Reference chart 4
Melodic minor modes:
Mode 1 = Melodic minor scale
Mode 2 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 2nd note
Mode 3 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 3rd note
Mode 4 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 4th note
Mode 5 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 5th note
Mode 6 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 6th note
Mode 7 = same as the Melodic minor scale starting on the 7th note
In the following examples you will see how to determine which mode a piece of music is in. I highly recommend to play and record the chord progressions given and then to improvise a solo / melody over the progression with the given scale / mode. Examples 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all derived from chords in the key of C major, but only 1 example is actually in the key of C major.
Reference chart 5
Here are all of the possible triad chords in the key of C major:
C Dm Em F G Am Bš
I ii iii IV V vi viiš
Reference chart 6
Mode Diatonic triads
Diatonic triad function
C Major C Dm Em F G Am Bš
I ii iii IV V vi viiš
D Dorian Dm Em F G Am Bš C
i ii III IV v viš VII
E Phrygian Em F G Am Bš C Dm
i II III iv vš VI vii
F Lydian F G Am Bš C Dm Em
I II iii ivš V vi vii
G Mixolydian G Am Bš C Dm Em F
I ii iiiš IV v vi VII
A Aeolian Am Bš C Dm Em F G
i iiš III iv v VI VII
B Locrian Bš C Dm Em F G Am
iš II iii iv V VI vii
Example 1 - Chord progression in C major:
Chord symbols C Am F G C Dm G F C
Chord function in C major: I vi IV V I ii V IV I
Record this chord progression and use C major scales to improvise over it. You will hear the C note (and the C chord) sound like the root of the key (the note that is most at rest.) Your ear wants our little chord progression to end on the C chord.
Example 2 - Chord progression in E Phrygian:
Chord symbols: Em F Em Dm Em F G F Em
Chord function in E Phrygian: i II i vii i II III II i
Chord function in C major: iii IV iii ii iii IV V IV iii
Record this chord progression and use the C major scale to improvise over it. Notice: All of the chords in this example are derived from the key of C major, and can be found in Reference Chart 5. Even though the chords in this example are derived from the key of C major, you will hear that the C note does NOT sound like the root of the key and your ear does NOT want the chord progression to end on a C chord. It wants to end on the Em chord. The C note in the scale sounds more like a passing tone most of the time. It is the E note that sounds like the root of this chord progression. Why is this so? In this example there is no C chord anywhere in the progression. The C chord and the C note are being de-emphasized. Instead it is the E note and the Em chord that is being emphasized, this is what is causing the E note and the Em chord to sound like the root of the key. This is accomplished by repeating the Em chord multiple times.
So the key is not C major, but E Phrygian. We just established that the root is E and not C, but we are not in the key of E major or E minor (because the chords in the progression are not part of either the E major or E minor scales) but all of the chords are a part of the E Phrygian mode.
Another way to look at this is: Since the chords are derived from C major but the root note of the progression is E, then we need to look at where the E note is in a C major scale. The answer is that the E note is the 3rd not of a C major scale. Now we need to determine what mode starts on the 3rd note of a major scale. Look at Reference chart 1 above and you can see that the answer is Phrygian. So we now have our root note of E on the Phrygian mode which makes the key, E Phrygian. Now look at Reference chart 6 and you can easily see how the chords in this example fit nicely in to the E Phrygian key (mode).
Example 3 - Chord progression in F Lydian:
Chord symbols: F G F Em F G F Dm Em F
Chord function in F Lydian: I II I vii I II I vi vii I
Chord function in C major: IV V IV iii IV V IV ii iii IV
Record this chord progression and use the C major scales to improvise over it. Like the E Phrygian example, this example's chords all are derived from the key of C major, and can be found in Reference chart 5. Even though the chords in this example are derived from the key of C major, you will
again hear that the C note does NOT sound like the root note of this example and your ear does NOT want the chord progression to end on a C chord, it wants to end on the F chord. The F note is the root of this chord
progression. In this example there is no C chord anywhere in the progression. The C chord and the C note are being de-emphasized. Instead it is the F note and the F chord that is being emphasized because it is
repeated many times in the chord progression. Therefore, the key is F Lydian, not C major.
We just established that the root is F and not C, but we are not in the key of F major because the chords in the progression are not a part of F major. All the chords are a part of the F Lydian mode. Another way to look at this: Since the chords are derived from C major but the root note of the progression is F then we need to look at where the F note is in the C major scale. The answer is the F note is the 4th note of a C major scale. Now we need to determine what mode starts on the 4th note of a major scale. Look at Reference chart 1 above and you can see the answer is Lydian. So we now have our root note of F of the Lydian mode which makes the key, F Lydian.
Now look at Reference chart 6 and you can easily see how the chords in this example fit nicely in to the F Lydian key mode).
Example 4 - Chord progression in D Dorian:
Chord symbols: Dm G Dm Em Dm G Dm F
Chord function in D Dorian: i IV i ii i IV i III
Chord function in C major: ii V ii iii ii V ii IV
Record this chord progression and use the C major scales to improvise over it.
Like the previous 2 examples, this example's chords all are derived from the key of C major, and can be found in Reference chart 5.
Even though the chords in this example are derived from the key of C major, you will again hear that the C note does NOT sound like the root note of this example and your ear does NOT want the chord progression to end on a C chord, it wants to end on the Dm chord. The C note in the scale sounds more like a passing tone most of the time. It is the D note that sounds like the root of this chord progression. In this example there is no C chord anywhere in the progression. The C chord and the C note are being de-emphasized. Instead it is the D note and the Dm chord that is being emphasized because it is repeated many times in the chord progression. So the key is D Dorian, not C major.
We just established that the root is D and not C, but we are not in the key of D minor or D major because not all the chords in the progression are not a part of D minor or D major scales. All the chords are a part of the D Dorian mode. Another way to look at this: Since the chords are derived from C major but the root note of the progression is D then we need to look at where the D note is in the C major scale. The answer is the D note is the 2nd note of a C major scale. Now we need to determine what mode starts on the 2nd note of a major scale.
Look at Reference chart 1 above and you can see the answer is Dorian. So we now have our root note of D on the Dorian mode which makes the key, D Dorian. Now look at Reference chart 6 and you can easily see how the chords in this example fit nicely in to the D Dorian key (mode).
The best way to remember all of this information is to use it.
