Originally posted by SpecialEd
With all of this knowledge I am having some difficulty figuring out how to compose the mode off of the major.
Say for the C major the (Lonian) you play C D E F G A B C
But for the Dorian: Do you play D E F G A B C D or do you play C D Eb F G A Bb C. Because with the Dorian mode you add a 7b and a 3b. So I am not sure which one to use. Or more importantly which one is correct.
C D E F G A B C is the C
ionian mode of C major.
D E F G A B C D is starting on the 2nd degree of C major. It is the Dorian mode.
C D Eb F G A Bb C is the Dorian mode of Bb major.
People in this thread are talking about learning the modes in two completely different ways. One way goes through all the modes in one key, starting on each degree of the Ionian scale:
C Ionian = C to C
D Dorian = D to D
E Phrygian = E to E, etc...
the other way goes through all the modes as they relate to the major scale, all starting with the same root:
C Lydian = C major with a #4
C Ionian = C major
C Mixolydian = C major with a b7, etc...
I'm not sure what you're trying to do, sorry. If you want to play the mode corresponding to the 2nd degree of the C major scale, you would play D Dorian. If you want to play the Dorian mode of Bb major, then you would play C Dorian. Does that make sense?
Disclaimer: this is how I understand it but I could be wrong, so don't take my word as gold here. or anywhere.
