Hi everyone, I realize that the PDF from Michael may not come through properly in the digest version. Here’s a link to the original post:
https://lists.sharedweight.net/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/YMXYLT5IGOIDZRCQMGBIQEZVSRCM4P47/ and specifically to the PDF attachment: https://lists.sharedweight.net/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/YMXYLT5IGOIDZRCQMGBIQEZVSRCM4P47/attachment/2/Mode.pdf Seth > On Nov 3, 2019, at 12:38 AM, Michael Pavan via Musicians > <[email protected]> wrote: > > The question of Keys, Key Signatures, and Modes comes up again and again. > Most explanations seem somewhat jumbled and/or full of technical description. > This is confusing, but over the years (decades?) it has become clearer to me. > > It comes down to: > What note does the tune resolve too? (its Tonic Note) > What notes are in the scale of the tune? (how many Flats or Sharps) > Chords give clues, but they are subjective or 'symptomatic' as chord choices > are not always universally agreed upon. > > Why does it matter what the Key is? > Knowing what the Key is alerts melody players what notes, and chord players > what chords, to expect (or not expect). > Yes, it is possible to play well without knowing what Key, Notes, or Chords > you are playing, but most people recognize they have names; and it is easier > to understand if everyone uses the correct names. > > Tunes may also contain 'accidental' notes (not in the scale of the Key), but > these usually stand out as different - the more one plays the more intuitive > they are. > > > TRAD MUSIC ONLY USES 4 MODES? > Major, Mixolydian, Dorian, and Minor are the 4 Modes that virtually all > Tradition (Western) Music use - Celtic, Old Time, Country, Blues, Bluegrass, > Rhythm & Blues; and I believe Rock, and maybe Jazz too. > > Tunes that are in a Major (Ionian) Key tend to be self-evident, however the > mislabeling of tunes in Minor (Aeolian) and 'Modal' Keys (Mixolydian and > Dorian) cloud that clarity. There are also 3 other 'Authentic' Modes > (Phrygian, Locrian, and Lydian) that rarely come up. > > There also happen to be 7 "Plagal (or Hypo-) Modes" where tunes resolve to > the fourth note of the scale, instead of the first (or last) note. These are > typically used in 'Renaissance' music, but commonly are likely never noticed > that there is a 'different' name for the scale of same notes. For example the > Hypoionian uses the same notes as the Ionian (Major), but the fourth note is > the tonic. > > > HOW TO DETERMINE THE KEY? > 1) determine what note a tune (or each of its parts) resolve to - its Tonic > Note. > 2) determine what notes are played (comprise the scale - how many sharps or > flats) - its Key Signature > 3) match the Tonic Note and Key Signature with the appropriate Key Name. > > KEY NAME is the Tonic NOTE followed by the MODE: > > Start by presuming the note it resolves to is a Major Key, and how many flats > or sharps would that be? > C Major = 0b / 0# > G Major = 1# > D Major = 2# > A Major = 3# > E Major = 4# > B Major = 7b / 5# > Gb (F#) Major = 6b / 6# > Db (C#) Major = 5b / 7# > Ab (G#) Major = 4b > Eb (D#) Major = 3b > Bb (A#) Major = 2b > F Major = 1b > > If less sharps (or more flats) are used, how many? > 0 fewer, then Major (Ionian) > -1# (or +1b), then Mixolydian > -2# (or +2b), then Dorian > -3# (or +3b), then Minor (Aeolian) > -4# (or +4b), then Phrygian > -5# (or +5b), then Locrian > -6# (or +6b), then Lydian > > Example: > If a tune resolve to A: > A Major has 3#s > but Key signature (or actual #s in tune) is 1# > then A Dorian > > > The attached chart may make it clearer. > > <Key : Mode.pdf>_______________________________________________ > Musicians mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] _______________________________________________ Musicians mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
