Modes are the arrangement of consecutive pitch-names arranged in such a way that there will be whole steps except for two half-steps with the two lower pitches a perfect fifth or fourth apart (and therefore the two upper pitches also a perfect fifth or fourth apart in the same direction).
The name of the mode changes depending on where the half-steps are found within the sequence of pitches.
Starting on C, the modes with their half-steps in bold are
Ionian (major): C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
Dorian (often used in jazz): C, D, E-flat, F, G, A, B-flat, C
Phrygian: C, D-flat, E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C
Lydian (begins with four tones of a whole-tone scale): C, D, E, F-sharp, G, A, B, C
Mixolydian: C, D, E, F, G, A, B-flat, C
Aeolian (signature minor): C, D, E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C
Locrian (once forbidden by the church!); C, D-flat, E-flat, F, G-flat, A-flat, B-flat, C
Ionian: see Major Scales article
Mode Constructions
Dorian: Two minor tetrachords separated by a whole step.
Use the key signature of the major scale a major second lower.
Phrygian: The inversion of a major scale. Think Starter, then go DOWN Whole, Whole, Half, new Starter, Whole, Whole, Half.
Use the key signature of the major scale which lies a major third lower.
Lydian: Major tetrachords descending with the second fingers sharing the same key. Starter, DOWN Half, Whole, Whole; new starter is the same note, then DOWN Half, Whole, Whole.
Use the key signature of the scale a perfect fourth lower.
Mixolydian: Inverted minor scale. Starter, DOWN Whole, Half, Whole; new starter down a Whole, DOWN Whole, Half, Whole.
Use the key signature of the major scale a perfect fourth higher.
Aeolian: seem article on Minor Scales. This is signature minor.
Use the key signature of the major scale a minor third higher.
Locrian: Overlapping inverted major tetrachords. Starter, DOWN Half, Whole, Whole; new starter is the same pitch, DOWN Half, Whole, Whole
Use the key signature of the major scale a minor second higher.
Artificial Scales
There are other scales which use combinations of whole and half steps, but not in any manner using the two kinds of tetrachords described in these articles. The major tetrachord scales are based on the natural harmonic series overtones 7—10, and all the modes are based on beginning on different pitches within that structure.
But now we consider scales which do not have their basis so firmly anchored in nature.
Gap Note Constructions:
Pentatonic “Scale”
The first and most prevalent is the Pentatonic Scale, actually not a “scale” since it is not completely made of steps (“scala” means steps in Italian). Instead, as its name suggests, it has but five tones. Thus this and other “scales” which leave out tones are often called “Gap Note Scales.”
The pitches of a standard Pentatonic Scale are the five black keys of the keyboard, or any other pitches in this pattern: starter, UP major second, major second, minor third, major second, and back to tonic with a minor third.
Of course one can begin anywhere in that pattern and produce a pentatonic sound. This scale is often used in folk music as diverse as Celtic, Chinese, and Native American. The gaps occur where in a standard major scale one would find half-steps. So the melodies and chords of pentatonic have a mild quality with little “pull” to other tones.
Without a doubt the most famous pentatonic melody is Amazing Grace. There are many tunes which are well-known but not thought of as pentatonic. The children’s song The Farmer in the Dell springs readily to mind. But many composers use the pentatonic structure for exotic reasons, mostly for Asian references. Ravel’s Ma mere l’Oye (Mother Goose) uses it for the movement “The Little Princess of the Pagodas” as one instance of painting a geographical location with the gap note scale.
Whole Tone “Scale”
Another oft-used “artificial” construction is the Whole Tone Scale (also not a true scale because it uses only six pitches). It is self-descriptive. It is made of nothing but whole steps. There can only be two, and one can start in either on any pitch. The only triadic chord which can be built on a whole tone scale is the Augmented Chord. One can find suggestions of it in old music since steps IV through VII of the major scale are three consecutive whole steps, and of course it follows that the Lydian mode begins that way. This is most famously heard in the Bach chorale “Es ist genug” (no. 216 in the standard Peters compilation) which is used in the final movement of Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto.
