So, now we get to the 3rd mode of the Major scale, called the Phrygian. It has a dark sound, is related closely to the natural minor scale (it has a flatted 2nd as opposed to the Natural minor with it's natural or regular 2nd)
Our Formula looks like this - H W W W H W W Phrygian
I hope you understand the purpose and meaning of the formula. There are basically 2 ways of learning a formula. One is it memorise it's intervals (like this) or the other is to memorise what is flatted, what is sharpened and so on. I find this is the easier way for beginners as it's easy to run up and down on 1 string with intervals. Besides, using the other way you actually have to know many other scales to use it!
At the end of the study of modes, I will put up another topic on how to harmonise a scale, so that you actually know what chord progressions you can use each mode in. It's no good using a Phrygian scale when you have a 'happy' sounding chord progression now is it?!
I should also add that there are also mods WITHIN modes, but I don't wanna confuse anybody just yet, so lets carry on as before...
Lets take our trust simple scale, C Major/Ionian
C = 1 (Root)
D = 2( Minor 2nd)
E = 3 (Minor 3rd)
F = 4 (Perfect 4th)
G = 5 (Perfect 5th)
A = 6 (Major 6th)
B = 7 (Major 7th)
C = 8 (Octave)
All the words written in brackets are explained at the bottom of this page!
A useful tip for yo, before I get into mode 6 (Aeolian or Natural Minor) is that starting on any major scales 6th degree, yields the Natural Minor scale. It's that easy. So the 6th note of the C Major scale is A, so if we just play from A - A using only the notes from our parent scale (C MAJOR) we get A B C D E F G A which are the notes of the A Natural Minor scale. I say natural because there are 3 kinds of Minor scales, as opposed to only 1 Major scale.
At this stage, just use the pedal tone way of seeing how each mode so far fits together with just it's root ringing out in the bass. IE - Let your low E string ring and repeatedly pick it once it's fading while playing your mode of choice in the key of E. You MUST use the key of E because you want to see how the scale sounds over it's ROOT note!
The Phrygian Dominant
Man oh man do I love this scale! IT has a very eastern meats Arabic kinda sound to it. Very similiar in a way to the sound of the Harmonic Minor scale (but certainly not similiar in theory)
All you do to get the Phrygian dominant is to change your minor 3rd to a major 3rd. Let me explain what that means for those who don't know that lingo.
WE have 12 semitones / half steps that start on any note ending up on the same note again an octave higher. These are essentially all the notes we have in western music, and then they just start all over again.
If I write out the 12 notes in order (have done in previous topic, but anyhoooo)
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# = 12 NOTES IN MUSIC
Now how do each of these relate to each other, and how do you explain to another musician that you want him to go from say, A to C?
Well if u were going to shout out go from A to C, then D to G it would take alot of work and alot of talking.
What we have is a name for each interval (space between each 2 notes)
These are their names:
1) Root
2) Minor 2nd
3) Major 2nd
4) Minor 3rd
5) Major 3rd
6) Perfect 4th
7) Diminished 5th or Augmented 4th (Tritone)
8) Perfect 5th
9) Minor 6th
10) Major 6th
11) Minor 7th
12) Major 7th
13) Octave (Root)
What does all that mean? Very simple. If I go from A - A# that is 1 space apart, the interval is a Minor 2nd. If I go from A - B, that interval is a Major 2nd. The beauty of this lies in hearing the 2 notes being played together (sounded together) so u can hear their relationship to each other. IF you play an A and C# at the same time, u have a Major 3rd interval, which has a happy kinda sound. If You play the A - C, you have a Minor 3rd, a sad sounding interval.
I will post something more under a new topic.This one's getting to long!
Our Formula looks like this - H W W W H W W Phrygian
I hope you understand the purpose and meaning of the formula. There are basically 2 ways of learning a formula. One is it memorise it's intervals (like this) or the other is to memorise what is flatted, what is sharpened and so on. I find this is the easier way for beginners as it's easy to run up and down on 1 string with intervals. Besides, using the other way you actually have to know many other scales to use it!
At the end of the study of modes, I will put up another topic on how to harmonise a scale, so that you actually know what chord progressions you can use each mode in. It's no good using a Phrygian scale when you have a 'happy' sounding chord progression now is it?!
I should also add that there are also mods WITHIN modes, but I don't wanna confuse anybody just yet, so lets carry on as before...
Lets take our trust simple scale, C Major/Ionian
C = 1 (Root)
D = 2( Minor 2nd)
E = 3 (Minor 3rd)
F = 4 (Perfect 4th)
G = 5 (Perfect 5th)
A = 6 (Major 6th)
B = 7 (Major 7th)
C = 8 (Octave)
All the words written in brackets are explained at the bottom of this page!
A useful tip for yo, before I get into mode 6 (Aeolian or Natural Minor) is that starting on any major scales 6th degree, yields the Natural Minor scale. It's that easy. So the 6th note of the C Major scale is A, so if we just play from A - A using only the notes from our parent scale (C MAJOR) we get A B C D E F G A which are the notes of the A Natural Minor scale. I say natural because there are 3 kinds of Minor scales, as opposed to only 1 Major scale.
At this stage, just use the pedal tone way of seeing how each mode so far fits together with just it's root ringing out in the bass. IE - Let your low E string ring and repeatedly pick it once it's fading while playing your mode of choice in the key of E. You MUST use the key of E because you want to see how the scale sounds over it's ROOT note!
The Phrygian Dominant
Man oh man do I love this scale! IT has a very eastern meats Arabic kinda sound to it. Very similiar in a way to the sound of the Harmonic Minor scale (but certainly not similiar in theory)
All you do to get the Phrygian dominant is to change your minor 3rd to a major 3rd. Let me explain what that means for those who don't know that lingo.
WE have 12 semitones / half steps that start on any note ending up on the same note again an octave higher. These are essentially all the notes we have in western music, and then they just start all over again.
If I write out the 12 notes in order (have done in previous topic, but anyhoooo)
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# = 12 NOTES IN MUSIC
Now how do each of these relate to each other, and how do you explain to another musician that you want him to go from say, A to C?
Well if u were going to shout out go from A to C, then D to G it would take alot of work and alot of talking.
What we have is a name for each interval (space between each 2 notes)
These are their names:
1) Root
2) Minor 2nd
3) Major 2nd
4) Minor 3rd
5) Major 3rd
6) Perfect 4th
7) Diminished 5th or Augmented 4th (Tritone)
8) Perfect 5th
9) Minor 6th
10) Major 6th
11) Minor 7th
12) Major 7th
13) Octave (Root)
What does all that mean? Very simple. If I go from A - A# that is 1 space apart, the interval is a Minor 2nd. If I go from A - B, that interval is a Major 2nd. The beauty of this lies in hearing the 2 notes being played together (sounded together) so u can hear their relationship to each other. IF you play an A and C# at the same time, u have a Major 3rd interval, which has a happy kinda sound. If You play the A - C, you have a Minor 3rd, a sad sounding interval.
I will post something more under a new topic.This one's getting to long!
