A Brief Introduction to Modes
in Early and Traditional European Music
by Patricia Vivien Yarrow
The Church Modes
Always remember that the various modal classification systems were created to describe actual practice, not to dictate it. This is the system as it had evolved by about the 11th century. It is worth noting that chant often uses a flatted B in modes I and II, and sometimes V and VI, thus mutating some of the modes toward the modern major or minor (folk modes: Ionian and Aeolian), which were frowned on by the church and used only for secular music - at least officially. The Ionian, in fact, was termed the "lascivious mode." One of the composers who was particularly fond of using the flatted B in this manner was Abbess Hildegard of Bingen.
Also worth noting is that when the Bb is used in Mode III or IV, the result is the Locrian or Hypolocrian, which is thus much more common in chant than most of us have been told. There are also some surviving Locrian chants that use B as the final. Many of the surviving Locrian chants share certain melodic features, and appear to be from the tenth to twelfth centuries.
Chant also makes use of various hexatonic and pentatonic modes. One in particular, a hexatonic Locrian-6, seems to be heavily associated with the Credo.
|
Authentic Mode |
No. |
Scale |
Final/ Tenor |
Plagal Mode |
No. |
Scale |
Final/ Tenor | |
| Dorian | I | D - D | D / A | Hypodorian | II | A - A | D / F | |
| Phrygian | III | E - E | E / C | Hypo- phrygian | IV | B - B | E / A | |
| Lydian | V | F - F | F / C | Hypolydian | VI | C - C | F / A | |
| Mixolydian | VII | G - G | G / D | Hypo-mixolydian | VIII | D - D | G / C |
The tenor, or reciting note, is found in the following manner:
In authentic modes, the tenor is a fifth above the final (or tonic).
In plagal modes (which are the modes a fourth below the authentic modes), the tenor is a third below the tenor of the corresponding authentic mode.
Whenever the tenor would fall on B, it moves to C.
Some of the earlier chants are in modes more closely related to the ethnic modes. For example, a Byzantine nun named Kassia, who wrote chants in the 9th century, used B as a reciting note in the Phrygian,.
In 1547, the Swiss scholar Glarean (or Glareanus) categorized the modes into fourteen possible patterns, of which he rejected two (the Locrian and the Hypolocrian) as "defective." The names he used for the C mode (Ionian, which resembles our modern major), the A mode (Aeolian, the "natural minor") and the Locrian are all modes that had been referred to by the ancient Greeks, though Apollo only knows what they meant by them. The Glarean system is the basis for the heptatonic "ethnic mode" system given next.
Note: Basic scales refer to those that would result if a mode were placed so that it used only the white notes of a modern keyboard. For hexatonic modes, there will be two basic positions; for pentatonic, three.
"Ethnic" Modes (European)
Heptatonic
|
Authentic |
Basic Scale |
Half Steps |
M/m |
Distinguishing Characteristic |
Plagal |
Scale |
Cadences |
Primary Chords |
|
Dorian |
D-D |
2-3, 6-7 |
m |
major 6th |
Hypo-Dorian |
A-A |
D, A |
i ii IV VII |
|
Aeolian |
A-A |
2-3, 5-6 |
m |
"natural minor" |
Hypo-Aeolian |
E-E |
A, E |
i v VII |
|
Phrygian |
E-E |
1-2, 5-6 |
m |
minor 2nd |
Hypo-Phrygian |
B-B |
E, B |
i II vii |
|
Locrian |
B-B |
1-2, 4-5 |
m |
Dim. 5th |
Hypo-Locrian |
F-F |
B, C or F |
i° II V |
|
Lydian |
F-F |
4-5, 7-8 |
M |
Aug. 4th |
Hypo-Lydian |
C-C |
F, C |
I II vii |
|
Ionian |
C-C |
3-4, 7-8 |
M |
all majors |
Hypo-Ionian |
G-G |
C, G |
I IV V |
|
Mixolydian |
G-G |
3-4, 6-7 |
M |
Minor 7th |
Hypo-Mixolydian |
D-D |
G, D |
I v VII |
Least common is the Locrian, which is occasionally found in Icelandic and Greek music.
Some scholars include the Harmonic Minor, A-A with G raised, as an eighth mode. This is common in Welsh and some Semitic music. There are also modes based on this scale pattern, e.g., Phrygian with a major 3rd, often used in Eastern European dance music.
Hexatonic
|
Authentic |
Basic Scales |
Half Step |
Omitted Scale o/Basic note |
M/m |
Plagal Available? |
Cadences |
|
D/A |
D-D, A-A |
2-3 |
6th/ B, F |
m |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
A/P |
A-A, E-E |
5-6 |
2nd/ B, F |
m |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
P/Lo |
E-E, B-B |
1-2 |
5th/ B, F |
m |
No |
Tonic & Second |
|
Ly/I |
F-F, C-C |
7-8 |
4th/ B, F |
M |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
I/M |
C-C, G-G |
3-4 |
7th/ B, F |
M |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
M/D |
G-G, D-D |
6-7 |
3rd/ B, F |
No |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
The first basic scale given is with the B omitted, the second with the F. The Hexatonic mode which would be ambiguous between the Locrian and Lydian is impossible due to the omission of the tonic. The Dorian/Aeolian is very common in traditional music, as is the Ionian/Mixolydian.
There are some hexatonic modes found in traditional music which
follow other patterns, such as the Ionian without the sixth scale degree and
the Lydian with no seventh.
