Glossary
Aeolian
The sixth mode, built from the sixth degree of a major scale, which is identical to the natural minor scale, conveying a somber or melancholic mood.
Example:
A classical piece written in A Aeolian mode would sound like it's in A natural minor.
Blue note
A pitch, typically a flattened third, fifth, or seventh degree, that is played or sung slightly out of tune (often lower) for expressive effect in blues and jazz.
Example:
The characteristic mournful sound in a blues melody often comes from the use of a blue note, like a slightly flattened fifth.
Blues Scale
A six-note scale derived from the minor pentatonic scale by adding a chromatic "blue note," typically a flattened fifth.
Example:
A guitarist playing a solo over a blues progression will frequently use the Blues Scale to achieve that characteristic soulful sound.
Church modes
A system of eight modes used in medieval and Renaissance sacred music, distinct from the modern seven traditional modes and often having specific melodic characteristics.
Example:
Many Gregorian Chants are composed using Church modes like Dorian or Phrygian, giving them their characteristic ancient sound.
Dorian
The second mode, built from the second degree of a major scale, resembling a natural minor scale but with a raised sixth degree.
Example:
The iconic main theme from "So What" by Miles Davis is a prime example of Dorian mode, giving it a cool, slightly jazzy minor feel.
Hexatonic Scale
Any six-note scale, a broader category that includes scales like the whole tone scale, but can also refer to other specific six-note patterns.
Example:
While less common than pentatonic or diatonic scales, a composer might invent a unique Hexatonic Scale for a specific musical effect.
Indian Ragas
Melodic frameworks in Indian classical music, similar to modes but with more elaborate rules regarding specific ascending/descending patterns, characteristic phrases, and emotional associations.
Example:
A sitar player performing a morning piece might choose the Indian Raga Bhairav to evoke a specific mood.
Ionian
The first of the seven traditional modes, identical to the major scale, characterized by a bright and stable sound.
Example:
A melody in C Ionian mode would sound exactly like a melody in C major.
Locrian
The seventh mode, built from the seventh degree of a major scale, characterized by a lowered second and fifth degree, making it highly dissonant and unstable.
Example:
While rarely used melodically due to its inherent dissonance, the Locrian mode might appear in experimental or atonal compositions for its unsettling quality.
Lydian
The fourth mode, built from the fourth degree of a major scale, identical to the major scale but with a raised fourth degree, giving it a dreamy or ethereal quality.
Example:
The theme music for "The Simpsons" famously uses the Lydian mode, contributing to its quirky and optimistic feel.
Major Pentatonic
A five-note scale derived from the major scale, consisting of the root, second, third, fifth, and sixth degrees.
Example:
Many folk songs and children's tunes use the C Major Pentatonic scale (C, D, E, G, A) for its simple and pleasing sound.
Minor Pentatonic
A five-note scale derived from the natural minor scale, consisting of the root, minor third, fourth, fifth, and minor seventh degrees.
Example:
A common scale for blues and rock improvisation, the A Minor Pentatonic scale uses A, C, D, E, G.
Mixolydian
The fifth mode, built from the fifth degree of a major scale, resembling a major scale but with a lowered seventh degree, often used in blues and rock.
Example:
Many blues guitar solos heavily rely on the Mixolydian mode, especially its lowered seventh, which creates a dominant and gritty sound.
Modal music
Music composed or improvised using a specific mode as its tonal center, rather than adhering strictly to major or minor key systems.
Example:
Many folk songs and jazz pieces utilize modal music to evoke distinct moods beyond typical major/minor sounds.
Modulation
The process of changing from one key to another within a piece of music, establishing a new tonic.
Example:
A symphony might begin in C major and then modulate to G major for its second theme, establishing G as the new tonal center.
Musical Modes
Different types of scales derived from a major scale by starting on various degrees, each possessing a unique intervallic pattern and characteristic sound.
Example:
Playing a C major scale starting on D creates the D Dorian mode, which has a minor quality but a brighter sixth.
Octatonic Scale
A symmetrical eight-note scale that alternates whole and half steps, or half and whole steps, often used in 20th-century music for its dissonant and exotic qualities.
Example:
Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" famously employs the Octatonic Scale to create its primal and driving rhythmic energy.
Pentatonic Scales
Five-note scales that are widely used across various musical cultures, often characterized by their consonant and open sound.
Example:
Many traditional Chinese melodies are built using Pentatonic Scales, contributing to their distinctive sound.
Phrygian
The third mode, built from the third degree of a major scale, similar to natural minor but with a lowered second degree, creating a dark or Spanish sound.
Example:
Flamenco music often features the Phrygian mode, especially its characteristic lowered second, which adds a dramatic tension.
Relative Modes
Modes that share the same key signature but start on different tonic notes, meaning they use the exact same set of pitches.
Example:
C Ionian and A Aeolian are relative modes because they both use the notes of the C major scale.
Tonality
The organization of music around a central pitch or tonic, with harmonies and melodies relating to that central note, forming a sense of key.
Example:
Most Western classical music from the Baroque to Romantic periods is based on tonality, using major and minor keys to create harmonic direction.
Tonicization
The temporary emphasis of a non-tonic chord as if it were a tonic, often achieved through the use of its dominant or leading-tone chord.
Example:
In a C major piece, briefly highlighting a G major chord with a D7 chord before returning to C would be a tonicization of G.
Whole Tone Scale
A symmetrical six-note scale composed entirely of whole steps, creating an ethereal, often dreamlike or unsettling sound due to its lack of a clear tonic.
Example:
Claude Debussy frequently used the Whole Tone Scale in his impressionistic compositions to create a floating, ambiguous atmosphere.