minor keys & diatonic modes - hutchinson band...
TRANSCRIPT
Parallel Keys: Shared Tonic
Parallel Keys: are keys with the same Tonic, ex. E Major & E Minor!
Major Pentachord/Minor Pentachord. Only differ by 1 note!
Parallel Keys often appear within a single piece or movement much like Franz Schubert’s “Der Lindenhaum”
Relative Keys
Relative Keys- share a key signature but have different tonics.!
The motion between keys creates interest by changing mood and musical color!
Listen to Corelli’s “Allemanda", from Trio Sonata in A Minor
Finding the Relative Minor
The relative minor scale is made from the same scale as the Relative Major scale!
Either find the sub-mediant or go down 3 half steps!
Make sure to stay within the major key signature
Finding the Relative Major
Find the minor 3rd, that is the Tonic of the Relative Major!
Go up 3 half steps!
Make sure it spans 3 letter names
More on Minor Keys
Key Signatures in parallel keys differ by 3 accidentals#
Move 3 steps counter-clockwise around the circle of 5ths.
“Forms” of Minor
3 different minor scales:!
Natural Minor-Scale whose accidentals follow exactly what the key signature states!
Harmonic Minor- Raises the 7th scale degree by a half step creating an augmented second (A2). An augmented second is equivalent to a step and a half!
Melodic Minor- Raises the 6th & 7th scale degree by a half step ascending, then lowers it descending!
Lets listen to the difference between minor scales
Minor Penta & Tetra chords
Minor Pentachord- is the first 5 notes of all minor scales. W-H-W-W!
Natural minor Tetrachord- the last 4 notes of Natural minor. H-W-W!
Harmonic minor Tetrachord- the last 4 notes of Harmonic Minor. H-A2-H!
Melodic minor Tetrachord- the last 4 notes of Melodic Minor. Ascending W-W-H Descending W-W-H
Scale Degrees in Minor
1=Tonic=Do!
2=Supertonic=Re !
b3=Mediant=Me #
4=Subdominant=Fa!
5=Dominant=Sol
They are identical to major with a few exceptions
b6=Submediant=Le#
6=Raised Submediant=la#
b7=subtonic=te#
#7=leading tone=ti
Modal Scale Degrees- 3,6,&7 are crucial in the distinction between major and minor.
Minor Pentatonic Scale
Minor Pentatonic- Made up of 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 (do, me, fa, sol, te)!
Listen to “Wayfaring Stranger” which is in Minor Pentatonic
Modes of the Diatonic Collection
Listen to Greensleeves…What key are we in?!
When scales don’t quite fit into major or minor scales the are most likely Modal scales.!
In the case of Greensleeves we are in Dorian Mode, The melody is altered at the end with an added G#.!
Dorian mode: WHWWWHW
Modes of the Diatonic Collection
Now listen to “Old Joe Clark”!
Sounds somewhat Major with D as the tonic, but it includes a C natural???!
Mixolydian is a mode similar to major with a lowered seventh.!
Mixolydian= WWHWWHW
Modes in the Diatonic Collection
Listen to Bartok’s piano piece “In Lydian Mode”!
Lydian mode sounds like a major scale with a #4!
Lydian=WWWHWWH
Relative Identification of Modes
Diatonic modes sometimes called “church” modes.!
There are 6 Diatonic modes shared by the major scale!
Listen to the 6 Diatonic Modes
“Parallel” Identification of Modes
The 6 modes can be sorted into 2 groups of 3!
Group 1 Based on Major Pentachords:!
Ionian (Major)!
Mixolydian (b7)!
Lydian (#4)
“Parallel” Identification of Modes
The 6 modes can be sorted into 2 groups of 3!
Group 2 Based on Minor Pentachords:!
Aeolian (natural minor)!
Dorian (#6)!
Phrygian (b2)
20th Century Modal Practice
Locrian Mode is a mode based on the 7th scale degree of the Major scale!
One of the most popular examples is this…
Terms You Should Know
Diatonic Modes:#
Aeolian#
Dorian#
Ionian#
Locrian#
Lydian #
Mixolydian#
Phrygian
Major Pentachord#
Minor Pentachord#
Minor Scale#
Harmonic#
Melodic#
Natural#
Modal Scale Degree
Mode#
Parallel Minor#
Parallel Major#
Pentatonic Scale#
Major Pentatonic Scale#
Minor Pentatonic Scale
Raised submediant#
Relative Major#
Relative Minor#
Subtonic#
Tetrachord#
Major#
Harmonic Minor#
Natural Minor