Modes

I have a question about Modes.

you have the C major scale and you want to play in a mode, now i understand how the diffrent modes are derrived
E.g Aeolein starts on the Sixth degree of the scale also known as the relative minor scale( only one i can remember) and has the same pattern as a major scale dtarting onthe sixth degree.
But wont it sound the same as a C major scale just less resolved when you finnish on the sixth (A) of the scale or on the second (D) of the scale than when you finish back on the C? because its the same notes as Cmajor but not finnishing on the C like if your improvising and u stop on the B or the seventh note in the scale its sounds pretty bad so wouldn't this be the case for modes? Does this Make sense?

Also can modes be derived from minor scales and other exotic scales or only from the Major scale?


Thanks For your help.

Ben.

Modal music has more to do with the harmony then the linear improvisation, for instance if you write a song based in C major, C is going to be your tonic chord that everything gravitates toward, and yes your right, certian notes are going to sound better (or stronger) then others, music is a hierachy, not a democracy.
Now try writing a song where the seventh chord of C major is the tonic (B-7b5), now you have modal music. Most modal songs (or jams) are only constructed out of 1 or 2 chords, because once you start to bring in other chords from the scale you start gravitating towards the the tonic of the major or relative minor.
Like anything, the best way to grasp modality is to listen to recordings of it, check out So What by Miles Davis, one of the founders of modal improvisation.

tada tada tada tadada pooooow pop...
That tune rocks...

no goen . yer missin it. when yer playin a C chord
and ya play a C aeolian wut yer doin is playin the
Eb major scale with C as the root and its essentially
a Eb over C scenerio.Sounds much different than just startin on the 6th of C and playin the C scale, which
will give ya the natural Aminor in the key of C.

[Edited by river on 03-27-2002 at 05:08 PM]

Goen, Here's something you can do to see how modes work, record a G-C-D chord progression, play the G Major scale over it, now take the C Major scale and rearrange the notes,so that G is the root,GABCDEFG, play that over the G-C-D progression, now take the D Major scale& do the same thing so you have GABC#DEF#G, play that over the chords, see how it works, same Root, same Key, different Mode, some modes will sound good, some not so good over the same chords, I had the same misunderstanding about Modes, but when it's put in the perspective of playing over some chords it made sense, OK, now go do some experimenting with some songs you already know, and play some different modes over them

Chris is right about modal progressions, but few bands around where I live play modally. I play lead guitar in a band that consists of some less theory-oriented members, so most of our songs are harmonically simple.
To add some spice to your playing if you play over "plain old chord progressions" like Bm-A-G-F#, you can use modes. The progression is in B Minor/Aeolian (except for the F# chord, which is harmonic minor), so using the B Aeolian scale would sound plain. To sound a bit more exotic, use another minor mode (one with a b3, Dorian, Phyrgian, Aeolian, and Locrian) over the progression. If you play in B Phrygian, you're really adding the b9 to the regular B Minor scale. If you play B Dorian, it's like adding the natural 6. If you choose to play Locrian, it's like adding a b9 and a b5 to the scale. Try switching between the modes to add some flavor to your playing. Ex - Play B Phyrgian over the Bm, B Aeolian over the A, B Phyrgian again over the G, and B Harmonic Minor for the F#. Check pstring's post for an example of using the major modes (modes with a natural 3, Lydian, Ionian, and Mixolydian). He suggests using G Lydian (D Major), G Ionian (G Major), or G Mixolydian (C Major) over a G Major progression.
If this doesn't make too much sense, tell me, and I'll try to explain it in an easier to understand way.

Thanks for the help guys it willtake a while for me to take all this in but i sort of understand. I'll have to try and put some of these sugestions into practice before i will fully understand it but i'll give it a go. if i can't get it i'll post another querie on the message board.

thanks again everyone i'll try everything you've suggested

thanks

Goen