Teaching Different Piano Modes

The piano is an incredibly versatile instrument that is just as prominent in classical compositions as it is in jazz standards. In fact, you'll hear the piano in country, rock, folk music, and much more.

A pianist who is able to play in more than one style is a considerable asset. Any band or other musical ensemble will appreciate the musician's ability to competently handle a wide range of musical assignments.

It's also fun for the pianist to be able to explore a variety of modes and styles, which makes them a more skilled and well-rounded musician.

Without a doubt, some musicians are more drawn to or more comfortable with certain modes, but there's certainly no harm in shifting focus to other styles from time to time. After all, this can be a fantastic way to discover a new passion.

Learning more about the various styles of music will help any budding musician get new ideas for subject matter that is worth studying. Let's take a look at the basic building blocks of each musical genre and learn to identify their chief characteristics.

Remember that no matter what style you are playing, you're going to use the same notes. However, as you switch between modes, the way that you use the notes may distinctly differ.

Start with Scales and Modes

Before it's possible to really understand musical genres, it's critical to learn about scales. Based on theories in ancient Greece with regard to tonality, scales describe the intervals between notes. The scale begins with a tonic, which also may be called the root note. A formula is then applied to the tonic to arrive at the notes that are included in a particular scale.

It was not until the medieval period that modes were developed. Modes are related to scales as they are based on the same basic Greek theory. However, modes are different in that the tonic of a mode may start on a specific note within the scale and then follows the formula from that specific note.

Scales are classified as either major or minor. In the major scales, the formula is: tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, and semi-tone.

A minor scale has a formula that goes like this: tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, and tone.

Recall that a tone is a whole step situated between two notes while a semi-tone is a half step between a pair of notes.

Let's apply the formula to a scale to see how it works. For our example, we'll use C as the tonic. Accordingly, the C Major scale would include these notes:

• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• A
• B

The C Major scale is played entirely with white notes.

Let's take a look at another example, this time in a minor key. This is the C Harmonic Minor scale:

• C
• D
• E♭
• F
• G
• A♭
• B

Note that this scale uses both white and black keys. Moreover, the white notes are all ascending while the three black or flat notes are descending.

Modes

Each note in these scales has a mode. Modes are named for tribes from ancient Greece. These include the Ionian or major scale, the Dorian, the Phrygian, the Lydian, the Mixolydian, the Aeolian or natural minor scale, and the Locrian.

Each of these modes has its own formula. For instance, the Ionian Mode is the same formula as the major scale: Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, and Semi-Tone.

The Dorian is slightly different with the formula: Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, and Tone. It has a natural sixth and flat seventh note. The other modes are as follows:

The Phrygian Mode:

Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, and Tone. Note that this mode has flats on the second, sixth and seventh notes.

The Lydian Mode:

Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, and Semi-Tone. This major scale has a raised fourth scale degree.

The Mixolydian Mode:

Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, and Tone. This popular mode closely ties in with chord progressions, making it one of the most commonly used modes in songwriting.

The Aeolian Mode:

Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, and Tone. Also called the natural minor scale, the Aeolian mode is based on the sixth scale degree.

The Locrian Mode:

Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-Tone, Tone, Tone, and Tone. This is the mode that is probably the least used. Still, its enigmatic character is worth exploring in composition.

This means that the C Major scale and the Ionian mode are effectively identical. However, if we follow the formula for the Dorian mode, we find that it begins on D. Applying the formula means that the Dorian mode is D, E, F, G, A, B, C, and D.

The upshot is that modes were once used the way that keys are used today. When a musician refers to "modal music" now, they generally are talking about a piece that is composed with modes being used for structure and harmony instead of traditional harmony.

Do Modes Help with Songwriting?

Novice songwriters often begin by writing in the major and minor scales. However, if a songwriter learns about modes, then they are opening a door to all sorts of new variations.

If you want to add freshness, drama, or pathos to your songwriting, then a little modal flavor may be the way to accomplish this.

Learning the various modes does not happen overnight. In fact, it takes quite a bit of study to truly understand them and to begin using them in compositions.

Incorporating Modes Into Playing the Piano

While it is possible to explore modes using an actual piano, there may be some advantages to using a virtual piano instead.

Virtual piano apps excel at enabling music students to identify modes as they play. Doing so may help the musician to become more aware of how the mode of a piece can function as the foundation for the melody.

Another reason to learn about modes while sitting at a keyboard is that it will help the musician to listen to the distance between the notes in each of the various modes. This serves to tune the ear so that the musician will be better able to recognize modes in various musical pieces as they listen to their favorite musical pieces.

Writing Your Own Modal Music

Now that you have had an opportunity to get acquainted with the various modes and have spent some time playing them on a real or virtual keyboard, you are probably ready to start making some music of your own.

Before you begin, it is wise to consider that the modes are akin to the colors on the spectrum, ranging from dark to light.

Specifically, a mode that has more lowered scale degrees will have a darker sound while modes that have more raised scale degrees will sound lighter and brighter.

Consider this as a convenient shortcut to choosing the right mode to fit the song you want to write. If you want things to get really dark, then you might consider using the Phrygian mode.

On the other hand, if you want to compose an exceptionally bright and happy piece, you might want to use the Lydian mode for your model.

Keep in mind as well that modes sometimes are used in the melody, but they also can form the harmony, giving you even more original inspiration.

Lay a Solid Musical Foundation

Of course, no music student begins their first day of lessons talking about modes. It is common for a musical journey to begin quite simply with listening to and appreciating music.

Music is a language all its own, and it is one that anyone can learn. In fact, people naturally gravitate to the sounds and rhythms of music, but there is so much more to notice if you have the tools and the awareness.

Even the smallest infant has the capacity to appreciate and respond to music. This capacity only grows as the child grows. By starting musical education as soon as possible, parents can help their little ones explore a world that may help them perform better academically, be more in touch with their emotions, feel more self-confident and find a productive outlet for self-expression.

At Prodigies Music, we help parents and music teachers who want to give children the best possible start in life. Choose one of our digital plans today to help ensure a brighter tomorrow for all of the children in your life.