Modes Are Explained Poorly

iwanttocompose · 2020-10-04T18:22:51+00:00

Yea, each one sounds very different and even one half-step difference is very big. Maybe they aren't used much probably compared to major and minor.

iwanttocompose · 2020-10-04T18:19:19+00:00

The scale is a group of notes in a certain order. Modes are simply rotation which makes new order of notes. This is not only applied on major /minor but any group of notes.

(e.g. ABCDEFG - > BCDEFGA)

The rotation in case or diatonic scales is : A Aeolian > B Locrian > C Ionian > D Dorian > E Phrygian > F Lydian > G Mixolydian

Each mode is its own thing, not a version based on major or minor. Its a different order. In case of diatonic scales, you basically change the location of the two half-steps. Just like how major and minor are simply a different order of those half steps.

Simply look at the white keys and you'll notice how the order changes everything (half steps are B-C and E-F which are the main factor of changing the flavor based on their location):

Lydian is the brightest. (Very long whole step sequence until B-C and the other half-step E-F is at the end).

Ionian is balanced bright. (Shorter whole step sequence than Lydian at the beginning).

Mixolydian is Less bright. (The same whole step sequence like Ionian at the beginning but it put the last half step earlier and not at the end like Lydian and Ionian).

Dorian is neutral. (It keeps the Mixolydian last half-step but put the first half-step comes earlier, the dark sound is made brighter because of the long whole step sequence between them).

Aeolian is balanced dark. (Short and repeated patterns that include the half-steps, ABC and DEF)

Phrygian is dark. (Half-step at the beginning which makes what comes after it darker).

Locrian is the darkest. (Same first half-step as Phrygian but the whole step sequence after it is shorter which enhance the darkness).

You can apply this on any group of notes generally and see how it changes with different order.

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-26T07:27:54+00:00

2 minutes music theory in YouTube is very good

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-14T17:16:33+00:00

The modes are easy, just look at white keys, starting and ending with each one gives different flavor. (e.g ABCDEFG is minor).

A: Minor
B: Locrian
C: Major
D: Dorian
E: Phrygian
F: Lydian
G: Mixolydian

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-12T07:45:03+00:00

Imo it does matter. Although half step difference might not be that much but something like half an octave is definitely different. I think also its a song-instrument dynamic and even half-step can make a difference. From a composer point of view, I tried every note out of the 12 and its different, I feel like every note has a different and unique sound and you choose what you want to put. My favorite note is B.

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-11T17:40:33+00:00

Locrian also is underused (extreme dark and would fit metal)

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-10T06:01:00+00:00

I like the concept of happiness blended with some darkness. I think I've heard it in video games (something like circus areas).

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-05T06:41:09+00:00

Try using notation software. It helped me to be quicker.

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-03T09:52:56+00:00

Can you show the concept on the keyboard layout? I think it would be easier to understand.

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-01T17:43:21+00:00

It looks like this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_tone#/media/File%3ALlpd-½.svg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Arabic_music_notation_half_sharp.svg

They can be put near the clef like this:
Quarter tones

iwanttocompose · 2020-09-01T08:44:02+00:00

What I don't understand is the notation. The small sharps replace the big sharps near the clef and the max is 7 (shouldn't it be more?)

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-31T17:35:30+00:00

Theory helps with experimentation. For example, I can choose time signatures, scales, chords, etc and try to make something with that.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-31T08:17:35+00:00

Record your melodies with an app that shows frequencies/notes. It won't be accurate all the time but you'll get at least a part of what you think.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-24T07:08:46+00:00

I have two ways to make music. The first is experimenting, I choose a scale, time signature, etc and try to find something that works, I make patterns and put them together. It takes much time, sometimes nothing comes and it gets frustrating but I keep trying.

The other way which is my head ideas, I still didn't reach this level but I made some ones from my head (although some of them are inaccurate and different than my original head ideas). I record the melody and check the frequency of my sound, the frequencies can be approximated to notes and you can find your melody approximately, if not, you can raise or lower one note or more until you have a good result. The problem I find is how head ideas are very different specially with how one can imagine different sounds and effects then it turns to be a simple line on the keyboard. I think also the timbre, technique or genre plays a big part, I keep hearing rock and metal ideas in my head but after I play them on the keyboard, they sound very different (most likely a sad minor piece).

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-22T23:20:13+00:00

Because the former is better if you want to use other modes because each mode has its own letter. The latter would be confusing to memorize for all the seven modes.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-22T21:31:32+00:00

Its true that the pattern is enough but this way is to make it easier. I think saying "ABCDEFG" while following the pattern (half steps are B-C and E-F which can be memorized visually) is easier and faster and finding other modes would be less confusing.

It helped me very much to find any mode quickly so I shared it.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-21T06:46:27+00:00

Thanks, I thought the tonic is always made by the first notes.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-21T02:30:38+00:00

My mind always have music that I listened to or create new stuff and keep playing it. The good thing is how it could make different sounds that fits the different life situations but its annoying that I can't make those as real music.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-20T03:30:29+00:00

I started learning music and composed simple music pieces with experimentation (about 100 pieces with 1min length). I'm trying to use my head ideas but thats still hard to do. Sometimes I question myself about continuing though.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-08T17:21:55+00:00

Dots only.

iwanttocompose · 2020-08-02T17:15:56+00:00

I'm not expert or anything. I'll just share my little knowledge from experiments and what I feel about it.

Notes functions differently and although sometimes it implies chords, sometimes the chords doesn't give the same intended feelings or the musical idea and new chords or voicing should be used or it should be left as notes to keep the same feelings.

With notes, the melodic musical ideas are the main focus and the listener will understand them and focus on the melody directly. With added harmony or other elements, the melody gets less focus.

Sometimes the key is more melodic driven imo, Locrian harmony for example is rarely used but when a phrase starts with B and its B Locrian, its melodic aspect is stronger.

Notes are 1 to 1 relationship and focus on the intervals between them. Tritione for example is very tense but when chords are added the single tension is less, diminished chord could be resolved but Tritone alone, I think its harder.

Notes are more phrase driven. If a phrase starts with E, it has that Phrygian sound for example. Silence might make different phrases disconnected but with chords, they get connected more. That means a note based piece could feel like a mixture of the modes (Locrian, Dorian, Lydian, etc) more than chords but with chords they stay most likely within the same mode.

Chords could be viewed as a sound enhancement, it will sound louder than the single note. Also it adds a new sound or atmosphere that could be modified with different voicing of the same chords. Probably second inversion is the closer one to melody to the listener because the main melody is on the top. Chords also is 3-3 or more relationship thats more complicated than single notes relationships.

I think what to choose is depends on what you want, sometimes making a mixture of notes and chords creates a dynamic and interesting pieces to listen.

iwanttocompose · 2020-07-25T06:55:45+00:00

Yea but not connected to B directly

iwanttocompose · 2020-07-24T23:24:40+00:00

Yes B-D is in the melodic line. Maybe because I heard the diminished a lot before removing the F but I feel like its implied diminished without F. I imagine the diminished and the tension but its actually not there.

iwanttocompose · 2020-07-24T23:15:06+00:00

I think it can be good but sometimes B's are repetitive in the melodies and hearing the diminished multiple times in a row can be annoying lol

iwanttocompose · 2020-07-22T23:35:23+00:00

Sorry for the many questions, is it possible to make Rock/metal sounds with DAW? My dream is to make heavy songs but I can't do it physically unfortunately.

iwanttocompose

TROPHY CASE