort of compartmentalize them and catagorize them (with Locrean being the odd ball of course) for me at least.
When modes were explained to me I was told to relate them to either major (ionian) or natural minor scales and then adjust using formula based on whether you are in a major mode or a minor mode. So the major modes would be Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. From there you would use the formulas you explained basing the scales off of the ionian scale of whatever pitch you are starting on. The minor modes would be Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, and Locrian. From there you would have a formula based on those scales in their natural minor key of whatever note you are starting on. Ionian = major mode (no # or b) Dorian = minor mode (#6) Phrygian = minor mode (b2) Lydian = major mode (#4) Mixolydian = major mode (b7) Aeolian = minor mode (no # or b) Locrian = minor mode (b2 and b5)
As a musician, when I see Charles upload a new video explaining something I already understand I just click on it anyway because it’s so fun watching him
For stringed instruments I found it especially helpful to just internalize Ionian and aeolian (major and minor scales respectively) and then just learn the differences applied to those shapes on the neck I.e. Phrygian is aeolian with a flat 2; Dorian is aeolian with a sharp 6 etc etc.) on strings we’re lucky because the scale “shape” is the same regardless of the tonic, so it’s really easy to move things around without too much practice.
Yeah this is where the majority of youtube guitar "teachers" go wrong. They tell people that each neck position is a different mode and hamstring them into a lifetime of only being able to play each mode in a specific pattern. Learn Major scale. In all neck positions. Think of a internal. Say b7 if you want to play mixolydian. Play. You get everything else automatically from knowing the Major scale back to front.
You can literally turn your youtube channel from a meme related channel to a music theory lesson based channel and you would be the best Please keep this up man
The alternative is living in the Skinner Box of The Algo and turning yourself into a joke. Look at Davie504's playing, hasn't progressed in years thanks to being stuck playing memes.
What a great video, Charles. You have described exactly the questions and uncertainties going round in my head regarding modes. Thank you so much for posting this.
I would love to see a video about exotics modes from eastern musical cultures like Armenian Persian Arabian Indian Japanese and so on I watch your every single video, I hope you will see my comment best of luck
@@theyhaventfedmesince Tone 6 in byzantine. hard chromatic scale, which is called the double harmonic minor scale, which is pretty cool. I'm not sure what his knowledge on the microtonal scales entices
www.maqamworld.com/en/maqam.php . "Maqam" is the Arabic word for mode, pluralized as "maqamat". . Arabic maqamat are created not by stacking thirds like in Western music, but more melodically by stacking runs (pentachords, tetrachords, and sometimes trichords, called "jins" when singular, "ajnas" when plural). For instance, "Jins Hijaz" refers to a 4-note run with a flat 2 and major 3rd, like D Eb F# G. So a very simple Maqam Hijaz in D (very common key for hijaz), you'd start with a "Jins Hijaz" (D Eb F# G) and add a "Jins Nahawand" (Nahawand = minor) from G (G A Bb C D). . But there can be a second layer of complexity. Sometimes certain maqamat are different going up than coming down, like the melodic minor scale. For instance, Maqam Hijaz most often will use a Jins Rast for the top half (major with a half-flatted third) ascending and only use the Jins Nahawand while descending. So ascending, it would be D Eb F# G A Bd (B half-flat) C D, and descending the B would become a full flat. . Soloing and ornamentation are very prolific in Arabic music, but again they focus on melodic ajnas instead of harmonic chord structures. When soloing in Maqam D Hijaz, you'd start in the Jins Hijaz (D Eb F# G), using C and A as ornamental passing tones only. At any time, you can switch to playing in Jins Rast/Nahawand (G A Bd/Bb C D) with F# and E as passing tones), but not in a straight run. You'll want to pause or centre around the common notes (D and G) for a short time before launching into the new Jins. These common tones, the harmonic centres of the Ajnas, are called "ghammaz". This means that certain Maqamat are "Plagal" modes, where instead of having the Dominant or 5th as the secondary tonal centre or "tenor", it can be the 4th or Sub-Dominant, or even other tones altogether. This is similar to the hypo- modes of medieval music. . Arabic also has it's own version of "playing outside". Because there's no vertical chord structure, you can simply replace any Jins with another. For example, in D Hijaz, you might start in Jins D Hijaz, but then move up to Jins G Nikriz (G A Bb C# D, or a minor lydian run) in the upper section! But when you move back down, maybe the lower Jins is now D Rast. Basically, you stay within the key centre, but change modes at will. By the end of the solo, however, you should have progressed back to re-establish the original Maqam to avoid a sudden jarring modal change. For a final layer of complexity, some maqamat, like Maqam Hijazkar, have overlapping ajnas. Maqam Hijazkar has a lower Jins D Hijaz (D Eb F# G), an upper Jins G Niqriz (G A Bb C# D), and then a Jins D Hijazkar centred on the tonic (Ab C# *D* Eb F#). Keep in mind that Jins Hijazkar centres on the D tonic, it's "b6 M7 Tonic b2 M3", not "1 b2 M3 4 b5 M6". There can be other weird things going on as well, like Jins that start on a half flat (Sikah). . The final, final layer is that in some Mediterranean contexts, especially Greek music, certain instruments like accordions are unable to play half-flats. So in order to play songs in modes that would traditionally have half-flats, the standard protocol is to replace that note with a major tone while ascending and a minor tone while descending. This is where Greek music gets a lot of its unique sound from. . (Edit: stupid youtube and not respecting paragraph spacing anymore!)
You're like.... Such a good teacher. Music theory was always so intimidating for me and you make it so easy to digest. Thanks so much for this! I really hope you do loads more of these
I love the way this was explained. A reasonable pace the whole way through, then when you play all the different modes in C major everything suddenly clicked and made so much sense. Thank you!!
I'd love to watch a video with some examples how to use those in our music. How do they drive the mood of the song. Also thanks to you I think I understood why pro music theorist are so crazy about correct naming of sharps and flats :D
I mean... kind of blue is based on this concept (kind of) there was tons of modal jazz in the 50s and 60s being played. Some of herbie Hancock's earlier stuff
Yes, I agree. @CharlesCornell I'd also love to see some examples of how to use them. I hear people say with delight, "You can play over any chord!" And I have no idea what that means. I'm actually a harp player, but have played piano (which helps in visualizing this stuff). I want to be able to use it in my own arrangements and improvising. Thank you so much! I'll look to see if you've already done a video on that too. This is my first video I've seen of yours.
They all sound similar..It´s a waste of time to learn all that... ..to make a nice song choose major or minor, concentrate on the genre, the drums, sound design, good drop... those things really make a difference.. Modes do not.
Would love another explanation video of how to apply those modes and their scales in harmonic context. I was aware of the theory behind modes but I'm always struggling with using them in any kind of practical way when improvising. Nevermind, you already announced that video, looking forward to it! Would be super happy with some really concrete, practicle tips like idk "over a 2-5-1 progression, try using phrygian" (that's probably absolutely wrong but you hopefully know what I mean)
A good way to start doing this is to apply the major modes to the corresponding chords in a major key. So for example, in the key of C Major: Chord I is C Major Chord ii is D minor Chord iii is E minor Chord IV is F Major Chord V is G Major Chord vi is A minor Chord vii° is B diminished (the little circle meaning diminished) Over each chord you can play its corresponding mode, which are: Ionian for Chord I Dorian for Chord ii Phrygian for Chord iii Lydian for Chord IV Mixolydian for Chord V Aeolian for Chord vi Locrian for Chord vii° So if a chord progression is ii V I in the key of C (Dm G C), Over the Dm (ii) chord you can play a D Dorian. Over the G (V) chord you can play a G Mixolydian. And over the C (I) chord you can play a C Ionian. Hopefully that helps get you started!
@@joegriffithsmusic Thanks that helps! But doesnt that basicly mean in the key of C Major I'll only play notes of... C Major? So this is just about thinking about it in a different way?
