OK, you're notating a blues in D -- that's D mixolydian. What's your key signature, the standard 2 sharps with an accidental for every C, or 1 sharp to reflect the mode?
Dear Giz and others interested in the question:
My preference would be for two sharps. Use C naturals and F naturals for blue notes. Players see the signature first and make a judgment as to the tonic for major or for minor. In modal pieces, the "accidentals" will define the mode. Modal signatures in music before the 18th Century are always confusing to performers except for those who specialize in early music. I believe that performance editions of early music, especially those for use in schools and churches, should use the signature of the major or minor key that is closest to the mode: major for Lydian and Mixolydian, minor for Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian. I think it should be the same rule for the blues and for folk and ethnic music. For music that exhibits the characteristics of several modes, perhaps with frequent changes or simultaneous combination of different modes, I would use no signature at all. Here again, the appearance of the sharps and flats will define the modal flavors.
Hal
-- Harold Owen 2830 Emerald St., Eugene, OR 97403 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit my web site at: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~hjowen FAX: (509) 461-3608 _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
