Modes??!!

[Milo]

Hi, there's something i REALLY cant understand about Modes. in the new article about each mode, the author says that "this mode is used for mideast music or "happy" music, or "soundtrack music".
Are modes the different positions to play the major scale? i think it is.. but the real question is: how can the phrygian mode (for example) can sound different from the dorian mode, considering that they are made of the SAME notes of the same octave??? do you see what is my problem?
thanks a lot

[SeattleRuss]

It's all about where you start and stop.
Think about this:
For example, here are the intervals, or the steps that make up a major scale:
W = whole step H = half step

W W H W W W H
Start on a C note.
Go ahead and play this on your guitar - you can just do it on one string if you want. Listen to the sound from begining to end.

You'll have: C D E F G A B C

Now, what if....we use the same notes, except we will start on the D note and go a full octave to D.

D E F G A B C D

Play this on your guitar, slowly, using just one string. But now - look at what intervals (steps) this produces:
W H W W W H W

Now, if you have a some way to record your self, play a rhythm pattern, any pattern, using a C major chord, and play it back while playing the first example, the C major scale, over top of it, slowly. Listen to the sound.
Now, do the same thing again, only this time, record a rhythm pattern using a Dm7 or Dm chord. Now upon playback, play the 2nd example, the C major scale scale from "D" to "D" over top and listen.
Over the 2nd example, even though you were using the notes from the C major scale, the fact that your "home base" sound, or tonic sound was coming from a "D" place, over a Dm7 chord, gave it a whole different perspective, a different "backdrop" if you will.
You have just played in D Dorian mode.
I hope I've made this more clear and not muddied the waters!

Russ
http://www.russletson.com

[JeffN]

Hey, because D dorian has the same notes as C Ionian, would it also work over a C maj chord as well?

[SeattleRuss]

Yes, that's right.

Russ
http://www.russletson.com

[Moonchild]

But say you want to improvise in the D Dorian mode, would you have to start/stop at the D note in order to get the dorian feel? I mean if you just play a bunch of notes out of the C Major scale, how can you tell whether it's in the dorian mode or not? Is it just what notes you "stop on": the notes you emphasise that will give you a hint? Like say: you emphasise the F, B and C (the minor third, major sixth and minor seventh of the D Dorian), would that make it dorian?

[szulc]

It is all about what note is the 'root' of the moment.
Record a backing track of just E and some drum beat. Then try to play E aeolian, then try E dorian, E Phrygian etc... Do each of them until you 'hear' it. Some are easier to 'get' than others are.
This is going to take some time. You could play scale exercises while doing this just something to get you ear engaged.