ALTAR MUSIK: Mode Scales and Rhytem

Modes and Scales

A scale is the name for a series of notes running up or down in a stepwise fashion. Any series of notes ordered like this constitutes a scale but only a few are regularly used and have common names. One is the major scale, the other is the minor scale both derived from ancient modes.

A lot of traditional music, especially Scottish and Irish is termed 'Modal' because it does not follow the conventional modern major or minor scales. It is often in the Mixolydian or Dorian mode. Modes are simply the name given to the pattern of intervals between each note in an octave i.e the ways of ordering a scale.

Modes and Scales can be traced back to Greek origins, where different different scales evolved depending on the starting note. The intervals were undoubdtedly arrived at by ear (certain intervals sound 'right' to the human ear). The scales ran down from a tonic note (rather than up which is the modern method) and maintained certain intervals between notes. Two of the scales gave rise to the modern major and modern minor scales (see table below). Each scale started on a different note and descended by characteristicly different intervals.

By the Middle Ages, the church had adopted these scales, made them ascending from a tonic note and renamed them modes. The Greek scales (and medieval modes) used only the natural notes (no sharps or flats) which are equivalent to the white notes of a piano. This gives a characteristic interval between notes in the scale (see individual modes). Providing these intervals are maintained for a given mode, they can in modern music start on any note (including sharps and flats).

Original Greek Scales

Scale	Start Note I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII
Ionian	C	B	A	G	F	E	D	C
Dorian	D	C	B	A	G	F	E	D
Phrygian	E	D	C	B	A	G	F	E
Lydian	F	E	D	C	B	A	G	F
Mixolydian	G	F	E	D	C	B	A	G
Aeolian	A	G	F	E	D	C	B	A
Locrian	B	A	G	F	E	D	C	B

Medieval Modes

Scale	Start Note I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	(Ascending)
Ionian	C	D	E	F	G	A	B	C	Modern Major
Dorian	D	E	F	G	A	B	C	D
Phrygian	E	F	G	A	B	C	D	E
Lydian	F	G	A	B	C	D	E	F
Mixolydian	G	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
Aeolian	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	A	Modern Minor
Locrian	B	C	D	E	F	G	A	B

The modern Major Scale for all keys is based on the Ionian Mode with an interval structure of T-T-S-T-T-T-S

The modern natural Minor Scale for all keys is based on the Aeolian Mode with an interval structure of T-S-T-T-S-T-T

The most usual 'modal' mode is Mixolydian with an interval structure of T-T-S-T-T-S-T

All modern keys can be converted to modes by applying the interval structure of that mode from the starting note (tonic)

There are other modes, some of which are invented and are not included here. A common traditional mode (and one of the oldest) is the 'pentatonic' mode which only has 5 notes in the scale. The major Pentatonic scale starting on C is:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI
		Tone		Tone		Tone+Semitone		Tone		Tone+Semitone
Note	C		D		E		G		A		C

The Pentatonic Minor has intervals of [T+S]-T-T-[T+S]-T.

Other scales/modes are:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
Hungarian	C	Tone	D	Semitone	D#	Tone+Semitone	F#	Semitone	G	Semitone	G#	Tone+Semitone	B	Semitone	C
Neapolitan	C	Semitone	C#	Tone	D#	Tone	F	Tone	G	Tone	A	Tone	B	Semitone	C

Circle of Keys

The complete set of keys. They form a circle effectively from 0 sharps [C] clockwise to 11 sharps [E# = F] or 0 flats [C] anticlockwise to 11 flats [Abb=G]. Conventionally, the two are balanced to 6 sharps and 6 flats. The keys are shown as key/relative minor.

