A Little Question About Modes Options

[Ruzz]

Hey there Muris!
Hows it going?

I could use some help about some theory..
Okay.. Lets take a start point from your "mixolydian riffing lesson"..
As far as I can see from the chords (A, G and D) A would be the fifth chord (mixolydian), G would be the fourth chord (Lydian) and D would be the first chord (Ionian)..
This means the song is in the key of D..

Here is my confusion..
As far as I can see you are not changing scale to lets say G mixolydian when the backing changes to that chord..
Doesn't that mean you would get a G lydian sound when that chord is playing.. The same goes for when the D chord (and the others for that matter) comes around..

Now.. Why is it more correct to call this mixolydian riffing?.. Couldn't it also be called the mode of all the other chords that are being played..?

Is it just because must of the time the A chord is being played that it has this mixolydian sound...
I hope you see where I am getting at, because I am not sure if I can explain my confusion further.. smile.gif

It is by the way a great lesson smile.gif

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[Muris Varajic]

Hi Ruzz.

You actually answered your mystery by saying
"Is it just because must of the time the A chord is being played that it has this mixolydian sound..."

Remember, it's all about how it sounds and it's always about how it sounds, nothing else matters.

And as for chords, I don't think there was a D chord in that progression,
at least not as equal in duration as other chords.
And here's is why.

Pick up your guitar, play those chords from that lesson and then strum a D chord, hold it, let it ring.
Do you hear?
You have lost all that Mixolydian sound cause that D chord,
now it sounds as if you were in a key of D all the time.
our ears are trained to gravitates toward either major (Ionian) or minor (Aeolian) root chord
and trust me, they'll take every chance to pick up those chords as roots!
Try with Aeolian, play same chords and then strum Bm chord,
you lose Mixolydian sound once again and now it sounds like a key of Bm.
It's not lacking of modes and their independency tho, it's lacking of our listening abilities.

In other words, modes should be considered as important as major and minor scales/keys
because they do have their unique sound, mood or whatever you might call it.
It's just that you have to be careful when making a progression for a mode,
try avoiding those relative majors and minors to keep the feel of your mode.

Now imagine how modes are feeling like, they have "so called" relatives and those relatives
are destroying their dignity over and over.


Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info!

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[Ruzz]

Thank you for your answer Muris, I did certainly not know this before now

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[Muris Varajic]

Glad to help, you're welcome.

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