Whole tone music always seeks resolution denied it by the lack of half-steps. Our ears are used to finding resolution in “ti-do” (VII-I) and “fa-mi” (IV-III), so when it is denied within a scale that isl not a gap note scale, then we are left hanging with no tonal center even while using a tonal triadic language. Debussy was the first to use the whole-tone scale completely and purposely. It fits his overall esthetic of not resolving tones which previously in history would have demanded resolution, instead using them purely for color.
Synthetic True Scales
A true scale is one which uses the seven letter names of its pitches in order, neither omitting nor repeating any. Each pitch will be in order some kind of A, B, C, D, E, F, G (and back to A). These alterations are made to produce an exotic effect or a mathematical effect. The exotic ones typically use an Augmented Second (e.g. A-flat to B natural), sometimes to make up for having two successive half-steps (e.g. A, B, C, D-flat, E, F, G, A).
One synthetic scale with two successive half-steps but without the augmented second mixes the lower tetrachord of Lydian mode (which, of course, is two-thirds of a whole-tone scale) and the upper tetrachord of signature minor. It is called Lydian Minor: A, B, C-sharp, D-sharp, E, F, G A.
Synthetic scales can be the subject of great invention and tonal exploration by a composer. Simply lay out a diatonic scale on manuscript paper (C to C is recommended for its lack of sharps or flats), then begin inventing.
A starting point might be to get to know some of the already used synthetic scales, some of which follow in alphabetical order.
S= starting pitch; H = half step up; W = whole step up; A2 = augmented second. The final interval brings one from step seven to step one.
Double Harmonic: S, H, A2, H, W, H, A2, H
Enigmatic: S, H, A2, W, W, W, H, H
Hungarian Major: S, A2, H, W, H, W, H, W
Hungarian Minor: S, W, H, A2, H, H, A2, H
Leading Whole-tone: S, W, W, W, W, W, H, H
Locrian, major: S, W, W, H, H, W, W, W
Locrian, super: S, H, W, H, W, W, W, W
Lydian Minor: S, W, W, W, H, H, W, W
Neapolitan, Major: S, H, W, W, W, W, W, H
Neapolitan, Minor: S, H, W, W, W, H, A2, H
Oriental: S, W, W, W, H, W, H, W
Overtone: S, W, W, W, H, W, H, W
Other Types of Synthetic Scales
Some scales have eight steps before returning to tonic. A fairly common one is the so-called Eight-note Spanish scale:
S. H, W, H, H, H, W, W, W.
One of the letter names will have to appear twice using two different pitches an augmented unison apart, say C-natural and C-sharp, or E-flat and E-natural.
There are scales which return to tonic only after two octaves, e.g.:
S, H, W, A2, H, A2, W, A2, H, W, W, H, H, W, W
Or one can construct a tetrachord which then duplicates itself with the same interval between iterations, e.g.
S, W, H, W with the new S a half step up.
Another kind of scale can be made — some of one octave, some of two or more — by combining tetrachords of two synthetic scales or even of two diatonic scales or modes.
Exploring the Implications
Consider when dealing with the above scales or any others you may construct on your own, that artificial scales have both horizontal and vertical implications.
Horizontally they each have their characteristic melodic sound. This can often be understood by taking a familiar diatonic melody and playing it with the alterations imnposed by the synthetic scale.
Secondary synthetic scales can also be derived from each by playing the “modes” of each, starting in a different scale step.
It is evident that the widely differing implications of each synthetic scale will of course affect melody and harmony and must be explored by the person using such constructions.
Vertically: harmonies of any sort — secondal, triadic, or quartal — will certainly have very distinctive characteristics. Just as an example consider that a triadic tonic chord in the C Enigmatic scale (used by Verdi in his Quatro pezzi sacri in 1897, late in his career). would be spelled C, E, G-sharp (an augmented triad), quite unusual for a tonic triad, to say the least. But then the dominant would be G-sharp, B, D-flat, and the sub-dominant would be F-sharp, A-sharp, C, neither of which even sounds triadic!
Neither would secondal harmony always sound like seconds: the tonic secondal triad in the Enigmatic scale would be C, D-flat, E-natural. And the tonic triad in quartal harmony would be a tri-tone and a perfect fourth.
Use another synthetic scale and the results will be drastically different.
more articles by Paul Somers