		Flats		Sharps
			C/Am 0 flats or sharps
		F/Dm 1 flat [Bb]		G/Em 1 sharp [F#]
	Bb/Gm 2 flats [Bb,Eb]				D/Bm 2 sharps [F#, C#]
Eb/Cm 3 flats [Bb,Eb,Ab]						A/F#m 3 sharps F#,C#,G#]
	Ab/Fm 4 flats [Bb,Eb,Ab,Db]				E/C#m 4 sharps [F#,C#,G#,D#]
		Db/Bbm 5 flats [Bb,Eb,Ab,Db,Gb]		B/Abm 5 sharps [F#,C#,G#,D#,A#]
			Gb/Ebm 6 flats [Bb,Eb,Ab,Db,Gb,Cb] F#/Ebm 6 sharps [F#,C#,G#,D#,A#,E#]

Relative Minor

We've already seen how the Ionian mode with it's intervals of TTSTTTS gave us the modern major scale, and how the Aeolian mode with intervals of TSTTSTT gave us the modern minor scales. Well there's something else:

If we take the scale of C Major:

A B | C D E F G A B C | D E F G A

It ascends from C to octave C by the intervals of the major scale (TTSTTTS). But if you were to position the minor scale intervals against the C major scale, and adjust them to fit, you would find that they did so at one position starting on A:

A B | C D E F G A B C | D E F G A

So there is a minor key with no sharps or flats, and it is A minor ( or Am ). Because it has no sharps or flats, it is similar to the major scale of C and so it is known as the relative minor of C. Note that the starting note of a relative minor is always 3 semitones below the major tonic (staring note), so we have C and Am, G and Em, D and Bm etc.

In chord progressions, going from the Root to the relative minor is a pleasing effect and used in many tunes. e.g. From the G major chord to the E minor chord.

Scales

For historical reasons, a musical scale starts on a note (called the tonic or root) and progresses up in 7 steps to a note with the same name. The 8 notes give it the name octave and a scale in 8 notes is called Diatonic. This is the normal state of affairs in the majority of Western music.

(For interest, a scale of 12 notes is called Chromatic, and a scale of 5 notes is called Pentatonic. Pentatonic scales are much favoured in the Orient and chromatic scales are favoured by the avant garde)

An Octave starting on C

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
C	D	E	F	G	A	B	C'

Modern instruments have 12 notes (semitones) in the octave, not just 8. i.e. 12 keys on a piano (the black notes are the extras) and 12 frets on a mandolin (banjolin, banjo, etc) between any 2 notes of the same name. Contrast this with a tin whistle or a melodeon where the scales are fixed - a D whistle or a D - G melodeon (2 keys). This means that modern instruments are multi-purpose - they can play any scale although you generally play a permutation - any 8 from 12 (well certain 8's from 12 anyway). Of course they can play any other type of scale (Chromatic, Pentatonic etc. )because all 12 semitones are available.

Starting a major scale on a note other than C (or a minor scale on a note other than A) needs notes that are not there in the natural key (i.e. C and A minor). The starting note is called the Tonic (key note) and gives its name to the key.

So the key of G starts and ends on G but playing ...

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
G	A	B	C	D	E	F	G'

... will not sound right. The F needs to be sharpened to get the scale sounding correctly in the major mode (as the C scale did) Any scale (major or minor or other mode) is formed by a particular interval of notes. In fact, this 'scale' which is equivalent to playing only white notes on a piano, but starting on a 'G' is the Mixolydian Mode which is quite common in common folk tune.

A major scale (see Ionian) always goes T-T-S-T-T-T-S (S = semitone, T=tone=2 semitones) so while the scale of the key of C is: CDEFGABC, the scale of the key of G is: G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G. Note the F# to get the tone interval after the E. So the key of G is '1 sharp' - the F has to be played sharp to fit the major scale intervals.

There is a progression of keys from C and traditionally, half are keys with an increasing number of sharps and the other half have an increasing number of flats. It is possible to think of all keys increasing the number of sharps (up to 11) or increasing the flats to 11 to get all the keys, but convention divides the keys into half and half.

The table below lists all the 12 keys (note that F# and Gb are the same!). Or see the keys page for an alternative view. Starting with C (no # or b), the next key up starts on the 5th note of the scale - which is G (CDEFG). The next starts on the 5th note of the scale of G - which is D (GABCD) but to get the intervals, it has to sharpen the C to C# (DEF#GABC#D).

