Scales, writing things down

Cranky

I know it's rare that we find the time to have a guitar, a book or online tutorial, and a pen/paper in hand all at once.  But I did finally take the time to jot some things down, because I hate rote memorizing and I do much better if I can see patterns.  I imagine some of you are like me . . . it's why so many people including myself have relied on pentatonic patterns/shapes.   But with some note taking I did pick up on a couple of patterns that dramatically simplified what's to be memorized, it makes note identification on the fretboard and improvisation more manageable and fun.

First, keep the major modes in order: ionian, phrygian, dorian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, locrian.  Instead of trying to keep track of the shifting sequence of wwhwwwh as you move up the modes, just (1) know the number of what mode you're in, and (2) know what the root of that number is.  For example, if you're in C Mixolydian, Mixolydian is the 5th major mode, and C is the 5th of F.  Therefore, the chords of C Mixolydian are the chords of F Major (F, g, a, B, C, d, e diminished) and the scale is F Major, only with a new tonal center that starts at C instead of F.  And this makes perfect sense, as F Major has one flat (Bb), and the flattened seventh of C Mixolydian is Bb.  All you have to remember is that Ionian, Lydian and Mixolydian have major root chords (is that the right way to say it?), while phrygian, dorian, aeolian have minor root chords.

Secondly, as you move along the Circle of Fifths, the specific sharps added mirror (with a lag) the Circle itself.  The Circle goes: F-C-G-D-A-E-B.  And the order of sharps added as you move from C major to B major is: F#-C#-G#--D#-A#-E#-B# (obviously E# and B# are just F and C).

Nothing groundbreaking, but helpful "hacks" hopefully for anyone out there like me.

Pianos are also great help for this stuff because they're linear.

viz

Cranky said:

I know it's rare that we find the time to have a guitar, a book or online tutorial, and a pen/paper in hand all at once.  But I did finally take the time to jot some things down, because I hate rote memorizing and I do much better if I can see patterns.  I imagine some of you are like me . . . it's why so many people including myself have relied on pentatonic patterns/shapes.   But with some note taking I did pick up on a couple of patterns that dramatically simplified what's to be memorized, it makes note identification on the fretboard and improvisation more manageable and fun.

First, keep the major modes in order: ionian, phrygian, dorian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, locrian.  Instead of trying to keep track of the shifting sequence of wwhwwwh as you move up the modes, just (1) know the number of what mode you're in, and (2) know what the root of that number is.  For example, if you're in C Mixolydian, Mixolydian is the 5th major mode, and C is the 5th of F.  Therefore, the chords of C Mixolydian are the chords of F Major (F, g, a, B, C, d, e diminished) and the scale is F Major, only with a new tonal center that starts at C instead of F.  And this makes perfect sense, as F Major has one flat (Bb), and the flattened seventh of C Mixolydian is Bb.  All you have to remember is that Ionian, Lydian and Mixolydian have major root chords (is that the right way to say it?), while phrygian, dorian, aeolian have minor root chords.

Secondly, as you move along the Circle of Fifths, the specific sharps added mirror (with a lag) the Circle itself.  The Circle goes: F-C-G-D-A-E-B.  And the order of sharps added as you move from C major to B major is: F#-C#-G#--D#-A#-E#-B# (obviously E# and B# are just F and C).

Nothing groundbreaking, but helpful "hacks" hopefully for anyone out there like me.

Pianos are also great help for this stuff because they're linear.

Great stuff, the connections are becoming clear to you!

A few points:

when you say ‘keep the major modes in order’ and ‘mixolydian is the 5th major mode’, that’s not quite right; these are not major modes, they are the diatonic modes, 3 of which are major (lydian, ionian and mixolydian), and 3 minor (dorian, aeolian and phrygian). And locrian is diminished. So yes, they do have major or minor (or diminished) root chords. Specifically they have a major 3rd or a minor 3rd (or a minor 3rd and a diminished 5th).

The other thing is that this is the half of modal theory relating to the relative nature of modes. There is another way of looking at them absolutely, as scales rather than as modes of each other, which is a bit more empirical but perhaps more musical: 

Once you know that lydian, ionian and mixolydian are major, then think of ionian as the ‘default’ major scale; lydian is the upper one with an augmented (raised) 4th; mixolydian is the lower one with a lowered 7th. Compared to ionian. 

The same for the three minor modes: aeolian is the default minor; dorian is the upper one with a raised 6th, and phrygian the lower one with a lowered 2nd. Compared to aeolian. 

Then you can spot that just like ionian and aeolian are ‘related’ (relative major and minor, like A minor is the relative minor of C major), so are lydian and dorian, the two upper scales. They both have raised notes. So they are slightly lighter in tone than the respective default scales. And, speaking relatively for a moment, they are ‘related’ to each other. For example D dorian is the relative minor of F lydian. Just like D minor is the relative minor of F major. The only difference is that D dorian and F Lydian have a certain raised note; D dorian has a raised 6th - a B natural (D minor would have had a B flat). And F lydian has a raised 4th - a B natural (F major would have had a Bb). The two scales have the same notes! They are ‘related’. 

Cranky

^ many thanks for this, Viz the Wis!  Relationships and patterns, that's what it's about.  I'm not well versed in the lingo, so thanks for those updates as well.

I'm starting to move into melodic minor theory, too.  So I've gotten so far that, like you were describing with lydian/dorian and mixolydian/phrygian, A melodic minor is relative to C Lydian Augmented.  And I reckon the pattern of relatives will be similar the diatonic modes.  But I'm going to have to start writing things down for this, too.

viz

Cranky said:

^ many thanks for this, Viz the Wis!  Relationships and patterns, that's what it's about.  I'm not well versed in the lingo, so thanks for those updates as well.

I'm starting to move into melodic minor theory, too.  So I've gotten so far that, like you were describing with lydian/dorian and mixolydian/phrygian, A melodic minor is relative to C Lydian Augmented.  And I reckon the pattern of relatives will be similar the diatonic modes.  But I'm going to have to start writing things down for this, too.

Yep, cool! The melodic minor family doesn’t have as neat a set of relationships as with the diatonic family, as the whole beauty of the diatonic system is that the black piano keys are in sets of 2 and 3; this makes it so that the system of advancing sharps that you see round the c of 5 works. Therefore that you can have a major set of scales (the I the IV and the V) - well actually, in sequence round the C of 5, it’s the IV the I and the V, like the F, the C and the G, and simultaneously you have the relative minors, the iii, the vi and the ii (the Dm, the Am and the Em). This is just so fantastically neat. With melodic minor the black keys are arranged in sets of 1 and 4. So the beauty of the diatonic system is lost. You will also find you get some ### notes - treble sharps - if you try and construct a key system around melodic minor. For example F# lydian augmented has a C###  . But have a go, post your findings here, I’d be really interested. 

This may amuse you:

A melodic minor:

https://youtu.be/5Xqip5Jzcpw

D lydian dominant:

https://youtu.be/CtAyMeup1so