APPENDIX 4 MODES The music of Europe from the Middle Ages to the end of the Renaissance (from the Fall of Rome in 476 to around 1600) was based on a system of scales called modes; we identify this music as modal music. Two of these modes, the Ionian and Aeolian modes, continued to be used in Western music from around 1600 through much of the nineteenth century, creating the major-minor system; we identify this music as tonal music. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, composers began to use modes again as the basis of their pieces. Popular music from the Middle Ages to the present, including folk and some jazz melodies, has roots in the modes. There are seven modes. Notice that: Modes span an octave, beginning and ending on the same pitch. Each mode consists of a different arrangement of whole steps and half steps. Medieval theorists gave Greek names to the modes although they do not resemble Greek modes. The modes are written without accidentals. In practice, Medieval musicians added the Bb and later, other accidentals, to avoid the tritone (A4 or d5). Adding accidentals contributed to the eventual breakdown of the modal system. Ionian mode (presently the major scale); has half steps between 3-4 and 7-8. Dorian mode has half steps between 2-3 and 6-7. Phrygian mode has half steps between 1-2 and 5-6.
A P P E N D I X 4 Lydian mode has half steps between 4-5 and 7-8. Mixolydian mode has half steps between 3-4 and 6-7. Aeolian mode (presently the natural minor scale) has half steps between 2-3 and 5-6. Locrian mode has half steps between 1-2 and 4-5. Historical note Gregory the Great, the first great pope of the Middle Ages, solidified papal power (c. 590 604). He is credited with composing much of the music used in the Roman liturgy, resulting in the label Gregorian chant. It is more likely that Pope Gregory codified these chants, rather than composing them. To the original four modes described by St. Ambrose, the fourth century theorist, Pope Gregory added four others.
M O D E S Exercise 1 Following are two examples of Gregorian chant from the 11th 13th centuries. In these examples, the first and last pitch of each example is the first note of the mode of the piece. Medieval theorists called this note the finalis (comparable to our tonic). Notice that the chants are written without time signatures or barlines. 1. Kyrie, Easter Mass (Mixolydian mode) 2. Alleluia (Dorian mode)
A P P E N D I X 4 Exercise 2 Many folk songs are modal; frequently, composers wrote melodies based on folk song or dance elements. Identify the mode of the following examples. 1. Wayfaring Stranger, American spiritual 2. D ror Yikra, Middle Eastern folk song Notice the changing time signatures. Keep the quarter note beat constant throughout the song.
M O D E S 3. Mazurka, Op. 24, No. 2 (F. Chopin) (Originally written an octave higher.) Vocabulary MAZURKA A mazurka ( mazurek in Polish), is a Polish dance in triple meter, usually with an accent on the second or third beat. It frequently uses trills, triplets, two eighth notes followed by two quarter notes, or a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth note. Like many Polish folk songs, mazurkas are modal, usually Lydian. Chopin, whose mother was Polish, composed over 50 stylized mazurkas. RITEN (Italian: ritenuto) means held back, to suddenly slow the tempo. riten. riten. Transposing Modes Modes originally were sung without any accidentals; on the keyboard, we would only use the white keys from C to C (Ionian), D to D (Dorian), and so forth. Just as major and minor scales may be played beginning on any note (called transposition), modes may also be transposed to different pitches. There are two methods to transpose modes: 1) using the arrangement of whole and half steps; 2) using the key signature. First Method of Modal Transposition: Using Whole and Half Steps Begin by reviewing the arrangement of whole and half steps for each mode given at the beginning of this appendix. For example, the Phrygian mode has half steps between 1 2 and 5 6. Notice the accidentals that would be needed to create these half steps when the Phrygian mode begins on G, rather than E.
A P P E N D I X 4 G Phyrgian mode The Mixolydian mode has half steps between 3 4 and 6 7. To transpose the Mixolydian mode from G to F, two flats would be needed as shown below. F Mixolydian Second Method of Modal Transposition: Using the Key Signature When only the white keys of the keyboard are used to write the modes, the Ionian mode begins on C. When we transpose the Ionian mode to a different note, we can use the key signature of the corresponding major scale of the Ionian mode. For example, if the Ionian mode begins on E, the major key signature for E is three flats: B, E and A. All other modes now begin on subsequent notes of the E major scale as shown below. E Ionian mode: half steps between 3 4 and 7 8. D Locrian C Aeolian B Mixolydian A Lydian G Phrygian F Dorian E Ionian
M O D E S To write the G Phrygian mode, we begin on G and use three flats in the key signature. (Note that the Phrygian mode is a M3 above the Ionian mode; G is a M3 above E.) Compare this with G Phrygian written using the first method of constructing modes using whole and half steps. G Phrygian mode with a key signature To write the B Mixolydian mode, we begin on B and use three flats in the key signature. (Note that the Mixolydian mode is the fifth note (P5) above the Ionian mode; B is a P5 above E.) Compare this with the B Mixolydian written using whole and half steps. B Mixolydian mode with a key signature Notice: In order to use a key signature to determine the accidentals in a mode, establish the interval of the first note of the mode (which we will call the tonic ) in relation to the tonic of the Ionian mode. Study the following list. Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian Tonic note of a major scale. Second note of a major scale, M2 above the tonic Third note of a major scale, M3 above the tonic Fourth note of a major scale, P4 above the tonic Fifth note of a major scale, P5 above the tonic Sixth note of a major scale, M6 above the tonic Seventh note of a major scale, M7 above the tonic Exercise 3 Using the list given above, you can determine the mode of a song by determining the interval of tonic of the major scale to the tonic of the mode. Example: Black Is the Color of My True Love s Hair, American folk song
A P P E N D I X 4 This folk song was popular in the Appalachian Mountains from 1915, but probably came from Scotland and is part of the Celtic (Scottish) music tradition. To find the mode of Black Is the Color, follow the steps given below. 1. Name the major key with one sharp. G major 2. Identify the interval of the last note of song (A) to the major tonic note (G). M2 3. Using this interval, determine the mode. A Dorian is the second note (M2) above the major tonic note. 4. Draw the A Dorian mode. (Note: between 2 3 and 6 7.) 1. Old Joe Clark, American folk song
M O D E S Using the following steps, determine the mode of Old Joe Clark. 1. Name the major key with two sharps. 2. Identify the interval of last note of song to the tonic note of the major scale. 3. Using this interval, determine the mode. 4. Draw the mode and indicate the half steps (). 2. Hitragut, Middle Eastern folk song Using the following steps, identify the mode of Hitragut. 1. Name the major key with two flats. 2. Identify the interval of last note of song to the tonic note of the major scale. 3. Using this interval, determine the mode. 4. Draw the mode and indicate the half steps (). Modes and Blues Harmony Beginning in the 1950 s and 1960 s, jazz, rock and blues musicians began to use modal harmonies in their songs. Listen to Miles Davis (including So What and the album Kind of Blue ), The Rolling Stones ( I m Crying ), The Who, or Crosby, Stills and Nash for examples of modal influences in jazz, rock, or blues music.