Sharp Keys

The new scale (going sharp) always starts on the 5th note of the preceding scale. It also keeps all previous sharps, and always adds a new sharp as the 7th note of the new scale. A handy rule.

Key	Sharps	Key	Flats
C	0#	C	0b
G	1#	F	1b
D	2#	Bb	2b
A	3#	Eb	3b
E	4#	Ab	4b
B	5#	Db	5b
F#	6#	Gb	6b

Flat Keys

Starting with C again, the next key down starts on the 4th note of the the scale which is F (CDEF). To get the major intervals correctly, the key of F has to play the B flattened.

The new scale (going flat) always starts on the 5th note down (or the 4th note of) the previous scale. It keeps previous flats and always adds a new flat which is the 7th of the old scale as the 4th note of the new.

Summary

So, the next sharp key starts on the 5th note of the previous key, and the note sharpened is the 7th note of the new key. The next flat key starts on the 4th note of the previous key, and the note flattened is the 4th note of the new key.

The Ionian Mode:

The Interval between notes is based on the number of semitones each note is from its predecessor.

Here is a typical octave of modern equally spaced semitones based on a tonic (starting note) of C for reference:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

If we look at the intervals of notes which make up the Ionian Mode (which starts on C), we get:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone
Note	C		D		E		F		G		A		B		C

This pattern of intervals: T-T-S-T-T-T-S is the characteristic of the Ionian mode, and gave us (or was adopted as) the modern major scale.

Because modes are characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce an Ionian mode in that 'key'. This would be 'D Ionian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone
Note	D		E		F#		G		A		B		C#		D

You can see that using the Ionian Mode intervals, which we said gave us the modern major scale, the Ionian Mode starting on 'D' is identical to the modern key of D Major.

The Dorian Mode originally ascended from D to D'

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Dorian Mode:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone
Note	D		E		F		G		A		B		C		D

This pattern of intervals: T-S-T-T-T-S-T is the characteristic of the Dorian mode, and is a Minor scale (because of the flattened third note).

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce a Dorian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'G Dorian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone
Note	G		A		Bb(A#)		C		D		E		F		G

Examples of tunes in Dorian Mode are The Star of Munster, Cooley's, Scarborough Fair, The Ships are Sailing, Pigeon on the Gate and Drunken Sailor.

The Phrygian Mode originally ascended from E to E'

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Phrygian Mode:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone
Note	E		F		G		A		B		C		D		E

This pattern of intervals: S-T-T-T-S-T-T is the characteristic of the Phrygian mode, and is a Minor mode.

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce a Phrygian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'G Phrygian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone
Note	G		Ab(G#)		Bb(A#)		C		D		Eb(D#)		F		G

The Lydian Mode originally ascended from F to F'

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Lydian Mode:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone
Note	F		G		A		B		C		D		E		F

This pattern of intervals: T-T-T-S-T-T-S is the characteristic of the Lydian mode, and is a Major mode.

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce a Lydian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'G Lydian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone
Note	G		A		B		C#		D		E		F#		G

The Mixolydian Mode originally ascended from G to G'. This is a common mode for traditional music.
Scales in Score and Tab for common Mixolydian Modes as gifs or pdf

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Mixolydian Mode:

III

VII

VIII

Tone

Semitone

Tone

Semitone

Tone

Note

This pattern of intervals: T-T-S-T-T-S-T is the characteristic of the Mixolydian mode, and is a Major mode similar to the Ionian but has a flattened 7th note.

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce a Mixolydian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'D Mixolydian':

III

VII

VIII

Tone

Semitone

Tone

Semitone

Tone

Note

If a piece of music seems to be in the key of D, but all C#s are played as C naturals, it's probably 'D modal' or D Mixolydian.

Examples of tunes in Mixolydian Mode are Old Joe Clarke, The High Reel, Red Haired Boy and Banish Misfortune.

