Musical Modes?

Question:I know all of the modes except the locrian mode and i was just wondering... when do i use each mode? All i know is that i use the Mixolydian mode behind a seventh chord (and obviously i use the Ionian during a major chord and the aeolian behind a minor chord). What do i use the lydian, dorian, phrygian, and locrian modes for?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I know all of the modes except the locrian mode and i was just wondering... when do i use each mode? All i know is that i use the Mixolydian mode behind a seventh chord (and obviously i use the Ionian during a major chord and the aeolian behind a minor chord). What do i use the lydian, dorian, phrygian, and locrian modes for?

Modes are more of a texture than for a specific use. They don't relate to harmonies as much, as they are more like scales. You wouldn't 'use the Mixolydian mode' for a chord, of the Ionian for a major. The Inonian mode the major scale, and Aeolian is the natural minor. These became the more popular modes near the end of the Rennaisance and are the typical modes of western music until somewhere after the Classical period, somewhere into the Romantic.
Modes are used to change the texture in music: if you want a happier texture, but still somewhat minor, you might use the dorian, which is (in moveable DO solphege): DO RE ME FA SOL LA TE DO. It has the lowered MI and TI that are found in natural minor, but keeps the LA that would be LE in minor. It gives the Dorian mode a little less of minor sound than Aeolian. An the other side, locrian: DO RA ME FA SE LE TE DO, is very dark sounding, having lowered RE to RA and SOL to SE. Lydian is a major scale with the raised FA to FI (DO RE ME FI SOL LA TI DO) that gives it a quality a little above major - although, I don't think I could say more major or happier; that FI just sounds wierd and out of place to me.

If you are going to try and use modes in a composition, I'd say go for it, but to try out the modes very, VERY carefully before using them. They aren't heard too much and are pretty hard to write for and make them sound good.

Rock on Music lovers, Rock on.

I think of the modes as more of a "melodic" device than a "harmonic" device... or at least, I'm trying to. =)

Let's take the Lydian mode. In the key of C, C major would be C D E F G A B C. Lydian is closely related to major, it is one sharp away... the fourth ends up being sharped, the F -> F# ... so we have C D E F# G A B C.

Now, me, I love using that fourth chord, but I can't if it's been sharped. So my challenge when writing material that is compatible with the Lydian mode is writing my progressions "around" that sharped fourth - which usually means that I won't include either the fourth or the sharped fourth in my progressions. By leaving either note out I'm purposefully making things a little vague, harmonically-speaking, so that when my Lydian melody is playing over my progression it will sound just as "in key" as when I choose to go back to my major melody.

I don't have much that I can add to the previous answer... well, I could, but it would be pages of answer. =) If you want to chat about it, feel free to email me or contact me via 360.

Saul