@@JakobMusic Cool, glad it helped! Technically, all of these modes use the same notes as their parent major key. So these modes of C Major will use the same notes as C Major. But, an important thing to do when playing the modes over these chord progressions is to make sure you are still emphasising the chord tones of each chord you are playing over. So, if you are playing a ii V I in the key of C Major (Dm G C), then: Over the D minor chord, emphasise the notes D F A. Over the G Major chord, emphasise the notes G B D. Over the C Major chord, emphasise the notes C E G. This should get you the sound of the chord progression in your solo rather than everything sounded just like the C Major scale. You can then use the other notes in the corresponding modes as extended notes or passing notes to the chord tones. The ultimate goal of playing over the changes or chord progressions in general is to be able to hear the harmony in your solo lines even if there is no accompaniment/backing track behind you. Hope that helped!
this was so, so helpful and although I’m not in any way an advance pianist, i was able to easily understand this and I really appreciate what you’re doing!
An easy way to think about it, if you know your natural minor scales, is to compare the minor modes (modes with a b3) to aeolian. For example, phrygian is a natural minor scale with a b2, dorian is a natural minor scale with natural 6, harmonic minor is natural minor with raised 7. Likewise, with lydian it’s a major with sharp 4, and mixolydian is b7. once you get familiar, you can start to remember “signature chords” from each mode to use when improvising. For example, the signature chords from mixolydian is mostly the b7 major and V minor. The signature chord in dorian is the IV major. Remembering it this way can allow you better access when thinking about colour and emotion in improvising 😇
I'm starting to think about the modes this way, but what I'm struggling is when / how to use them. Where can I learn more about these 'signature chords'?
@@joetessya signature chord is simply a chord that is different from what you would usually expect in your major or minor scale. When you are in a minor key you have a minor iv chord. However, because Dorian mode has a raised scale degree 6 (raised from minor scale), our minor iv chord becomes a major IV chord. This makes it a signature or defining chord from the Dorian mode.
as someone trying to really learn music theory and specifically modes, this was so insanely helpful, I cannot believe how well you taught us all this in such an easy and quick way.
It's interesting that you related all the modes to major formulaically - i learned the modes as being related to a major or minor family, so phrygian related to natural minor as being b2 for example.
too bad this came out after i did my cm theory test, would have helped a lot :p Edit: just finished watching the video, i definitely find this method of finding a mode scale much easier than how my theory books taught me. many thanks for the clear videos as always my dude
That was super helpful. My next question though, is what do you do with that information once you understand it from the method you described? How do you analyze chords/songs or improvise with modes? Maybe another video on that would be helpful. Thank you so much!!!
This is a great video! Something that helped me learn the modes was picturing them in terms of brightness changing one note at a time Lydian (flatten the 4th) Major (flatten the 7th) Mixolydian etc
Your teaching is infinitely more valuable than that of my piano teacher. Bless your soul for handing this knowledge to the people without a price attached. Edit: I also realized while studying on my own that the key signatures can be used for this, too. Just think of the key signature for e, that's four sharps, and in Phrygian, you lower four notes of the e scale to make it white keys. I don't know if that was fairly obvious, but it's helpful to have that to think about, too. Your method makes so much more sense to me than the weird complicated way my teacher taught it.
I was a bit salty at the time XD to her credit she did teach most other music theory very well, that was just one that really didn't land for me and it was driving me nuts. Especially before the written test that was coming up.@@Idontknowhoiamanymore
I’ve sent this around my music course, we’re all going into second year of the degree in September and everyone is really appreciating your help! Big thanks from Scotland:)
One thing that has helped me is understanding the context, playing the mode on top of the chord. Then you hear the context of the interval within the appropriate context of the chord instead of the intervals with adjacent notes
You’ve hit the nail squarely on the head of the problem with the confusion and resulting explanations. You also beat me to finally sitting down and isolating and then rejoining the concepts into a coherent illustration. Absolutely Superior Work!👍 Thank You
1 Step of the Major Scale 1 Chord Ionian Mode, 2 Chord Dorian Mode, 3 Chord Phyrgian, 4 Chord Lydian, 5 Chord Mixolydian, 6 Chord Aolian, 7 Chord Locrian, Remeber, I don t play loud music at lunch, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian,Mixolydian, Aolian, Locrian…. Check Rick Beato s Videos about the Modes may it help…
The way I think about it is that each mode has one defining pitch compared to its parallel minor or major, and those pitches contribute to distinct chords that form the mode's quintessential sound: -Dorian's defining pitch is the raised 6 in a minor key, and its distinct chord is IV (major) in a minor key. This generally sounds much brighter and lighter than the parallel minor's b6 scale degree, which usually resolves to 5 with a very heavy feeling. -Phrygian's defining pitch is the lowered 2 in a minor key, and its distinct chord is bII (major) in a minor key. bII to i resolutions are very heavy--I find them evocative of longing and heartache. Or at a faster tempo, a i bII i vamp sounds urgent and intense. -Lydian has a raised 4 in major, and its distinct chord is II (major) in a major key, or the #11 chord extension over your tonic I. This is a very bright sound, which can be used to sound optimistic, or mischievous, or mysterious (I'm realizing now in the middle of this comment how weird it can be to pick out adjectives to describe patterns of sound. Oh well.) -Mixolydian has a lowered 7 in major, and its sound is bVII (major) and a v (minor) in major. I kinda think of this as "Major with a bite." It gets used a lot in rock, and in "adventure"-y music. Melodically, minor pentatonic licks built off the 5th work well. bVII is also the pinnacle of the "backdoor" progression as an alternate way to get back to I. Aeolian is minor. Locrian is weird. Another important thing to note is that, while purely modal music isn't necessarily uncommon, I think it's far more common for songs to just have modal inflections by borrowing one of these distinct chords from a parallel mode. For example, when you're going along purely in major, then throw in a bVII for one cadence, you're evoking the feeling of mixolydian for just a moment, without the whole song actually being "in mixolydian." As for improvising, there are a LOT of ways to approach it. (Disclaimer: I don't play a harmonic instrument, so I'm only used to superimposing ideas over the chords someone else is playing, rather than improvising changes to the underlying harmony itself). In terms of "which modes match which chords," remember that you need to be paying attention not just to the chord, but to the chord's FUNCTION. You want something with a bit broader perspective than a "see Dm7, play D Dorian scale" approach. Instead, you want to think about where you are in the song's journey, and what sort of resolution would fit with the direction you're going. Personally, I try to always keep the overall tonic of the song in mind (or if it's a tune that moves around a lot, the tonic of the current section), to figure out what the current chord is DOING in that key, to see which pitches should be altered if I want to bring out this-or-that sound. This feels like the appropriate time to add the universal jazz advice: transcribing and analyzing your favorite players REALLY helps in translating the sounds you like into theory concepts you can use.
Wow that was extremely much more clear than i thought. For years i played and i never mentioned to my jazz band mates that i didnt know these modes and didnt care to learn them bcs i had another approach and my solos are confident.
My wife who was a music major with vocal emphasis said that the solfege made learning the modes even easier because you just had to know which syllables to change. Great video! As a musician with not much musical theory under my belt, I really appreciated the way you presented the modes. Thanks!
This is way better than all the other tutorials out there, doesn't have the word 'tutorial' in the title, doesn't sell weird paid classes which rarely work, and is extremely well explained. THIS IS GREAT. Thank you. Now I want more.
This is wonderful. I’d love to see a subsequent video (maybe you did one?) on WHEN you’d use these in actual music. Like, for example, if a band was playing a Celtic song, often a soloing instrumentalist within the band would use the Mixolydian mode to improv a solo. It would be the final extension of the info you presented here to show how and when each mode is most often used in styles of music. 💗
I tend to see modes as alterations relative to the natural major (Ionian) and natural minor (aeolian) scales. All major scales have a major third while all minor scales have a minor third. MAJOR SCALES - We take the natural major scale (Ionian) as the basic major scale - Lydian is the major scale with a sharp fourth (therefore it's brighter than the natural major) - Mixolydian is the major scale with a flat seven (therefore it's darker than the natural major) MINOR SCALES: - We take the natural minor scale (aeolian) as the basic minor scale - Dorian is the minor scale with a sharp sixth (therefore it's brighter than the natural minor) - Phrygian is the minor scale with a flat two (therefore it's darker than the natural minor) - Locrian is the minor scale with a flat two AND a flat fifth (therefore it's even darker than Phrygian, and it's also very unstable because the tonic doesn't have a perfect fifth) In general, lowering a note in a scale by a half step creates a darker sounding scale while rising a note by a half step creates a brighter sounding scale. All of this is subjective, but thinking about modes as minimal alterations of the major and minor scales has helped me grasp them better.