The Aeolian Mode originally ascended from A to A'

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Aeolian Mode:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone
Note	A		B		C		D		E		F		G		A

This pattern of intervals: T-S-T-T-S-T-T is the characteristic of the Aeolian mode, and forms the modern natural A Minor scale (relative minor of C major).

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce an Aeolian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'D Aeolian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone
Note	D		E		F		G		A		Bb(A#)		C		D

The Locrian Mode originally ascended from B to B'. Not common in Western music, but much used in Eastern.

Reference Scale:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	1'
Note	C	C#	D	D#	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	A#	B	C
Note	C	Db	D	Eb	E	F	Gb	G	Ab	A	Bb	B	C

Use this table to construct the mode starting on any note, using the pattern of intervals below.

Locrian Mode:

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone
Note	B		C		D		E		F		G		A		B

This pattern of intervals: S-T-T-S-T-T-T is the characteristic of the Locrian mode.

Because the mode is characterised by its interval structure, you can start on any note and progress with the same intervals to produce a Locrian mode in that 'key'.

This would be 'G Locrian':

	I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII
		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Semitone		Tone		Tone		Tone
Note	G		Ab(G#)		Bb(A#)		C		Db(C#)		Eb(D#)		F		G

Rhythm and Timing of Tunes

Tempo is the speed you play at and Rhythm is the beat.

Rhythms name the type of tune - Reel, Jig, Mazurka, Waltz, etc.

You can have slow jigs, fast jigs, slow reels and fast reels slow waltzs and fast waltzs. Each ryhthm can be played more slowly or more quickly by different players and in different circumstances.

If the music is meant for dance there is usually a comfortable tempo for the dancers, otherwise anything goes.

In folk music, there are several basic rhythms. Typically, the rhythms go like this:

Name	Time Signature	Rhythm
Polka	2/2	1 and 2 and 1 and 2 ...
Waltz	3/4	1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 ....
Mazurka	3/4	1,2,3,1,2,3
Reel	4/4	1,2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3,4 ...
Hornpipe	4/4	1-,2,3-,4,1-,2,3-,4 ...
Jig	6/8	1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6 ...

Bold means the beat is emphasised Italic means the beat is emphasised but less strongly A dash (-) means the note is held longer and the next one is shorter, giving a kind of 'bounce'

Note: The Reel and Jig in Irish music are played differently from the Jig and Reel in English music although they share the timing. Indeed the Irish Jigs and Reels are played differently in different parts of Ireland - variations in speed and 'bounce' especially.

Beats in the bar

Yes, there's an obvious joke there somewhere.

The thing about music is that it does have a beat and you can count the beats. In a time signature (like 4/4) the first number is the number of beats you count (1,2,3,4 and repeat). How do you know when to repeat? The beats should be emphasised and we're straying into the realms of dancing here. The second number is the typical length of the note (used to be called Semibreves, minims, crotchets,quavers and so on but now called whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note etc)

Semibreve = whole note
Minim = half note
Crotchet = quarter note
Quaver = eighth note

The time signature is the number of beats in a bar over the default note length. So 4/4 just means 4 beats and each one's a crotchet, 6/8 means 6 beats and each one's a quaver.

Although the default note length is given in the time signature, the actual note lengths can be different, as long as it all adds up to the right amount per bar. A reel in 4/4 doesn't have to have 4 crotchets in a bar (4 x a quarter = 1) - it can have 8 quavers (8 x an eighth = 1) or a mixture as long as it adds up.

This gives tunes their wonderful diverse quality and leads to effects such as syncopation.

ALTAR MUSIK

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Senin, 20 Desember 2010

Mode Scales and Rhytem

Modes and Scales

Original Greek Scales

Medieval Modes

Circle of Keys

Relative Minor

Scales

An Octave starting on C

Sharp Keys

Flat Keys

Summary

Reference Scale:

Dorian Mode:

Reference Scale:

Phrygian Mode:

Reference Scale:

Lydian Mode:

Reference Scale:

Mixolydian Mode:

Reference Scale:

Aeolian Mode:

Reference Scale:

Locrian Mode:

Rhythm and Timing of Tunes

Beats in the bar

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