Music Modes: My Breakthrough Has Come

Since college, I have been confused about musical modes. Not because it was so difficult to understand but mainly because it wasn't explained correctly and clearly. I think when a professor keeps repeating over and over again that "musical modes are very difficult to understand," one might think that the teacher was oblivious about the subject or didn't have a clue how to explain in layman's terms. So, now after 3 years, I finally realized that these modes are not that difficult to understand. 

Okay, there are seven different musical modes: Ionian mode (starts on the tonic), Dorian Mode (starts on the supertonic), phrygian mode (starts on the mediant), lydian mode (starts on the subdominant), Mixolydian mode ( starts on the dominant), aeolian mode (starts on the submediant) and Locrian mode (starts on the leading tone). 

I'm going to explain one mode which is the Dorian mode. This mode starts on the supertonic. 

Remember this key: to recognize a mode of any scale, you will need to first recognize which note (scale degree) the mode starts and ends on. 

Let's use the C Major scale which is the easiest scale. The C Major scale doesn't have any accidentals (no flats and no sharps).

If you have a piano keyboard, you can look at all of your white keys starting with Middle C and say the names of all the notes in the C Major scale aloud: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. 

These seven notes are also scale degrees. A scale degree is a name for a particular note that is related to the tonic. C is the tonic (first scale degree).

Now, focus your attention on D. Why focus on D? D is the second note (supertonic) in the C Major scale. When you start on the second note (supertonic) of a specific scale, this is called the Dorian mode. 

Since we are dealing with C Major scale, the Dorian mode is the mode that starts and ends on the second note degree (supertonic (D)) of C Major scale. Now, we are going to write out the D Dorian scale. The D is now the tonic because it is the first note in the Dorian mode.

 This is the order of the Dorian mode starting on D: D (the tonic), E ( supertonic), F ( mediant,), G (subdominant), A (dominant), B (submediant), C, (leading tone) and then back to the tonic D.

How to find modes in a musical piece: 

Number 1: Recognize what note the piece begins and ends on.  However, a musical piece doesn't always end or return to the tonic.

Number 2: Remember your key signatures. The best way to remember key signatures is by remembering the "Circle of Fifths."

Number 3: Check the key signature. Now, lets say a piece starts on D and ends on D but we don't know if it's a D Dorian, a D Major or a D minor. Now to recognize a D Dorian mode, you have to think about C Major scale. The C Major scale doesn't have any accidentals. So if you check the key signature and there are no accidentals, this is a big indication that this piece is not in D Major or in D minor. D Major has accidentals and D minor has accidentals. D minor's leading tone is C#. So, the piece is not in D minor. So the answer is D Dorian. 

These music modes applies to other music scales. You can find them on the "Circle of Fifths." 

David Lang Piano Competition Winner

Peter Poston of Australia is the winner of the David Lang Piano Competition He will be performing at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on May 6, 2012 @ 5pm
The three runners-up are Catarina Domenici of Brazil; Katherine Dowling of Saskatchewan; and Denise Fillion of New York. The concert at Le Poisson Rouge will include Andrew Zolinsky, and the winner Peter Poston, a performance from the three runners-up and a performances by Derek Johnson and more.

What is your favorite opera or opera composer and why? // Music - BlogCatalog.com

What is your favorite opera or opera composer and why? // Music - BlogCatalog.com

Minor Scales

There are three kinds of minor scales in music: Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor

Natural Minor

The Natural Minor scale has the following pattern: W-H-W-W-H-W-W 

H (Half) W (Whole)

This is a C Natural Minor scale: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C

A natural minor scale has no alternations. It only has the key signature that is designated to it. C Natural Minor only has three accidentals in its key signature: Bb, Eb and Ab. The 6 and 7th notes are not altered.

Harmonic Minor

The Harmonic Minor is an altered scale.The seventh note is raised by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. Here is the pattern for the following scale: W-H-W-W-H-A2-H

Here is a Harmonic Minor scale starting on C: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-B-C

Melodic Minor

The Melodic Minor scale is different because when the scale ascends up, we use one pattern. As the scale descends, we use another pattern.

Here are the ascending and descending patterns for the Melodic Minor scale starting on F:

Here is an example of a C Melodic Minor scale: 

Melodic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (Ascending)
Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (Descending)

The scales goes back to a Natural C Minor scale when the notes go back down the scale.

Private Music Grants

Are you a singer, a composer or musician who is in a band and need assistance to make your dreams come true? You can apply for private music grants. These grants are given to individuals who have great experience in the music field.

Here is a list of Private Music Grants: 

Composer Assistance Program

• American Music Center
  322 8th Ave., Suite 1401
  New York, NY 10001
  212-366-5260, ext. 10
  amc.net

• American Musicological Society, Inc.
  6010 College Station
  Brunswick, ME 04011-8451
  207-798-4243
  ams-net.org

• NATS
  9957 Moorings Drive, Suite 401
  Jacksonville, FL 32257
  904-992-9101
  nats.org

Vocal Tip-How to Perfectly Sing High Notes

When I was in college, I was taught to never sing from your throat and to always make sure that I'm using enough support (from my diaphragm) to place my notes above and towards the center of my nose. As the notes are placed in the center of my nose, the notes should feel like they are passing through a narrow needle and buzzing on my forehead. This advice helped me to sing effortlessly when I would sing my notes.

Now, to sing high notes, a good tip would be to visualize the high notes. To do this, I would pretend my head is the chimney and the notes as smoke coming out of the chimney. When I would sing my high note, I would picture the note shooting out of my head after developing much support from my diaphragm.

This was a great way to help me sing songs like "O Mio Babbino Caro," "Quando Me'n Vo" and "Lovers" by Kathleen Battle.


When you sing, you want to sing your notes effortlessly without any straining.

A Cool Way to Memorize the Circle of Fifths

The reason why it is so important to learn the Circle of Fifths are because it will help you to identify key signatures for Major and minor keys, find related keys, understand the difference between relative and parallel keys and remember the order of sharps and flats in key signatures.

Key Signatures for Flats and Sharps

To remember the total of Flats in a key signature in order, memorize the following : BEAD -GCF. Remember all the sharps in order in a key signature by using a funny saying: FCGDAEB:  Finally-Cats-Give-Dogs-Awful-Energy-Bites.

 Major & Minor Scales for Flats

Remember the Major scales in order for flats' key signature by creating a mnemonic for F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb: Frank-Buys-Eggs-At-Dog's-Grocery-Club.  Note: You may not be able to see C♭ major on the "Circle of Fifths. C♭ Major has seven flats in its key signature.

Now lets remember the minor scales for the flats: d-g-c-f-b♭-e♭-a♭: dog's-grocery-club-fills-basket-eggs-again
Note: A♭ minor may not be on the "Circle of Fifths.


Major and Minor Scales for Sharps


Remember Major scales for sharps' key signature by creating a mnemonic for G-D-A-E-B-F#-C#: Go-Down-At-Elmo's-Bank-For-Christmas.  Note: You may not be able to see C-sharp (C#) major on the "Circle of Fifths. C-sharp Major scale has seven sharps in its key signature.


Now lets remember the minor scales for the sharps: e-b-f#-c#-g#-d#-a#: elmo's-bank-for-christmas-gives-doll-angels

Note: A# minor may not be on the "Circle of Fifths. A# minor has seven sharps in its key signature.


Now try to remember the scales for the flats and the sharps in Major and Minor.

 

Pic by  Catherine Schmidt-Jones