Major and Minor Modes
The rest of this lesson will focus on
how modes are used as key centers. A lot of jazz and
rock tunes are based on these modes, rather that traditional
major and minor keys.
Modes can be broken down into major type modes, and
minor type modes. It depends on what chord is
built from the 1st degree of the scale.
C major chord = C E G ( 1 3 5)....so any mode that
has this as the 1st chord, is a major type mode.
C minor chord = C Eb G (1 b3 5).....any mode with
this as the 1st chord is a minor type mode.
The Locrian mode does not have a major or minor chord
as the 1st chord, therefore it is not used in most
modal contexts. It is used as a chord scale,
it is just that you will not find a song written in
the Locrian mode very often. The chord that is built
on the 1st degree of the scale is diminished. And
a diminished chord does not make a very stable home
base chord. So minus the Locrian mode this gives us
3 major modes, and 3 minor modes.
Major
Modes
C D
E F G A B C - C Ionian
Mode (Major)
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 1
C
D E F# G A B C - C
Lydian Mode
1
2 3 #4 5 6 7
1
C D
E F G A Bb C - C
Mixolydian Mode
1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1
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