For most of this year we’ve been covering scales. Long before scales there were the Greek Modes. They originally came from and were named after the regions/people in ancient Greece. For now just get yourself familiar with the names of them. They are as follows… Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.
There’s a lot to cover with modes and I don’t want to overwhelm you so I’m going to dedicate a blog post for each mode. For today’s post I’m going to cover Ionian mode. Today we know Ionian mode as the Major scale.
Let’s take a look at Ionian mode starting on the note C on the treble staff…
Now on the piano keyboard…
Remember the steps of the Major or Ionian scale is Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. Or W,W,H,W,W,W,H. In other words C to D is a whole step. D to E is a whole step. E to F is a half step. F to G is a whole step. G to A is a whole step. A to B is a whole step. B to C is a half step.
Remember, today’s Ionian mode is just another name for the Major scale. You can start the Ionian mode on any note/pitch and build from there. For example, D Ionian would look like this on the treble staff…
D Ionian on the piano keyboard…
Looks just like the D Major scale doesn’t it?
Until next time practice building and playing your Ionian modes!
Thankyou Philip. Although I already know my modes, I am keen to read your following lessons. Did you purposely use modes in “Tears of the East” ?? Any clues as to what and how?
Tears is in Aeolian mode. The intro uses the harmonic minor scale.
Thank you Philip. I’m currently learning Dark Night of the Soul. Interestingly, I practise and teach Vipassana Meditation, and we have a rather nasty process a meditator might go through, called the Dark Night of the Soul!!! I suspect you may have stumbled upon this feeling at some time in your life. That LH B-E-F#-G is a dark ominous cloud on the horizon never quite going away. Quite difficult technically too for someone of my ability!!! I had to spend a week or so on hand independence exercises to handle it hahaha. Thank you for the beautiful music brother.
Today they are known as “modern modes,” because they were invented in 1547 by Henricus Glareanus, a Swiss monk. The modern system is derived from the ancient one. The modern modes resemble Indian ragas, another modal system. These modes are ideal for creating contemporary music like Philip’s, as well as modern jazz.