Hi

I was wondering if someone could anwser my question about modes. I'm new to learning about modes but I've got my head around most of the scale types and I know that the modes are based on the 7 degrees of the diatonic key system but by using them am I always playing around the same key centre?

If I was playing a tune that had a minor feel to it and was using the D dorian mode would I write the key signature as D minor or C Major

The early Christian church developed a system of eight musical modes (the octoechos), which mediaeval music scholars related to the ancient Greek modes. Misinterpreting the Latin texts of Boethius, mediaeval modes were given the wrong Greek names. Thus, in mediaeval and modern music, the Dorian mode is a diatonic scale or musical mode which corresponds to the white keys of the piano from "D" to "D". It may be considered an "excerpt" of a major scale played from the pitch a whole tone above the major scale's tonic (in the key of C Major it would be D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D), i.e., a major scale played from its second scale degree up to its second degree again. The resulting scale is, however, minor (or has a minor "feel" or character) because as the "D" becomes the new tonal centre the minor third between the D and the F make us "hear minor". If we build a chord on the tonic, third and fifth, it is a minor chord.


The answer is to use a key signature of C major.

Edit: Actually, it not that simple. It would be more correct to say that "A key signature with no sharps or flats is either

C-major (Ionian),
A-minor, (Aeolian),
D-dorian

etc".

Attonal - it has no key signature

Er - I don't think modes are atonal...

In solfa we have two ways of describing a mode - the authentic and the modern solfa.

The Dorian mode, in authentic solfa, is from re to re (re mi fa so la ti do re). It is minor in character because the first third is minor. We describe the natural minor (Aeolian mode) as la ti do re me fa so la.

Using the modern solfa we relate the Dorian to the natural minor and discover (by looking at the pattern of tones and semitones between consecutive notes) that it is the natural minor with a raised 6th and can be sung as la ti do re me fi so la.

It is therefore possible to use two key signatures. If thinking of the scale with the authentic solfa you would use the C major key sig as D=re (and therefore C=do).

If thinking of the modern solfa you could use an F major key sig (as it is being related to D natural minor) but you would need to raise the 6th (the 'fi') - all the Bbs would need to become B naturals.

The same principle would apply with any starting pitch - eg if C Dorian you could use a Bb major key sig (C is re, Bb is doh) or an Eb key sig with the Abs made into A naturals.

I'm not quite sure if this has been helpful or not! It's easier to do than to write about...

Hi

thanks for the input guys, its been very helpful. I'm not sure if hello_cello's "attonal" comment is in response to phil's " A key signature with no sharps or flats is either" comment but I think you are right cyrilla, modes are not atonal.

I don't know much about atonal music yet but as far as I can tell atonality has a complete lack of diatonic harmony or tonal centre/ key. I think atonal music is a new concept which started at the beginning of the 20th century and as phil states, the church modes are related to the ancient Greek modes, which reinforces what I have been reading about the modes.

As I say I don't know much about atonality yet so if hello_cello means that modes might be attonal, I'm not sure if they are or not.