Table of contents
Open Table of contents
Modern modes
| Mode | Tonic* | Interval sequence | Eg. (natural notes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | i | W-W-H-W-W-W-H | C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C |
| Dorian | ii | W-H-W-W-W-H-W | D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D |
| Phrygian | iii | H-W-W-W-H-W-W | E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E |
| Lydian | iv | W-W-W-H-W-W-H | F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F |
| Mixolydian | v | W-W-H-W-W-H-W | G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G |
| Aeolian | vi | W-H-W-W-H-W-W | A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A |
| Locrian | vii | H-W-W-H-W-W-W | B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B |
* Tonic relative to major scale
Modern modes built on a D major scale
| Mode | Tonic | Interval sequence | Eg. (D major scale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | i | W-W-H-W-W-W-H | D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D |
| Dorian | ii | W-H-W-W-W-H-W | E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D-E |
| Phrygian | iii | H-W-W-W-H-W-W | F#-G-A-B-C#-D-E-F# |
| Lydian | iv | W-W-W-H-W-W-H | G-A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G |
| Mixolydian | v | W-W-H-W-W-H-W | A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A |
| Aeolian | vi | W-H-W-W-H-W-W | B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A-B |
| Locrian | vii | H-W-W-H-W-W-W | C#-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C# |
Modes in Irish traditional music
| Mode | Tonic* | Interval sequence | Eg. (D major scale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | i | W-W-H-W-W-W-H | D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D |
| Dorian | ii | W-H-W-W-W-H-W | E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D-E |
| Mixolydian | v | W-W-H-W-W-H-W | A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A |
| Aeolian | vi | W-H-W-W-H-W-W | B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A-B |
A mixture of modes in tunes occurs very occasionally
- usually the first part being Mixolydian and the turn being Ionian
Beside the heptatonic scale above, pentatonic and hexatonic scales also exist
- in correspondence with the heptatonic scale, except the gaps
Some examples
Ionian - 60% of the airs & tunes:
- Dunphy’s Hornpipe
- Concertina Hornpipe
Dorian - 10% of airs & tunes:
- Elizabeth Kelly’s Delight
- The Congress Reel
Mixolydian - 15% of airs & tunes:
- The Blackbird
- Hardiman the Fiddler
Aeolian - the least numerous:
- Thugamar Féin an Samradh Linn
In practice: tunes with # and ##
| Mode | # ends on | ## ends on |
|---|---|---|
| Ionian | G | D |
| Dorian | A | E |
| Mixolydian | D | A |
| Aeolian | E | B |
An open question:
- D, A and E are common to both series
- if C doesn’t occur in a tune
- which ends in D, is it Mixolydian of # or Ionian of ##?
- which ends in A, is it Dorian of # or Mixolydian of ##?
- which ends in E, is it Aeolian of # or Dorian of ##?
Note:
- wouldn’t a ###-series be justified in 2024?
Accidental notes
C sharp:
- occurs usually by way of variation
- almost invariably in a weak or unaccented position
- eg.
bdreplaced by a triplet of(3bc#dd2 dereplaced bydc#de
- this applies to tunes in the G series (#)
- in tunes of the D series (##),
Cis always sharp, both in strong or weak positions
- in tunes of the D series (##),
F natural
- occurs only in accented positions
- doesn’t occur frequently and cannot be used at will, as a form of ornamentation
- more often found in the upper than the lower octave
- confined to tunes in the G series (#)
- one of the higly colourful notes in ITM, made by sliding upwards, with a certain amount of vibrato, from E to F sharp
- a note of no fixed pitch but rather a long glide with a center somewhat sharper than the F natural of art music
C natural
- a highly colourful decorative note, especially on the pipes
- lies halfway between B and D
- only in tunes of the G series
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Breathnach, Breandán (1996): Folk Music and Dances of Ireland, Ossian Publications Ltd. Cork, Ireland, ISBN 1 900428 65