Techniques to stay in the mode

Howdy howdy,

This is my first post here.

Would someone mind explaining some ways to imply modes other than major and minor? Are there certain chord progressions or inversions that help to maintain the tonic?

Even in something as simple as F lydian I just can't manage to hear the F as I.

Also, as an after thought, could someone recommend a theory book that skips most of the basics and concisely provides methods of modulation above and beyond things like secondary dominant and mediants?

I appreciate the help.

Horses,

Casey James

If you have C - F a few times it would emphasize it. But if you want to emphasize the fact that it is lydian, don't forget to add the bnat.

As long you play with just an F drone or an F chord as harmony, then your melody should sound lydian-y.

If you wanna use progressions, try this:

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/modal-harmony-12607.html

Theres a thread I stumbled across a little bit ago. The third post down in particular is really helpful if you want progressions.

In most cases, modal songs contain less chords, less harmonic variety. Keeping a drone would be the simplest way to keep in the mode... You could also use only 2-3 chords. Like in dorian I-VII-I-VII etc.

Again, focus on melody and rhythm!

In a strict sense 'modal' music contrasts with 'tonal' music by not emphasising on the harmonic progressions to create tensions. Old modal music uses individual lines that have more tension when the move further away from the 'finalis' (the modal equivalent of the tonal tonic) and when the rythm becomes more complex. The line finally returns to the starting to to relax the tension. In that time polyphony was based on the intervals that those individual lines had between them, not the chords that were created with them. In fact people probably didn't know that chords existed in that time.

Actually, if you want the piece to sound modal try not to do things that are usual within the scope of the harmonic tonality.

Okay, you want to write in F lydian. Okay, here's what you do. You lay out the pitches of the F Lydian scale, and then you use them. Write whatever textures you want. People saying, "Oh don't use any chords", or "Use a drone" are absolutely ridiculous. It's just a collection of pitches. That's all. The Lydian mode isn't even that different from the Ionian, just has a #4. Not a big deal. I don't know what you're doing thematically, or what you're trying to do in general with your piece at all, but it's not a big deal, it's just a technique. People get too heady about techniques, they aren't a big deal. Just use them for the greater good, ie: your vision.

We could divide the modes in major and minor, according to the third degree.

To stay in the mode, it is important to avoid progressions which would sound as you are in major or minor. That's why modal chord progressions are more limited, simpler, repetitive and usually diatonic.

The so-called characteristic note makes the mode different from the major or minor and chords which contain it are the characteristic chords. For example, in Lydian, the characteristic note is #4, so using it reinforces the mode's specific sound. Also, there are modal cadences.

Example in Lydian could be #iv(b5) - I, but careful with II7 - Vmaj7 (it's like V7 - Imaj7 in major).