Post your theory bits on how to achieve a medieval sound.

Modes:
Modes are a type of scale that were used in medieval music. There are 7 of those, and I can't remember their names, so I won't bother.

Ok, you know how the C major scale has no sharps or flats, nor does the A minor scale? That's because they're C and A modes. An E mode would start at E, and have no sharps or flats, to explain a bit better, if you played it one the piano you would play from E to E without hitting the black keys. All the other modes are constructed the same way, and the B mode is the devil's mode (B is the devil's note). Those were forbidden in christian music.

Post away my my pretties

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learn the names so you dont feel like a tard saying 'b mode' and 'c mode' again.

Um, C Mode is called C Major, dick.

Edit: There is no point in learning the names, it's so much easier to say G Mode instead of Mixolydian Mode, isn't it?

Just for the assholes in the audience

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yea, and for the people that dont know this, then saying g mode is a lot less to take on then their real names

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I'm shit at theory so bear with me - are modes basically major scales or what?
How do they relate to scales like pentatonic, minor and major etc.?

"C Mode is called C Major, dick"

Thrashboy and I had a blast discussing why you are wrong, and why you can be somewhat right.
I think you are wrong, sorry. That link doesn't explain much either. What it should have told you, was the fact that modes were in existance for a time before the words "major" and "minor" were brought up. In non-contemporary music, excluding Jazz, modes and major/minor scales are very different from each other. For one thing, C-D-E-F-G-A-B in all natural notes, are the notes of a Major scale not a modal scale. G "mode," is G-A-B-C-D-E-F in all natural notes. G Major is G-A-B-C-D-E-F#. In Medieval times, sharps and flats were only used for modulating and when starting a modal scale not on the scales normal note. For example, A aeolian is A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A, however, C aeolian is C-D-Eflat-F-G-Aflat-Bflat-C. That's what sharps and flats were. Then came major and minor scales. The natural minor scale took the place of the aeolian/dorian such scales, and the major scale took the place of the other "major" sounding scales like mixolydian. Now, like almost always, modal scales are still mostly used for church music and Gregorian plainchants. Major and minor scales helped in a way that allow more freedom with accidental notations such as the introduction of harmonic minor. The only relationship between "C major" and "C mode" is the fact that they are parallel keys.

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What about the Harmonic Minor scale? Couldn't that achieve a medieval sound?

I've found medievil sounds using the Phrygian, Dorian, and Aeolian minor modes. The Ionian and Mixolydian modes also make for good major medievil sounding pieces.

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I think the dorian mode represents medieval music the most, but thats only the way I think of medieval music.

You guys are over complicating "modes", modes are just scales starting on different degrees of the major scale. Ionian is the 1st degree, dorian is the 2nd, and so on and so on. So if you played a G Ionian scale, you would just be playing the major scale in G, and if you were playing the A dorian scale, instead of playing the G major scale (G-A-B-C-D-E-F#) you would be playing A-B-C-D-E-F#-G.

Ionian- 1st
Dorian- 2nd
Phygrian- 3rd
Lydian- 4th
Mixolydian- 5th
Aeolian- 6th
Locrian- 7th

Modes are part of a scale. The major and minor scales have seven modes. Basically modes are a set of note patterns in a scale. Modes aren't scales but patterns of notes in a scale.

Are you talking about the natural minor scales?

harmonic minor scale looks good to me!!!!


Schizoid - i think the aeolian is the natural minor scale out of those mentioned.

I think the phrygian scale sounds too much like flamenco music to be a scale suitable for medieval music.

Yea if you start at the 6th note of a major scale you get a minor scale which is the Aeolian in the major scale and the Ionian mode for the minor scale (first mode for the minor scale). So basically and obviously the Aeolian mode isn't the same for the major and minor because of the positioning differences. For example as mentioned already the G major scale Ionian mode is G A B C D E F# and if you take the 6th note in that mode you get E F# G A B C D which is the E minor scale Ionian mode.

try 3/4 time cuz waltz was big back then
and for the singer try the georgian chant.(do-ra-mi blah blah blah)

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Aeolian is another name for natural minor

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No, that's called solfege.

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solfeggio :P

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I just learnt green sleeves. That song is cool It helped me come up with ideas of timing and shit for writing medieval type shit.

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well thats what i was always told that was called. thanks for correcting me.

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what do you have on names, scales, if ya can't play a fuck.

Use your creation, your feeling, watch medieval movies, listen to that music... and try your own damn version!

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i've been thinking about that for a while and another good mode is the dorian.
exp. greensleves and scarbourgh fair. its got that galic(irish) sound to it

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i use modes for that kinda happy irish-y midevil sound and harmonic minor for a more dark gothic type sound

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try the aeolian, neopolitan, or even just a good old major ionian to acheive a good medieval sounding melodies.

If you want a viking feel harmonize in 4ths

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Interesting...


Can you provide a brief example of harmonizing using 7ths.

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Sorry about that i made a typo, its 4ths

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4ths and 7ths harmonized sound the most "medieval" to me. With the occasional 3rd.

hmmm......

Try using the a C scale transition from Locrian to Ionian in 6/8 time. I'm sure all the Gothen-DeathMetal heads out there will have a blast with that. Put your grace-note accentuations on the dominant minors of your arpeggiations.

Hope that helps!