Thank you very much! After learning scales, when I started searching for modes, I have got a lot of confusion, especially because standard "explanation". This idea of mode-degree-of-a-scale should be additional information, not the main one. We are not learing scales in random order, why do I need then to learn that In C major (Ionian) if I start from other note I will get some (new mode name here) + new root ?? %) Your explanation should be a STANDARD. Scales are a modern. Modes - are just old scales. And then just explain everything in terms of the single KEY! Now I get it :D
As someone who started off in Indian classical music, the scales make more sense, as ragas are quite similar to scales and were taught to me as alterations to the major scale(same scale in a raga called yaman). This video made it even clearer and made me even more fascinated at how similar the two systems are.
Ah! I love these theory vids! One suggestion though, could you have an overhead shot of the keyboard as well as the front view? I think it would make it a lot easier to visually understand for people to see the front on pov to the keyboard rather than trying to flip in in our brains lol
dorian is honestly my favorite cause it just sounds so neutral its like a blank canvas, and its easy to change it to melodic minor, natural minor, harmonic major, with just some accidentals, plus one of my favorite songs, hold your colour by pendulum uses dorian a lot
Thank you for posting this video, I have autism, and I was struggling to get my head around this (after playing classical piano for many years, and self accompanying) and it helped immensely. :)
I've learned harmonic minor in relation to a minor scale So it's just a sharp 7 instead of flat 3 and 6 Phrygian - it's not a major scale with 2,3,6 and 7 flat, it's an aeolian minor with a flat 2 Dorian is aeolian with a sharp 6 Just makes it easier in terms of understanding
Yes! another one! modes are confusing, can you make another video to teach us how to use them? Edit: I can't convince my parents to get me merch but maybe I can convince them to buy me a wallet
it’s good to understand modes, but in my opinion, it’s hard to think about modes while playing, when you could just view them from a common root. (like viewing mixolydian as a dominant 7 scale) 👍🏼
There’s a UA-camr that explains modes so, so well (although he’s primarily a guitar player if that matters to you, but his music theory and explanations are great) called Signals Music Studio Well, that’s the channel, anyway. His _name_ is Jake Lizzio
Bro you have done it. I now get it. After trying to understand it for the past 4 years on and off because it would get discouraging when I couldn't understand it, you have made complete sense to me. Thank you man. 🙏
Finally🎉🎉😂😂😂😂❤ I also learned it the first way you explained, then someone explained it via random sharps and flats assigned to a key, which made my brain hurt... WTF!!! But you put them together and cleared up the mess in my head. Thanks!
I love Charles videos, but that is an augmented 2nd in the harmonic minor scale. A flat to B sounds like a minor 3rd but any A to any B is a 2nd. a to c is a 3rd.
Yeah, but at most, I feel that it is an augmented second, should be mentioned. If he didn't do it on purpose, I still feel like it was the most pedagogical way of explaining it; calling it what you'd hear phonetically - a minor third
As a guitarist, I pretty much 'accidentally' taught myself modes with basic scale patterns. "What if I play the C major scale but start on D and end on D, as if it's its own scale?" Turns out, that's what they call Dorian. And like with the major and minor scale patterns, you can move _that_ pattern anywhere you please and still be playing in Dorian. That's why it never made sense to me that so many music professors delineate between "scales" and "modes" as if there's really any kind of meaningful difference. There's not, at least not from a practical standpoint. Assessing them as "modes" really only has utility in examining their relationships to the relative major/minor scales they derive from, which...don't get me wrong, there's value in that if you're _really_ into the theory of it all, but is a massive thorn in the side if all you want to do is _play_ music with kind of a ballpark understanding of theory.
Yes! I came here to say this, too. Saying "m3" works fine in practice, but not as much in actual music theory. Think of it how you want when you play, but don't use this as your only resource for your music theory class... your prof is gonna be a pedantic jerk like me and take points off. :)
@@joaquinnapan3237 It's not more practical to incorrectly call it a minor third though. A third is a third, and it should fit another stepwise interval in between. That augmented second also sounds distinctly different from a minor third in context, even though you would press the same keys in both cases.
@@hastyscorpion The minor third and the augmented second sound the same in modern intonation. But one is a grammatical step and one is a grammtical skip. This actually affects how music sounds, structurally.
13:17 mind literally blown😱 I’m getting back into playing and reading music for the first time in like over a decade and applying it to Irish whistle and flute so I can understand more advanced playing. This is so helpful!
Great video. If you play the modes based on the major scale they won't sound like modes. So you have to play the modes with C as the tonic then you hear the difference. If you say the 3rd mode of the major scale it confuses people because they think that it has to do with the major scale but it doesn't. Now if I could remember this stuff.
I know NOTHING about music theory but I've heard that certain modes are common in specific genres of music. I believe the Dorian mode is very used when composing sea shanties for example.
First of all, you think differently about your melodies and harmonies. Eg. the only difference between music in C major and A minor is where your melodies and cadences end up. Because its the same set of notes. If some progression ends on an A and an A minor chord the progression is in A minor. If it ends in C major, it is in C major. Similarly, if it uses the C major notes but ends on a D minor chord it is D dorian. You think about a different note as being the tonal center, the place of rest and resolution. You'll have to build your harmonies and melodies to reflect that. So, once you do that, you will notice that each mode has a different sound, a different mood, a different emotion to it. Just like we usually say major is happy and minor is sad. More generally there are different levels of brightness to the different modes, Lydian being the brightest and locrian the darkest. Dorian is a little less sad than minor and mixolydian a little less happy than major. That means, if you write a piece of music you might choose a mode that fits the emotional content you are trying to express. To really get it, just try it. You'll also find, that those modes are much, much more common than you think. Lots of Rock music eg. is in Dorian or Mixolydian. Lots of Metal and even some Rap is in Phrygian. Lydian is often found in film scores. Only Locrian is really rare.
I wish I found this video a long time ago when I had an issue with this concept, because this is by far the best explanation for modes I've seen I also agree on believing that explaining modes with relative keys is probably the hardest way to do it, and using parallel keys is the best (and most practical considering it also helps set people up for concepts like modal mixture/modal interchange)
"And then, a minor third" *don't shout augmented second, don't shout augmented second* Really great video by the way, nice way of thinking it ! But even if the content stay good, i have to admit that the sponsor + the merch + the 2 ads during the video start to be a bit much. I know it's propably necessary, and it allow you to make that kind of video (wich is great), but a bit more and it can become annoying ... Anyway, love your stuff A french musicologist
The amount of extremely useful information he fits in one video warrants that much advertising. I can wait 5 seconds to skip an ad (he still gets the ad count) twice, and push the forward arrow a few times when he talks about his sponsor. Or I can go pay $1000 for someone to spend 6 months telling me all of this while I take night classes because I have a day job. The ads and sponsors don't seem so bad when you look at it that way. For a beginner, this video is tremendous. For a french musicologist, it might be a waste of time.
Oh but what he said is really interesting, and I think it's important that those things are accessible to anyone who want about it ! And the way he does it is always good, and I always learn something, so no, never a waste of time :) I was more complaining about the system of UA-cam, that give them no other choice to do that more and more if they wanna share content ...
Those images that you used to illustrate the modes stuck with me so much that I have accidentally started remembering the order of the modes without even thinking about it! This is the best way to teach, thank you so much! :D
Drop any questions you have in the comments and also let me know in the replies to this comment what topic you'd like to cover next!!
why am i early
You are great at explaining theory and I would love to have more of that type of content (but idk if i speak for the public
Edit: what are Sus chords?
Can you teach me how to stop only using the pentatonic scale🤦♂️
Can you cover how to do runs most effectively and efficiently? Particularly ones based on blues scales? And maybe show off some? Hehe
Could you make a video using every mode of one key in a single composition?
Ionian = Major Scale
Dorian = b3 b7
Phrygian = b2 b3 b6 b7
Lydian = #4
Mixolydian = b7
Aeolian = b3 b6 b7
Locrian = b2 b3 b5 b6 b7
Best cheat sheet ever! Thanks Charles!
lol nice
If you can build major (ionian) and minor (aeolian) by ear, the list becomes even easier.
