Moods à la Modes ..........................................................................................
Just playing a mode or scale without any particular melody in mind can
inspire you to come up with a melody. An easy way to start experiencing a
few different modes is to play scales on all white piano keys, but starting on
the different notes within the C scale. There are seven modes (often called
church modes, although they’re really ancient Greek) that you can make this
way because there are seven unique white piano keys in an octave.For example: Play a scale from F to F using only the white keys. Note that you
will play the B natural instead of the B flat that is found in the key of F major.
You just played a scale in the Lydianmode, and it sounds a little different
from the old “Do Re Mi” that you learned as a kid.You can try all seven modes by starting and finishing on other notes using
only the white keys. Can you hear the interesting mood possibilities lurking
in these modes? You can gain a lot of ideas by sampling the different modes
and deciding which mode evokes which moods.Let’s look at all seven modes a little more closely now. It’s true that for sim-
plicity’s sake we’re illustrating the modes using only the white keys on the
piano keyboard. But of course, each mode can be based on any note. It’s the
different pattern of the intervals between the notes that defines each mode.Ionian (major scale) .............................................................................
When you play seven ascending white keys starting with C, you get the Ionian
mode (Figure 6-6). To build an Ionian scale on another note besides C, you
use the whole-step (W), half-step (H) pattern: WWHWWWH.Notice something familiar about this? You’re right — this is the same pattern
used to build major scales today.& 4
4
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ ̇Figure 6-6:
The Ionian
mode should
sound
familiar,
because it’s
the major
scale.60 Part II: Melody and Development