Modes & Tonal Center

[KenA]

Hi. I guess many of us have been in a situation when you try to explain what a Tonal Center is, in particular, when talking about modes. Well, I did first learn the modes theory the traditional way, eg. you have a base scale with no accidentals aka: C D E F G A B C , then first harmonize in Triads and then Tetrads and get the chords: I.maj7, ii.min7, iii.min7, IV.maj7, V.dom7, vii.min7 & vii.m7b5 & the consecutive mode names: Ionian, Dorian, .... Locrian .

Well, up to this point I believe some people start to get confused. Sometimes I hear: "... now I'm playing D dorian...", but he's not actually playing the dorian mode, because the Tonal Center is in C major. Sometimes you hear: "...in order to play D dorian, you have to start on the D note...", well if there's something setting the Tonal Center on D minor, you don't have to start in D note ... in case you're playing alone then it's a good idea to start in D in order to make this D note the Tonal Center.

For those reasons and maybe others as well, when someone asks me about Modes, I usually say that first part above and then I recommend to think that is better to use modes, not by relating to a parent scale (ex. F Lydian > C Ionian), but instead F Lydian == F Ionian with #4 . Plus the reality is that if I'm playing F Lydian, C Ionian is irrelevant.

And in case I'm playing Pentatonic I can also add the proper notes to get to a 7 note modal scale.

But the thing is: how to explain Tonal Center?

 

[c7spheres]

It sounds like you're talking about parallel vs relative modes. You're thinking isn't wrong here you just need to apply those labels of 'parallel' and 'relative' to the modes.
- Parallel is when the modes share the same root/1 like you talked about with F Ionian F Lydian
- Relative is the other example you gave about being in C major but playing a D dorian at the same time.

- Tonal center can be thought of that way, but it's really just a generic term for the note that's emphsized the most. I don't even see it that way myself though. I look at Tonal center as the note that the point of the discussion (musically/ while playing) even if it's not the emphsized note/tone.
- I look at it that way because it doens't have to necessarily be played or emphasiez physically the most in reality. In reality it is the "thing" or note that has the most gravity/pull to the listeners ears or feelings. Sometime a tonal center can just be what is sorta tugging on you the most, even if not being played. Similar to a tension release type thing.

 

[KenA]

@c7spheres : thanks for the input. I agree with your Tonal Center explanations, I'll keep the keywords: gravity, pull, magnet ... in my mind

 

[ElRay]

Regarding guitarists, too many believe (and will argue to the death) that modes are the patterns. So, if you're playing a "D Dorian" pattern, you're playing D-Dorian, regardless of the tonal center. Other than ONE pianist (right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing), I have never had that discussion with a non-guitarist.

 

[odibrom]

Regarding guitarists, too many believe (and will argue to the death) that modes are the patterns. So, if you're playing a "D Dorian" pattern, you're playing D-Dorian, regardless of the tonal center. Other than ONE pianist (right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing), I have never had that discussion with a non-guitarist.

Guitarists are mindless beasts... only they could ever think of music as figured patterns over a fretboard...

 

[Bobro]

Regarding guitarists, too many believe (and will argue to the death) that modes are the patterns. So, if you're playing a "D Dorian" pattern, you're playing D-Dorian, regardless of the tonal center. Other than ONE pianist (right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing), I have never had that discussion with a non-guitarist.

But that's the problem- just playing the patterns won't give you Dorian. Since it's the same collection of pitches, many people will fall into A minor or C Major without even realizing it.
As my antique textbook for singers of Gregorian chant says, it's about the feeling (mood) and the "key" notes like the tonic and the dominant of the mode. It's also about "stereotypical figures", like, the standard riffs to emphasize a certain note, cadences for example. A great way to practice is to play over a drone of the tonic note- you'e not going to cadence wrong if you have a drone and you keep the feeling all along.

 

[KenA]

@Bobro, main reason people get stuck in modes is because they just (kinda of learn) the Relative modes, while the cream of the crop is in applying the Parallel approach. Teachers use Relative in order to explain how to Harmonize a major scale, after harmonization is done they introduce the students to the "modes" by examining each chord, but they should stop at harmonization. Then teach the Parallel way so one can "fix" the modal sounds and only after the student have the sound impregnated in their brains, they could just say: well, look at this coincidence, the parent scale of this mode is, .... and them realize that it doesn't matter who is the parent scale ...