Ionian = natural major
Dorian = minor 6
Phrygian = minor b2
Lydian = major #4
Mixolydian = major b7
Aeolian = natural minor
Locrian = minor b2 b5
if you familiar with these go on with the modes of melodic minor
Melodic minor
Dorian b2 / phrygian 6
Lydian #5
Mixolydian #4
Mixolydian b6 / ("melodic major")
Locrian 2
Altered scale / ("major #1 form the 7 xD")
I personally have been able to memorize these since I have thought of these names. On the other hand, you should always understand the scales in context, which means that you don't need to know the full scales, just the intervals that set the scale apart.
Legend
Thx
Poor LoneSharp
This guy just explained my whole degree in 16 minutes
SAAAAME
@@anon4447 ahahaha sure xD
I got jelly beans.
I like jelly beans.
Waaahmp waaaah 🎺
@@TRVladdy i agree
I have an explanation that I like to give my students that combines these two ways of describing the modes. You take the pattern of whole steps and half steps, and cycle them.
Ionian: WWH WWWH
Dorian: WHW WWHW
Phrygian: HWW WHWW
Lydian: WWW HWWH
Mixolydian: WWH WWHW
Aeolian: WHW WHWW
Locrian: HWW HWWW
underrated comment
This one definitely makes a lot more sense to me. Same keys but you're changing the start point? That means you're rotating the step sequence.
What happens if I play notes descending? Does major (ionian) scale turns phrigyan?
@@moonshine7374 I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you mean. If you're playing the same notes, it's the same mode. We just usually describe everything in terms of ascending order. If you're wondering about inversion, where we play the same pattern of whole steps and half steps as Ionian, but descending, then yes that would be Phrygian.
I struggled remembering major modes for a long time but I remember it by organising them from the least amount of flats to the most (starting with Lydian with the #4), I created a sentence using the first letter of the modes to help me arrange them. It goes like this -
Lydian - LIGHTS
Ionian - IN
Mixolydian - MID
Dorian - DAY
Aeolian - ARE
Phrygian - PRETTY
Locrian - LAME
Seeing it written out numerically with it’s corresponding sharps and flats made it look like they were climbing from 7 to 3 to 6 to 2 to 5 etc.
Am I over complicating this? Maybe. But I’m an autistic drummer that struggled with melodic music theory (or any theory for that matter) and found something that worked for me. And I applied it whether I had to listen and identify a scale or generally understand what notes belonged to what diatonic scale.
As a 59 year old trying to learn music theory, I want to thank you for making this as simple and as clear as possible. This was very helpful. Thanks.
I absolutely loved the pictures of the fridge, lids, mixers, etc.! I hated learning modes when I was younger, and your explanation was fabulous!
I'm a teenage musician that's been playing for 8 years, and I've never found a good way to think about them. This was really useful, thanks!
I've been playing for 9 years, and composing. It's my passion. I'm 17.
What's your age?
Same here, 6 years playing, 17 y.o. I didn't have much trouble understanding the modes, but I have no idea on how to use them. Really looking forward for the second video of modes
He explain 70% of my career
I'm 13 and I've been playing since I was 7.
A way I used to remember all the modes is: I Don’t Punch Like Muhammad Ali, or I own the door to the fridge, but Lydia mixed up all the locks. (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian)
I like the first one. xD
I Don't Punch Like Muhammad ALI
I'm gonna be honest... Using this is a terrible idea. Just learn the scales, it's not that hard. Learning them within context is a lot more efficient, though.
I used to use “I Don’t Particularly Like Modes A Lot”
Mike Merifield this. This is the pneumonic to remember.
@@brianwong7347 I must be a genius then, cause it took me one day of actually using them to remember them. I don't think I am, though, I just pay attention.
The reason I even said that in the first place is that if you need a whole mnemonic to remember them, you won't ever be able to improvise or anything like that. Sticking to a mnemonic is a sure fire way to NOT learn the names of the scales, or at least what they actually are.
"Looking at scales is one of the very first things you learn with any instrument"
**Laughs in drums**
**Cries in paradiddles**
Drums are not instrument then
timpani
@@jeanpaul.mma_ Ben Shapiro's dad certainly thinks so.
😂😂
After years of confusion with modes, I literally reached this conclusion on my own 1 week before I saw this video. This was exactly my method of thinking about modes, and I'm so happy that you can help other people understand it better!
Don't forget about the modes for the melodic minor scales!
I = Melodic Minor Scale (b3) also called minor major.
II = Phrygian #13 or Dorian b9
III = Lydian #5 or lydian augmented for cool kids
IV = Lydian b7 or lydian dominant (Very nice scale to use in certain situations, I can explain if requested)
V = Mixolydian b13
VI = Locrian #9 or half diminished for cool kids.
VII = Locrian b11 or diminished whole tone if your a cool kid.
These are the modes for melodic minor harmony.
for cool kids?? can you please make a video about all these you have mentioned? or suggest any if already exists by some other youtuber
Music theory is like math. Once you understand some of it, you'll see patterns of it everywhere. It really helps to write out notes and scales so you can identify the patterns more easily.
The way I see it, music theory *is* math. It's illustrated in different ways, but in the end, it's all just a bunch of combinations and intervals of semitones in relation to each other.
It's called 12-tone equal temperament for a reason.
That was the biggest "a ha" moment for me, once I realised it was just maths, the whole thing just unlocked in my brain.
Maybe I'm just saying the same thing in a different way, but I think in a way, music IS math.
@Agent 0-1-0 Maybe it's just a matter of interests
Explains why I can't seem to grasp theory 🤣😭😭😭
I think the easiest way to memorize them is in the order from bright to dark:
Lydian: #4
Ionian: Normal
Mixolydian: b7
Dorian: b7, b3
Aeolian: b6, b7, b3
Phrygian: b6, b7, b2, b3
Locrian: b5, b6, b7, b2, b3
There is a pattern here, too. The 7th is the first one to be flattened, then the 3rd one. Starting from there, the next note to be flattened is one lower than the ones already flattened, alternating, and starting with the 7th. So after you flattened the 3rd, you flatten the note one lower than the 7th, then the note one lower than the 3rd, and lastly again flattening the one one lower than the sixth.
Sorry for the bad explanation lol
What if you were to extend this further.? The pattern is clearly moving up by 4 (b3 + 4 = b7). Moving upwards you get #1 , which is obviously impossible, and then #5. Is this like a scale above Lydian or what?
@@feneb6497 check out David Bennett's video about modes for that
PCR Dominoes it goes back to locrian but in a different tonality (half step above). So if we are in C it goes Cminor (aeolian) and going up : C dorian, C mixo, C major (ionian), C lydian, C# locrian, C# phrygian, C#aeolian, etc... and it keeps going endlessly till you get back to C again
A good way to remember the order of brightness:
Little Idiots Might Declare a Perplexing Limerick
I think of it like you have a chain of fifths, right, and that's your scale. You pick one of the notes as your tonic, and the more notes that are "brighter", or higher in the chain of fifths compared to the tonic, the brighter the scale. For example, when the first note in the chain of fifths is the tonic, you wind up with Lydian, the brightest available mode. When the last note in the chain of fifths is the tonic, you wind up with Locrian, the darkest available mode.
Basically, you can shift that chain of fifths along the circle of fifths and it gives you your alterations.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that every note also emits the sound of the fifth of the note inside of it, secretly and quietly, due to the overtone series. The missing fundamental effect is cool too, where if you sound out the overtone series of a note, your brain quietly fills in the fundamental note automatically, even though it isn't really there. Maybe our brain associates that with darkness, that "lack of what is naturally there"...
You don't have to memorize 7 3 6 blah blah and 4 1 etc for sharps. Just remember key signatures/circle of fifths. You're just adding the next sharp/flat.
circle of fifths: F (one flat, Bb) -> Bb (two flats, Bb Eb) -> Eb (three flats, Bb Eb Ab) -> ...
modes by brightness: F ionian (one flat, Bb) -> F mix (two flats, Bb Eb) -> F dorian (three flats, Bb Eb Ab) -> ...
