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Is this a mode?

#3
So basically you don't know the answer, or this forum only serves as a means to redirect questions.
Just cracking on you a little. I DO need to know more theory, hence the question.

Perhaps I wasn't clear on my question. Let's Try again.
A song has a baseline that goes D C G D.
These are the chord notes written over the words on a chord sheet.

Is it possible the song is written in a key other than D?
Could it be in D and have a unique chord progression, other than 1 4 5?
 
#4
It sounds like your in the key of G, provided all the chords are of major quality: G=I, C=IV, D=V. If you were in the key of D, the C would be C#. If D is minor, then your most likely in the key of C with a I ii V progression - two chords are often substituted for IV chords because of the similar nature.
 
#6
Okay, I'll bite.

No, not all songs have a "1 4 5" chord progression.
D D C D, D C G D is not "a mode of G".
From what you've written, it does sound like your song is in the key of D.
I don't think the word "unique" applies in this case. ;)

My redirection of your question was meant to be helpful, and I still think it was. :)
 
#7
the keys of D or G are the safest bets.

the chords are all G major chords but the sequence doesn't Start on the I

D-D-C-D , D-C-G-D
in the Key of G would be:
V-V-IV-V, V-IV-I-V

But since it starts and ends on D it might be better to think of it as a D mixolydian based chord progression (which is a mode of G as you thought):

D D C D , D C G D
in the Key of D would be:
I-I-bVII-I , I-bVII-IV-I

If it were strictly diatonic to the key of D major, the C would have to be a C#(dim), but that would completely change the sound.

in short, I would call it a mode of G : D mixolydian.

That said, your note choices should be more dependent on the chord of the moment than what key or mode the overall progression is. I personally wouldn't think to hard about the specific mode of the piece unless explicitly called for.
 
#9
mambo4 said:
the keys of D or G are the safest bets.

the chords are all G major chords but the sequence doesn't Start on the I

D-D-C-D , D-C-G-D
in the Key of G would be:
V-V-IV-V, V-IV-I-V

But since it starts and ends on D it might be better to think of it as a D mixolydian based chord progression (which is a mode of G as you thought):

D D C D , D C G D
in the Key of D would be:
I-I-bVII-I , I-bVII-IV-I

If it were strictly diatonic to the key of D major, the C would have to be a C#(dim), but that would completely change the sound.

in short, I would call it a mode of G : D mixolydian.

That said, your note choices should be more dependent on the chord of the moment than what key or mode the overall progression is. I personally wouldn't think to hard about the specific mode of the piece unless explicitly called for.
Click to expand...
+1 to this

You may also be in a minor key. You didn't specify if the D,C and G were major or minor chords, probably just roots. Try running the d minor scale or the D dorian and see if the notes work in your bass fills. That is if your band allows you to do bass fills, in which case you might as well stick with not knowing any theory:D
 
#10
mambo4 said:
the keys of D or G are the safest bets.

the chords are all G major chords but the sequence doesn't Start on the I

D-D-C-D , D-C-G-D
in the Key of G would be:
V-V-IV-V, V-IV-I-V

But since it starts and ends on D it might be better to think of it as a D mixolydian based chord progression (which is a mode of G as you thought):

D D C D , D C G D
in the Key of D would be:
I-I-bVII-I , I-bVII-IV-I

If it were strictly diatonic to the key of D major, the C would have to be a C#(dim), but that would completely change the sound.

in short, I would call it a mode of G : D mixolydian.

That said, your note choices should be more dependent on the chord of the moment than what key or mode the overall progression is. I personally wouldn't think to hard about the specific mode of the piece unless explicitly called for.
Click to expand...

I would call it D mixolydian, but I wouldn't bother with "mode of G". D mixolydian--in those cases when that's really what you're dealing with--is a tonality/modality of its own, it doesn't need to be referenced to any putative major scale of origin.

If you only ever play chord tones, all you need to know is what the chords are, but you often do need to be aware of the over(under)lying key/mode (when that can be clarified) because that affects how you connect and approach the chords and how you move the harmony along.
 
#11
Yeah me too would see it as a D major/ Blues color implying a D mixolydian in the overall scale to choose from.

Obviously if the song resolves on a G, we are in G major with I-IV-V as chord functions. If not, it is kind of Blues with the (as written previously) I-bVII-IV chord progression. The bVII makes it Blues/Rock that imply mixolydian and Blues flavor as well.


Sly
 
#12
Thanks guys. I have been trying to play without getting caught up in the theory, and just trying to play what I hear in my head. This song was my first attempt to chart out a chord progression. I am not sure knowing mixolydian or diatonic modes will immediately make me a better player, but it sure won't hurt.
 
#13
dogbluedrummer said:
Thanks guys. I have been trying to play without getting caught up in the theory, and just trying to play what I hear in my head. This song was my first attempt to chart out a chord progression. I am not sure knowing mixolydian or diatonic modes will immediately make me a better player, but it sure won't hurt.
Click to expand...

Knowing that stuff will help avoid the wrong notes,even if there are no wrong notes if you know what to do with them.
But you can be sure that if you play the diatonic scales that go with a certain chord progression it will sound fine.
The rest is experimenting with it.

Sly
 
#15
HogieWan said:
If those are all major chords, it's in G. A D scale would have a C minor, not C major.
Click to expand...

No, not necessarily. A key is not determined solely by the chords/scale. It is also determined by the note that functions as the tonic/modal center. With the same three chords, you can have different tonalities/modalities if the resting note of the piece differs.

For example, if the key signature is the same as G major, but the tone on which the tune rests is not G but, say, D, you don't have G major in any meaningful sense. What you have instead is some kind of D, in this case D mixolydian.

The classic example of what I'm talking about is So What, which is in D dorian/Eb dorian/D dorian. The basic scales use the same notes as C major/Db major/C major, but because the tonal centers of those three sections are not the notes C/Db/C but the notes D/Eb/D, it would be a major error to think of those sections as being in C major/Db major/C major.

Granted, it's hard to be 100% certain without actually hearing the OP's example, but it's likely that something similar is happening here.
 

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