Contents
Session Overview
This time you learn a new concept. In the latter half of Chapter III, we will learn a special scale called “church modes”. Since it is a scale different from the usual, it is not used as much in popular music. However, it becomes particularly valuable knowledge in genres where a broader range of musical expressions is required, such as in film music and game music.
Keywords: Church modes, modal tonic
1. Church Modes
As mentioned in the introduction, the foundation of current music theory was established around the 17th-18th centuries. Also we discussed in the preparatory section how the basis of the theory was formed by two scales, the major and the minor, while excluding other scales.
This time, I will explain the unique scales called Church Modes, which were dominant in European church music before the establishment of major/minor key system. The word “mode” itself may not be familiar, but for now, think of it as a synonym for “scale” but with a bit of additional nuances and historical backgrounds.
The word “church” may give the impression of being distant from your songwriting, but these scales are widely utilized in popular music. Let’s take a moment to listen to their sound.
Dorian Mode
For example, the “Dorian Mode”, which I will introduce first, is well-known for creating a folk-like sound.
Mastering this scale makes it easy to create tunes with such characteristics. It’s an essential scale for those who compose game music or film music.
Mixolydian Mode
The upcoming “Mixolydian Mode” is known for creating a bold and cheerful sound, associated with blues and hard rock.
This intense boldness and power cannot be achieved with the major scale. It’s the existence of these different scales that gives rise to this sound.
Phrygian Mode
Another one, “Phrygian Mode” excels in creating a deeper sense of darkness and heaviness, deeper than the minor scale.
It can be used to evoke a serious tension or express a monster-like heaviness, making it a valuable scale in film music and EDM.
The major/minor scale are the two common scales established by classical music. To express genres beyond that, there are many scales specialized for it. The “Pentatonic” and “omit-4” learned in Chapter I are examples of such scales. The upcoming “Church Modes” will also be crucial for music expressions without classical origins.
Skipping Ahead?
As you can hear, new scales bring new sounds to your music. However, conversely, it can be said that this knowledge is not particularly necessary for creating ordinary Pops or rock, for example. So, if it seems unlikely to suit your genre, feel free to skip ahead to Chord Chapter IV or you may even skip to Melody Chapter IV, depending on your preferences.
Now, let’s get back to the main topic…
Now, there are a total of seven Church Modes. First and foremost, let’s take a look at them.
These 7 modes adorned the music of the past church. It’s exciting to think that each brings a unique sound not found in the world of classical theory of the Classical era!!🔥🔥
2. Understanding the Concept
However, many might have thought after looking at the score earlier, “Huh, isn’t it the same scale for all of them? They’re only using the white keys.” It’s a natural question.
Here, the upper one is the “Dorian Mode”, and the lower one is the “Ionian Mode”, yet the constituent notes of the scale are indeed exactly the same. New kind of a scam? …Of course not. As you heard earlier, the “Dorian Mode” has a folk-like quality, and the “Mixolydian Mode” has a bold, powerful feel… each of the seven modes is genuinely a scale with a distinct personality. Understanding this concept can be a bit tricky, and discussions about modes are one of the stumbling blocks in music theory. So, this time, before diving into the specific introduction of each mode, I’ll try to resolve this question.
Ionian and Aeolian Modes
First and foremost, let’s be clear: the “Ionian Mode” is indeed the same as the major scale. It follows the familiar “do–re–mi–fa–so–la–ti” so there’s no escaping that fact.
And the “Aeolian Mode” is also the same as the minor scale. It consists of the well-known “la–ti–do–re–mi–fa–so“, right?
Historically speaking, the church modes were predecessors. In other words, these two, the “Ionian” and “Aeolian” modes flourished during the pre-classical era and have survived to the present day under the names of the major scale and the minor scale, respectively. That’s the story.
- Ionian Mode = Former name for the major scale
- Aeolian Mode = Former name for the minor scale
Discuss the “Center” Again
So, let’s go back to basics once more. What was the difference between the major scale and the minor scale? By recalling that, we can grasp the concept of church modes.
—The answer, of course, lies in “where the tonic is located.” People possess the ability to recognize the tonic, the tonal center. Depending on that “center,” the same scale composed only of white keys can evoke both brightness and darkness, right?
In the section on chord progressions, we have been primarily focused on major keys, so you might have momentarily forgotten, but that was the original discussion.
When la is frequently used at the beginning or end of a phrase, or in long tones, blah-blah-blah, it is recognized as the minor scale, creating an overall darker tonal quality. This is a matter of “recognition,” so the boundary is ambiguous, as explained earlier.
Then if re, for instance, is emphasized consistently in the same way, it is entirely possible to establish re as the recognized center!
When re” takes the lead, the sound that emerges is different from either the major or minor Scales, creating a whole new mood. It is the “sound of Dorian mode”. Thus far, we have operated under the assumption that only do or la can occupy the center stage. However, this was merely based on the general format established in Western music in the 18th century. In reality, any note can become the center.
Even in Western classical music, before the establishment of the dominance of major/minor key system, there was an era where each of the seven notes could take the lead and shape the music.
Such era. In this context, there is a term called Modal Tonic, referring to the central note in this type of music. Stepping outside the basic classical theory reveals the potential for any note to become the “modal tonic”.
The Essential Role of Chords
However, in the modern era, listeners have already developed the habit of associating white-key scales with the idea that the center must be either do or la. Without careful consideration, it’s challenging to make the listener perceive other notes as the center. No matter how much the melody emphasizes D, if the chords are playing something like C-F-G-C, a C Major key-like tonality will emerge, shifting the musical “center” in that direction. In other words, in today’s music, to successfully convey the intended “modal tonic” to the listener, careful construction of chord progressions is essential.
This is a sound source where the chords are consistently Dm, and the phrases’ beginnings and endings actively use the D note, creating a sense of D as the center, even though only the white keys are used. Suddenly, the earlier “exotic atmosphere” is brought to life.
The melody emphasizes D as the “modal tonic”, and the use of Dm chords accentuates D as the tonal center. Through the cooperation of these two elements, it becomes possible to deviate from the world of major/minor keys. Gradually, you can imagine what we’ll be doing from now on?
Since we are truly accustomed to feeling either do or la as the center, various attention and ingenuity are required to make other notes feel like the center. Therefore, I will introduce in detail the characteristics, handling, and examples of each mode.
Supplement
By the way, the terms introduced here, such as “mode” or names like “Dorian” and “Lydian,” are also used in jazz theory. However, the meanings and usage of these terms differ significantly in jazz theory. We will address this in Chapter VI and it will not be discussed here. If you come across discussions like “To level up your improvisation, learn the seven modes!” it refers to a usage specific to jazz, distinct from what is introduced here.
Summary
- Aside from the major/minor scales, there are commonly used classic scales.
- Among them are the scales once used in church music, known as “Church Modes.”
- There are a total of 7 church modes, and among them, two are essentially the same as major and minor scales.
- To use church modes effectively, one must skillfully control the recognition of the tonal center.