“Minor third”
Augmented second: “Am I a joke to you?”
Augmented Seconds
As the cool kids call them
@@l_ndonmusic holy shit...
Was i cool the whole time and didnt notice????
Im gonna cry :'(
This took me an augmented minute to understand
@@SchlumberttheHumble nice
😂😂😂
As an educator myself, I enthusiastically commend the way your organized the information in this video. When you discuss the two ways of looking at the Harmonic Minor scale, you're providing your audience with a concrete example of how to "analyze" scales in two different ways forcing us to practice on the modes.
It feel so good to start understanding modes after such a long time
“A half step, there’s nothing in between...”
Microtonality: am I a joke to you?
“...Like the harmonic minor scale, which contains a minor third...”
Augmented second: am I a joke to you?
69th like nice
Yes, yes it is.
Bach to Carissa: "Am I no one to you?"
So there are a shit ton of modes of microtonal scales, right?
I very rarely hear a UA-camr say the audience just watching the video is enough and they don't have to buy merch. This guy is awesome.
Nah, a bunch of them say that. They just rarely mean it.
You should check out his online courses (of course, for a fee) 😂
I also look at modes like that but I find more intuitive to separate them in major and minor modes and see the contrast between the major and minor scale, that way the difference between scales is easier to remember:
Major Modes
Ionian - Regular Major
Lydian - Regular major with a #4
Mixolydian - Regular major with a b7
Minor Modes
Aeolian - Regular Minor
Dorian - Regular minor with a natural 6
Phryghian - Regular minor with a b2
Locrian - Regular Minor with a b2 and b5
Another very important thing that people often overlook in the explanations is that in order to get a Dorian sound or any other mode sound you have to remember that context is crucial. For the notes D E F G A B C D to sound Dorian you need some background harmony that implies that Dm is the central chord. Otherwise if your chords are C - F - G - C it doesn't matter how many time you play D E F G A B C D in sucession it won't sound Dorian
Locrian is diminished. Even if the third is a minor third, i would still create a special category for the only mode that doesn't have a perfect fifth.
I can not agree with you MORE. It is so much easier to use logic, that you mentioned. What is the point to compare minor greek scales with major natural ones? And without showing that THE TONIC/first step prevails - by any harmonic or polyfonic background - these scales will be just a theoretical thing, you're absolutely right.
100% it really helps a lot to divide them up and sort of compartmentalize them and catagorize them (with Locrean being the odd ball of course) for me at least.
Agreed with previous comments, this is exactly the way I’d like to categorise the modes: division into minor and major modes.
When modes were explained to me I was told to relate them to either major (ionian) or natural minor scales and then adjust using formula based on whether you are in a major mode or a minor mode. So the major modes would be Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. From there you would use the formulas you explained basing the scales off of the ionian scale of whatever pitch you are starting on. The minor modes would be Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, and Locrian. From there you would have a formula based on those scales in their natural minor key of whatever note you are starting on.
Ionian = major mode (no # or b)
Dorian = minor mode (#6)
Phrygian = minor mode (b2)
Lydian = major mode (#4)
Mixolydian = major mode (b7)
Aeolian = minor mode (no # or b)
Locrian = minor mode (b2 and b5)
THIS is it. THIS is the explanation that finally clicks. Wow.
I'm in my first semester of obtaining my music degree and I have been stuck on modes for the past 3 weeks. This helped IMMENSELY! Thank you 😫
As a musician, when I see Charles upload a new video explaining something I already understand I just click on it anyway because it’s so fun watching him
Same, it just helps me reaffirm my knowledge anyways.
Oh, you guys! I feel like I'm in great company on this.
Right here with you. I instantly clicked.
For stringed instruments I found it especially helpful to just internalize Ionian and aeolian (major and minor scales respectively) and then just learn the differences applied to those shapes on the neck I.e. Phrygian is aeolian with a flat 2; Dorian is aeolian with a sharp 6 etc etc.) on strings we’re lucky because the scale “shape” is the same regardless of the tonic, so it’s really easy to move things around without too much practice.
Yeah this is where the majority of youtube guitar "teachers" go wrong. They tell people that each neck position is a different mode and hamstring them into a lifetime of only being able to play each mode in a specific pattern.
Learn Major scale. In all neck positions.
Think of a internal. Say b7 if you want to play mixolydian.
Play.
You get everything else automatically from knowing the Major scale back to front.
You can literally turn your youtube channel from a meme related channel to a music theory lesson based channel and you would be the best
Please keep this up man
he did. He is.
The alternative is living in the Skinner Box of The Algo and turning yourself into a joke. Look at Davie504's playing, hasn't progressed in years thanks to being stuck playing memes.
THANKS!
What a great video, Charles. You have described exactly the questions and uncertainties going round in my head regarding modes. Thank you so much for posting this.
Just get a copy of George Russel’s “Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization”. Pretty simple.
Getting it is the easy part. Reading it without falling into a pit of despair... not so much. 😳
take your pills schizo
I would love to see a video about exotics modes from eastern musical cultures like
Armenian
Persian
Arabian
Indian
Japanese
and so on
I watch your every single video, I hope you will see my comment
best of luck
Read about Double Harmonic (Byzantine) scale and anything around that like bunch of microtonal stuff like maqam bayati and/or hijazz
@@theyhaventfedmesince Tone 6 in byzantine. hard chromatic scale, which is called the double harmonic minor scale, which is pretty cool. I'm not sure what his knowledge on the microtonal scales entices
www.maqamworld.com/en/maqam.php
.
"Maqam" is the Arabic word for mode, pluralized as "maqamat".
.
Arabic maqamat are created not by stacking thirds like in Western music, but more melodically by stacking runs (pentachords, tetrachords, and sometimes trichords, called "jins" when singular, "ajnas" when plural). For instance, "Jins Hijaz" refers to a 4-note run with a flat 2 and major 3rd, like D Eb F# G. So a very simple Maqam Hijaz in D (very common key for hijaz), you'd start with a "Jins Hijaz" (D Eb F# G) and add a "Jins Nahawand" (Nahawand = minor) from G (G A Bb C D).
.
But there can be a second layer of complexity. Sometimes certain maqamat are different going up than coming down, like the melodic minor scale. For instance, Maqam Hijaz most often will use a Jins Rast for the top half (major with a half-flatted third) ascending and only use the Jins Nahawand while descending. So ascending, it would be D Eb F# G A Bd (B half-flat) C D, and descending the B would become a full flat.
.
Soloing and ornamentation are very prolific in Arabic music, but again they focus on melodic ajnas instead of harmonic chord structures. When soloing in Maqam D Hijaz, you'd start in the Jins Hijaz (D Eb F# G), using C and A as ornamental passing tones only. At any time, you can switch to playing in Jins Rast/Nahawand (G A Bd/Bb C D) with F# and E as passing tones), but not in a straight run. You'll want to pause or centre around the common notes (D and G) for a short time before launching into the new Jins. These common tones, the harmonic centres of the Ajnas, are called "ghammaz". This means that certain Maqamat are "Plagal" modes, where instead of having the Dominant or 5th as the secondary tonal centre or "tenor", it can be the 4th or Sub-Dominant, or even other tones altogether. This is similar to the hypo- modes of medieval music.
.
Arabic also has it's own version of "playing outside". Because there's no vertical chord structure, you can simply replace any Jins with another. For example, in D Hijaz, you might start in Jins D Hijaz, but then move up to Jins G Nikriz (G A Bb C# D, or a minor lydian run) in the upper section! But when you move back down, maybe the lower Jins is now D Rast. Basically, you stay within the key centre, but change modes at will. By the end of the solo, however, you should have progressed back to re-establish the original Maqam to avoid a sudden jarring modal change.
For a final layer of complexity, some maqamat, like Maqam Hijazkar, have overlapping ajnas. Maqam Hijazkar has a lower Jins D Hijaz (D Eb F# G), an upper Jins G Niqriz (G A Bb C# D), and then a Jins D Hijazkar centred on the tonic (Ab C# *D* Eb F#). Keep in mind that Jins Hijazkar centres on the D tonic, it's "b6 M7 Tonic b2 M3", not "1 b2 M3 4 b5 M6". There can be other weird things going on as well, like Jins that start on a half flat (Sikah).