There is also one common hexatonic mode based on the harmonic minor tuning pattern;
it omits the sixth scale degree, and is common in African-American music.
Pentatonic
|
Authentic |
Basic Scales |
Omitted Scale os |
M/m |
Plagal Available? |
Cadences |
|
|
p 1 I/Mi/Ly |
C-C, G-G, F-F |
4th, 7th |
M |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
|
p 2 Mi/D/I |
G-G, D-D, C-C |
3rd, 7th |
No |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
|
p 3 Mi/D/A |
D-D, A-A, G-G |
3rd, 6th |
No |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
|
p 4 A/P/D |
A-A, E-E, D-D |
2nd, 6th |
m |
Yes |
Tonic & Fifth |
|
|
p 5 P/Lo/A |
E-E, B-B, A-A |
2nd, 5th |
m |
No |
Tonic & Fourth |
The first basic scale given is with F & B omitted, the second with C & F, the third with B & E. There are two impossible pentatonic modes: the Lo/Ly/P, omitting the 1st and 5th; and the Ly/I/Lo, omitting the 1st and 4th. Sometimes the I/Mi/Ly is called the major pentatonic, and the A/P/D the minor pentatonic, but all five occur in traditional music. An example of a plagal, pentatonic tune is "Amazing Grace."
There are also limited-range tunes which never go beyond the first four or five notes of the scales; sometimes they include the seventh (usually as a leading tone), but not the fifth or sixth. There are also pentatonic modes that have five adjacent notes and then skip two notes but include the higher octave such as 123451 or 7123471. I've seen a number of these in French and Hebridean music; an example is the French carol "Entre le Boeuf."
It's worth noting that some modes are more in use in certain parts of the world, and that some types of sacred music are more likely to use a particular mode. Unfortunately, I lost some of my notes on this area, so I am omitting some generalizations from previous versions of this site.
According to a survey of the songs collected and printed in the English Journal of the Folk Song Society from 1899-1931, the following modal frequencies were observed:
|
Major |
635 |
44% |
|
Dorian |
200 |
14% |
|
Phrygian |
3 |
0.2% |
|
Lydian |
3 |
0.2% |
|
Mixolydian |
145 |
10% |
|
Aeolian |
203 |
14% |
|
Locrian |
1 |
- |
|
Minor |
32 |
2% |
|
Other* |
223 |
15% |
*Other includes pentatonic, hexatonic, and those of mixed mode or scale.
Welsh music, and some Irish and English music especially of the 15th through 18th centuries, use the Harmonic minor extensively.
Chord Qualities
|
Mode |
Basic Scale |
Omitted |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
Dorian |
D-D |
m | m | M | M | m | dim | M | |
|
Aeolian |
A-A |
m | dim | M | m | m | M | M | |
|
Phrygian |
E-E |
m | M | M | m | dim | M | m | |
|
Locrian |
B-B |
dim | M | m | m | M | M | m | |
|
Lydian |
F-F |
M | M | m | dim | M | m | m | |
|
Ionian |
C-C |
M | m | m | M | M | m | dim | |
|
Mixolydian |
G-G |
M | m | dim | M | m | m | M | |
|
D/A |
D-D, A-A |
6th |
m | m3 | M | P5 | m | - | M |
|
A/P |
A-A, E-E |
2nd |
m | - | M | m | m3 | M | P5 |
|
P/Lo |
E-E, B-B |
5th |
m3 | M | P5 | m | - | M | m |
|
Ly/I |
F-F, C-C |
4th |
M | P5 | M | - | M | m | m3 |
|
I/M |
C-C, G-G |
7th |
M | m | m3 | M | P5 | m | - |
|
M/D |
G-G, D-D |
3rd |
P5 | m | - | M | m | m3 | M |
|
p 1 I/Mi/Ly |
C-C, G-G, F-F |
4th, 7th |
M | P5 | m3 | - | P5 | m | - |
|
p 2 Mi/D/I |
G-G, D-D, C-C |
3rd, 7th |
P5 | m | - | M | P5 | m3 | - |
|
p 3 Mi/D/A |
D-D, A-A, G-G |
3rd, 6th |
P5 | m3 | - | P5 | m | - | M |
|
p 4 A/P/D |
A-A, E-E, D-D |
2nd, 6th |
m | - | M | P5 | m3 | - | P5 |
|
p 5 P/Lo/A |
E-E, B-B, A-A |
2nd, 5th |
m3 | - | P5 | m | - | M | P5 |
Note: this brief guide was created in 1997-98. It is currently undergoing revision, and a multi-volume book is in progress that will contain real examples of each mode, drawn from traditional and early music, especially of the British Isles. The book is intended primarily for folk harp players, and the arrangements will be diatonic (where appropriate) and in basic tunings (C and relative modes).
Patricia Vivien Yarrow
September 2007
Acknowledgements and thanks:
My teachers and professors, especially Therese Schroeder-Sheker, Ann Heymann, Dr. Larry Worster, Dr. Bill Morse, Dr. Hal Tamblyn, Dr. Cherise Leiter and Dr. Nancy Gunn.
Alexei Kondratiev, multi-talented Celtic scholar, and Margo Schulter, early music scholar.
My students and the members of the ensembles I've directed over the years.
J. T. Escapule and Debra "Liz" Gettings for putting up with me harping on the subject all this time.
Return to my homepage or email me at yarrowp@mscd.edu.
Note: I'm reactivating the site meter I used to have on this page back in 1997. It will start tracking September 14, 2007