.
The final, final layer is that in some Mediterranean contexts, especially Greek music, certain instruments like accordions are unable to play half-flats. So in order to play songs in modes that would traditionally have half-flats, the standard protocol is to replace that note with a major tone while ascending and a minor tone while descending. This is where Greek music gets a lot of its unique sound from.
.
(Edit: stupid youtube and not respecting paragraph spacing anymore!)
@@Brooke-rw8rc this is the best explanation for the Arabian music scale I've ever seen and I've been looking for it for a while, thank you kind sir
I think the Arabian scale is Lydian
You're like.... Such a good teacher. Music theory was always so intimidating for me and you make it so easy to digest. Thanks so much for this! I really hope you do loads more of these
I love the way this was explained. A reasonable pace the whole way through, then when you play all the different modes in C major everything suddenly clicked and made so much sense. Thank you!!
The pictures of each mode were fantastic ideas!
I'd love to watch a video with some examples how to use those in our music. How do they drive the mood of the song. Also thanks to you I think I understood why pro music theorist are so crazy about correct naming of sharps and flats :D
I think he was just laying the groundwork for such a video. He says at the end of the video he will show how to use them in progressions and such.
Thank you!
I was hoping to get those answers in this video too.
Like Sean B said, I guess we will have to wait.. 😕
I mean... kind of blue is based on this concept (kind of) there was tons of modal jazz in the 50s and 60s being played. Some of herbie Hancock's earlier stuff
Yes, I agree. @CharlesCornell I'd also love to see some examples of how to use them. I hear people say with delight, "You can play over any chord!" And I have no idea what that means. I'm actually a harp player, but have played piano (which helps in visualizing this stuff). I want to be able to use it in my own arrangements and improvising. Thank you so much! I'll look to see if you've already done a video on that too. This is my first video I've seen of yours.
They all sound similar..It´s a waste of time to learn all that... ..to make a nice song choose major or minor, concentrate on the genre, the drums, sound design, good drop... those things really make a difference.. Modes do not.
The way you explain stuff is SO accessible and I appreciate it so much.
Would love another explanation video of how to apply those modes and their scales in harmonic context.
I was aware of the theory behind modes but I'm always struggling with using them in any kind of practical way when improvising.
Nevermind, you already announced that video, looking forward to it!
Would be super happy with some really concrete, practicle tips like idk "over a 2-5-1 progression, try using phrygian" (that's probably absolutely wrong but you hopefully know what I mean)
A good way to start doing this is to apply the major modes to the corresponding chords in a major key.
So for example, in the key of C Major:
Chord I is C Major
Chord ii is D minor
Chord iii is E minor
Chord IV is F Major
Chord V is G Major
Chord vi is A minor
Chord vii° is B diminished (the little circle meaning diminished)
Over each chord you can play its corresponding mode, which are:
Ionian for Chord I
Dorian for Chord ii
Phrygian for Chord iii
Lydian for Chord IV
Mixolydian for Chord V
Aeolian for Chord vi
Locrian for Chord vii°
So if a chord progression is ii V I in the key of C (Dm G C),
Over the Dm (ii) chord you can play a D Dorian.
Over the G (V) chord you can play a G Mixolydian.
And over the C (I) chord you can play a C Ionian.
Hopefully that helps get you started!
I came here to say this!!
@@joegriffithsmusic Thanks that helps! But doesnt that basicly mean in the key of C Major I'll only play notes of... C Major?
So this is just about thinking about it in a different way?
@@JakobMusic Cool, glad it helped!
Technically, all of these modes use the same notes as their parent major key. So these modes of C Major will use the same notes as C Major.
But, an important thing to do when playing the modes over these chord progressions is to make sure you are still emphasising the chord tones of each chord you are playing over. So, if you are playing a ii V I in the key of C Major (Dm G C), then:
Over the D minor chord, emphasise the notes D F A.
Over the G Major chord, emphasise the notes G B D.
Over the C Major chord, emphasise the notes C E G.
This should get you the sound of the chord progression in your solo rather than everything sounded just like the C Major scale. You can then use the other notes in the corresponding modes as extended notes or passing notes to the chord tones.
The ultimate goal of playing over the changes or chord progressions in general is to be able to hear the harmony in your solo lines even if there is no accompaniment/backing track behind you.
Hope that helped!
@@joegriffithsmusic Wonderful that helps alot!
this was so, so helpful and although I’m not in any way an advance pianist, i was able to easily understand this and I really appreciate what you’re doing!
Intervalic! I love that Earther word. Pleasing. This video is so very awesome!
I love those visuals when naming the modes was invaluable. Great stuff. And really, it's stuff like that that adds so much charm to this channel.
An easy way to think about it, if you know your natural minor scales, is to compare the minor modes (modes with a b3) to aeolian. For example, phrygian is a natural minor scale with a b2, dorian is a natural minor scale with natural 6, harmonic minor is natural minor with raised 7. Likewise, with lydian it’s a major with sharp 4, and mixolydian is b7. once you get familiar, you can start to remember “signature chords” from each mode to use when improvising. For example, the signature chords from mixolydian is mostly the b7 major and V minor. The signature chord in dorian is the IV major. Remembering it this way can allow you better access when thinking about colour and emotion in improvising 😇
I'm starting to think about the modes this way, but what I'm struggling is when / how to use them. Where can I learn more about these 'signature chords'?
@@joetessya signature chord is simply a chord that is different from what you would usually expect in your major or minor scale. When you are in a minor key you have a minor iv chord. However, because Dorian mode has a raised scale degree 6 (raised from minor scale), our minor iv chord becomes a major IV chord. This makes it a signature or defining chord from the Dorian mode.
THANK YOU!!!! This will be in my music theory class next semester!
as someone trying to really learn music theory and specifically modes, this was so insanely helpful, I cannot believe how well you taught us all this in such an easy and quick way.
It's interesting that you related all the modes to major formulaically - i learned the modes as being related to a major or minor family, so phrygian related to natural minor as being b2 for example.
13:23 I love the way those notes moves over in a very dramatik "This Will blow your mind" kinda way
too bad this came out after i did my cm theory test, would have helped a lot :p
Edit: just finished watching the video, i definitely find this method of finding a mode scale much easier than how my theory books taught me. many thanks for the clear videos as always my dude
Charles: "We've made no changes to the --"
Ad: "--pizza or salad."
it is i shut. perfect
"Uuuh, I dont know"
*gun comes throught the screen*
Pizza
Or
S a l a d
Mine was a beautiful woman in a purple dress playing a piano in the countryside. An interesting tactic...brb after I watch the ad
@@lvbboi9 Yes.
Pizza AND salad.
The pizza/salad ads were less annoying than the t-shit/wallet ads.
That was super helpful. My next question though, is what do you do with that information once you understand it from the method you described? How do you analyze chords/songs or improvise with modes? Maybe another video on that would be helpful. Thank you so much!!!
This is a great video! Something that helped me learn the modes was picturing them in terms of brightness changing one note at a time Lydian (flatten the 4th) Major (flatten the 7th) Mixolydian etc
I currently don’t have much money to spare, but him saying “you watching is enough” makes me want to support him even more lmao.
A fun way i remember the modes is "I Do Pot, Leave Me Alone Loser"
Roberto Kerezsi I’m using this from now on
This is great
and you can remember the difference in the Ls if you think after pot is lydian, like pot lid
YOU ARE A GENIUS
Please explain, I'd Like to Use it too
Thank you so much for making this video! So helpful!!!
Your teaching is infinitely more valuable than that of my piano teacher. Bless your soul for handing this knowledge to the people without a price attached.
Edit: I also realized while studying on my own that the key signatures can be used for this, too. Just think of the key signature for e, that's four sharps, and in Phrygian, you lower four notes of the e scale to make it white keys. I don't know if that was fairly obvious, but it's helpful to have that to think about, too. Your method makes so much more sense to me than the weird complicated way my teacher taught it.
Dang way to dis your teacher
I was a bit salty at the time XD to her credit she did teach most other music theory very well, that was just one that really didn't land for me and it was driving me nuts. Especially before the written test that was coming up.@@Idontknowhoiamanymore
@@WilloWik haha I was just teasing you. Modes are very difficult to understand and hard to teach. I can see what you mean!
I’ve sent this around my music course, we’re all going into second year of the degree in September and everyone is really appreciating your help! Big thanks from Scotland:)
I love locrian. That d5 gives me life.
looking forward to the follow up video to this, going deeper into the modes and how they relate to chords. Really excited for yo to make this lesson!
One thing that has helped me is understanding the context, playing the mode on top of the chord. Then you hear the context of the interval within the appropriate context of the chord instead of the intervals with adjacent notes
You’ve hit the nail squarely on the head of the problem with the confusion and resulting explanations.
You also beat me to finally sitting down and isolating and then rejoining the concepts into a coherent illustration.
Absolutely Superior Work!👍
Thank You
If Charles had been my college music theory teacher, I would have an MFA in music by now. This is SO GOOD AND HELPFUL!!!
THANK YOU I ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND MODES NOW
What I'd really like to know and understand is which modes match with which chords, and when to use which modes in improvising.
1 Step of the Major Scale 1 Chord Ionian Mode, 2 Chord Dorian Mode, 3 Chord Phyrgian, 4 Chord Lydian, 5 Chord Mixolydian, 6 Chord Aolian, 7 Chord Locrian, Remeber, I don t play loud music at lunch, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian,Mixolydian, Aolian, Locrian…. Check Rick Beato s Videos about the Modes may it help…
The way I think about it is that each mode has one defining pitch compared to its parallel minor or major, and those pitches contribute to distinct chords that form the mode's quintessential sound:
-Dorian's defining pitch is the raised 6 in a minor key, and its distinct chord is IV (major) in a minor key. This generally sounds much brighter and lighter than the parallel minor's b6 scale degree, which usually resolves to 5 with a very heavy feeling.
-Phrygian's defining pitch is the lowered 2 in a minor key, and its distinct chord is bII (major) in a minor key. bII to i resolutions are very heavy--I find them evocative of longing and heartache. Or at a faster tempo, a i bII i vamp sounds urgent and intense.
-Lydian has a raised 4 in major, and its distinct chord is II (major) in a major key, or the #11 chord extension over your tonic I. This is a very bright sound, which can be used to sound optimistic, or mischievous, or mysterious (I'm realizing now in the middle of this comment how weird it can be to pick out adjectives to describe patterns of sound. Oh well.)
-Mixolydian has a lowered 7 in major, and its sound is bVII (major) and a v (minor) in major. I kinda think of this as "Major with a bite." It gets used a lot in rock, and in "adventure"-y music. Melodically, minor pentatonic licks built off the 5th work well. bVII is also the pinnacle of the "backdoor" progression as an alternate way to get back to I.
Aeolian is minor. Locrian is weird.
Another important thing to note is that, while purely modal music isn't necessarily uncommon, I think it's far more common for songs to just have modal inflections by borrowing one of these distinct chords from a parallel mode. For example, when you're going along purely in major, then throw in a bVII for one cadence, you're evoking the feeling of mixolydian for just a moment, without the whole song actually being "in mixolydian."
As for improvising, there are a LOT of ways to approach it. (Disclaimer: I don't play a harmonic instrument, so I'm only used to superimposing ideas over the chords someone else is playing, rather than improvising changes to the underlying harmony itself). In terms of "which modes match which chords," remember that you need to be paying attention not just to the chord, but to the chord's FUNCTION. You want something with a bit broader perspective than a "see Dm7, play D Dorian scale" approach.
Instead, you want to think about where you are in the song's journey, and what sort of resolution would fit with the direction you're going. Personally, I try to always keep the overall tonic of the song in mind (or if it's a tune that moves around a lot, the tonic of the current section), to figure out what the current chord is DOING in that key, to see which pitches should be altered if I want to bring out this-or-that sound.
This feels like the appropriate time to add the universal jazz advice: transcribing and analyzing your favorite players REALLY helps in translating the sounds you like into theory concepts you can use.
Wow that was extremely much more clear than i thought. For years i played and i never mentioned to my jazz band mates that i didnt know these modes and didnt care to learn them bcs i had another approach and my solos are confident.
My wife who was a music major with vocal emphasis said that the solfege made learning the modes even easier because you just had to know which syllables to change. Great video! As a musician with not much musical theory under my belt, I really appreciated the way you presented the modes. Thanks!
This is way better than all the other tutorials out there, doesn't have the word 'tutorial' in the title, doesn't sell weird paid classes which rarely work, and is extremely well explained. THIS IS GREAT. Thank you. Now I want more.
This is wonderful. I’d love to see a subsequent video (maybe you did one?) on WHEN you’d use these in actual music. Like, for example, if a band was playing a Celtic song, often a soloing instrumentalist within the band would use the Mixolydian mode to improv a solo. It would be the final extension of the info you presented here to show how and when each mode is most often used in styles of music. 💗
I tend to see modes as alterations relative to the natural major (Ionian) and natural minor (aeolian) scales. All major scales have a major third while all minor scales have a minor third.
MAJOR SCALES
- We take the natural major scale (Ionian) as the basic major scale
- Lydian is the major scale with a sharp fourth (therefore it's brighter than the natural major)
- Mixolydian is the major scale with a flat seven (therefore it's darker than the natural major)
MINOR SCALES:
- We take the natural minor scale (aeolian) as the basic minor scale
- Dorian is the minor scale with a sharp sixth (therefore it's brighter than the natural minor)
- Phrygian is the minor scale with a flat two (therefore it's darker than the natural minor)
- Locrian is the minor scale with a flat two AND a flat fifth (therefore it's even darker than Phrygian, and it's also very unstable because the tonic doesn't have a perfect fifth)
In general, lowering a note in a scale by a half step creates a darker sounding scale while rising a note by a half step creates a brighter sounding scale. All of this is subjective, but thinking about modes as minimal alterations of the major and minor scales has helped me grasp them better.
Thank you very much! After learning scales, when I started searching for modes, I have got a lot of confusion, especially because standard "explanation". This idea of mode-degree-of-a-scale should be additional information, not the main one. We are not learing scales in random order, why do I need then to learn that In C major (Ionian) if I start from other note I will get some (new mode name here) + new root ?? %)
Your explanation should be a STANDARD. Scales are a modern. Modes - are just old scales. And then just explain everything in terms of the single KEY!
Now I get it :D
As someone who started off in Indian classical music, the scales make more sense, as ragas are quite similar to scales and were taught to me as alterations to the major scale(same scale in a raga called yaman).
This video made it even clearer and made me even more fascinated at how similar the two systems are.
Ah! I love these theory vids! One suggestion though, could you have an overhead shot of the keyboard as well as the front view? I think it would make it a lot easier to visually understand for people to see the front on pov to the keyboard rather than trying to flip in in our brains lol
dorian is honestly my favorite cause it just sounds so neutral its like a blank canvas, and its easy to change it to melodic minor, natural minor, harmonic major, with just some accidentals, plus one of my favorite songs, hold your colour by pendulum uses dorian a lot
Charles: so it’s goes whole, whole, half, whole... my ads: SKY SPORTS IS BACK
Thank you for posting this video, I have autism, and I was struggling to get my head around this (after playing classical piano for many years, and self accompanying) and it helped immensely. :)
Well explained
I feel so early yet late
Saaaame
Video posted: 42 minutes ago
Comment posted: 43 minutes ago
*w h a t*
Same boat
Didnt funny
Not laugh
I've learned harmonic minor in relation to a minor scale
So it's just a sharp 7 instead of flat 3 and 6
Phrygian - it's not a major scale with 2,3,6 and 7 flat, it's an aeolian minor with a flat 2
Dorian is aeolian with a sharp 6
Just makes it easier in terms of understanding
Yes! another one! modes are confusing, can you make another video to teach us how to use them?
Edit: I can't convince my parents to get me merch but maybe I can convince them to buy me a wallet
it’s good to understand modes, but in my opinion, it’s hard to think about modes while playing, when you could just view them from a common root. (like viewing mixolydian as a dominant 7 scale) 👍🏼
There’s a UA-camr that explains modes so, so well (although he’s primarily a guitar player if that matters to you, but his music theory and explanations are great) called Signals Music Studio
Well, that’s the channel, anyway. His _name_ is Jake Lizzio
Bro you have done it. I now get it. After trying to understand it for the past 4 years on and off because it would get discouraging when I couldn't understand it, you have made complete sense to me. Thank you man. 🙏
Finally🎉🎉😂😂😂😂❤ I also learned it the first way you explained, then someone explained it via random sharps and flats assigned to a key, which made my brain hurt... WTF!!! But you put them together and cleared up the mess in my head. Thanks!
How do I play in x games mode
This is the top comment
Slam your keyboard
He needs to do a “My foolish heart” BILL EVANS chord/harmony analysis
Evans has the best 'My Foolish Heart' recordings
This needs to happen 😭😭
When Charles calls Ab to Bnat a minor third
Good catch! That's actually an augmented second.
I love Charles videos, but that is an augmented 2nd in the harmonic minor scale. A flat to B sounds like a minor 3rd but any A to any B is a 2nd. a to c is a 3rd.
Yeah, but at most, I feel that it is an augmented second, should be mentioned.
If he didn't do it on purpose, I still feel like it was the most pedagogical way of explaining it; calling it what you'd hear phonetically - a minor third
That’s right fella!
It's a simple video about Greek modes. Going into theoretical intervals seems too much.
Keeping it simple was the best way to go.
Charles... huge thanks to you for this incredibly easy way of understanding modes- as well as that cheat sheet. You're honestly the best man 🙏
As a guitarist, I pretty much 'accidentally' taught myself modes with basic scale patterns. "What if I play the C major scale but start on D and end on D, as if it's its own scale?" Turns out, that's what they call Dorian. And like with the major and minor scale patterns, you can move _that_ pattern anywhere you please and still be playing in Dorian. That's why it never made sense to me that so many music professors delineate between "scales" and "modes" as if there's really any kind of meaningful difference. There's not, at least not from a practical standpoint. Assessing them as "modes" really only has utility in examining their relationships to the relative major/minor scales they derive from, which...don't get me wrong, there's value in that if you're _really_ into the theory of it all, but is a massive thorn in the side if all you want to do is _play_ music with kind of a ballpark understanding of theory.
Absolutely. I only need to know one major scale shape, and how far to move it away from whatever chord's being played, to turn it into a mode.
3:14 technically an augmented 2nd
Jazz, practicality over technicality
Bruh
Yeah.... big words are hard.
Yes! I came here to say this, too. Saying "m3" works fine in practice, but not as much in actual music theory. Think of it how you want when you play, but don't use this as your only resource for your music theory class... your prof is gonna be a pedantic jerk like me and take points off. :)
@@joaquinnapan3237 It's not more practical to incorrectly call it a minor third though. A third is a third, and it should fit another stepwise interval in between. That augmented second also sounds distinctly different from a minor third in context, even though you would press the same keys in both cases.
Thankyou for preparing me for AP Music Theory even just a little bit! This class should be a doozey😂😂
If only you could have been my theory professor! Bravo, Charles!!!! Amazing work as always! :) 🎻
I think you should also show how each of these modes are applied in popular music and what they are used for to really drive the point home
Finally! Been looking up videos and articles on modes trying to understand it and this video made it make sense!
When you realize there’s someone in the background
Where?
I always thought he's alone with his doggy😂😂
Kinda scary when you don’t know first
in the beginning i was laughing along when he hit the wrong note, but then i heard someone else then i just stoped laughing and was like:
_ _
._.
4:00 I've seen enough. I feel like my IQ has dropped 50 points after having watched this guy.
When Charles calls the augmented second in a harmonic minor scale a minor third 🥵🥵🥵
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_instrument
Augmented second and minor third are the same thing bro.
@@hastyscorpion they have the same sound but are theoretically different
@@hastyscorpion The minor third and the augmented second sound the same in modern intonation. But one is a grammatical step and one is a grammtical skip. This actually affects how music sounds, structurally.
@@jonwoods4784 They are not just theoretically different. When used correctly, they are cognitively different.
13:17 mind literally blown😱 I’m getting back into playing and reading music for the first time in like over a decade and applying it to Irish whistle and flute so I can understand more advanced playing. This is so helpful!
Great video. If you play the modes based on the major scale they won't sound like modes. So you have to play the modes with C as the tonic then you hear the difference. If you say the 3rd mode of the major scale it confuses people because they think that it has to do with the major scale but it doesn't. Now if I could remember this stuff.
So how do you use modes when composing music? That's what I actually want to know.
I know NOTHING about music theory but I've heard that certain modes are common in specific genres of music. I believe the Dorian mode is very used when composing sea shanties for example.
First of all, you think differently about your melodies and harmonies. Eg. the only difference between music in C major and A minor is where your melodies and cadences end up. Because its the same set of notes. If some progression ends on an A and an A minor chord the progression is in A minor. If it ends in C major, it is in C major. Similarly, if it uses the C major notes but ends on a D minor chord it is D dorian. You think about a different note as being the tonal center, the place of rest and resolution. You'll have to build your harmonies and melodies to reflect that.
So, once you do that, you will notice that each mode has a different sound, a different mood, a different emotion to it. Just like we usually say major is happy and minor is sad. More generally there are different levels of brightness to the different modes, Lydian being the brightest and locrian the darkest. Dorian is a little less sad than minor and mixolydian a little less happy than major. That means, if you write a piece of music you might choose a mode that fits the emotional content you are trying to express.
To really get it, just try it. You'll also find, that those modes are much, much more common than you think. Lots of Rock music eg. is in Dorian or Mixolydian. Lots of Metal and even some Rap is in Phrygian. Lydian is often found in film scores. Only Locrian is really rare.
Do y’all ever just be doin something and then you get a notification and then get totally sidetracked and end up watching dog asmr?
First time?
So true xD
I’m lucky that my music theory teacher taught it to me in this way.
I wish I found this video a long time ago when I had an issue with this concept, because this is by far the best explanation for modes I've seen
I also agree on believing that explaining modes with relative keys is probably the hardest way to do it, and using parallel keys is the best (and most practical considering it also helps set people up for concepts like modal mixture/modal interchange)
I recognized the first explanation, but the follow up with the formulas and alterations to the major scale really helped a lot!
The only hard part about modes is learning their god damn names in order.
I Don't Particularly Like Modes A Lot (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian)
I Don't Play Loud Music After Lunch
F A L E does this acronym suggest that people only blast there music in the morning because my neighbors and my sleep deprivation begs to differ
Nick OR (as it was written in the cover of my high school theory book)... I don’t particularly like my ass licked.
@@Nick-em3kq but then you have to memorize a sentence in the correct order as well...isn't it harder?
"And then, a minor third"
*don't shout augmented second, don't shout augmented second*
Really great video by the way, nice way of thinking it !
But even if the content stay good, i have to admit that the sponsor + the merch + the 2 ads during the video start to be a bit much. I know it's propably necessary, and it allow you to make that kind of video (wich is great), but a bit more and it can become annoying ...
Anyway, love your stuff
A french musicologist
I dont get any adds lmao sponsor + merch is perfectly fine, I like his style of advertising
The amount of extremely useful information he fits in one video warrants that much advertising. I can wait 5 seconds to skip an ad (he still gets the ad count) twice, and push the forward arrow a few times when he talks about his sponsor. Or I can go pay $1000 for someone to spend 6 months telling me all of this while I take night classes because I have a day job. The ads and sponsors don't seem so bad when you look at it that way. For a beginner, this video is tremendous. For a french musicologist, it might be a waste of time.
Oh but what he said is really interesting, and I think it's important that those things are accessible to anyone who want about it ! And the way he does it is always good, and I always learn something, so no, never a waste of time :)
I was more complaining about the system of UA-cam, that give them no other choice to do that more and more if they wanna share content ...
Stfu this is free education, fuck sake 😂
Yeees. I love this kind of video.
Holy snaps! I have been struggling with this for two and a half years! This finally makes sense. I get it now. Wow.
Those images that you used to illustrate the modes stuck with me so much that I have accidentally started remembering the order of the modes without even thinking about it! This is the best way to teach, thank you so much! :D