well we are talking about capoing all the strings, so yes..
lets say ur stick is in the key of g, so its tuned g,d,g ok?
we put a capo on fret 2 (or fret 4 if u count the ones that are missing)
we are now in the key of B. We are tuned b,f#,b ..
but we are playing with the notes from the key of g..
that, in a nutshell, is why we're in the Phrygian mode..
so pop a thumbpick on if you can use one, and start a rhythm on that bass string, b,b,b,b,
whole notes, quarter notes, half notes, whatever floats ur boat..
ok. so now u have this reference of ur bass note, pick out a melody on the other strings..
and thats what the Phrygian mode sounds like :)
now make up some chords..
maybe a riff or two..
string em together.. u wrote a song! great..
ok..
now heres the tricky part..
take the capo off..
and try to play it again.. :)
ooh that dulci..
just found a whole new voice..
1 fret lower : (2nd mode)( key of Am with the notes from the G major scale) Dorian mode
*another really tasty minor mode. think blues.. (Gary Moore's fav among many many others, SRV loved it, even Van Halen, many popular songs eg. Elanor Rigby)
1 fret higher : (4th mode) (key of C with the notes from G..) Lydian mode = major mode..
the Lydian has a #4.. it feels to me like perhaps Irish or Celtic folk music ?? in popular terms, think of a lot of Jimmy Page's acoustic folky stuff (led Zeppelin 3 particularly)
1 fret higher again (5th mode) (key D, notes from G) Mixolydian mode = major mode..
very useful and popular mode because it gives you the dom7 chord on the root note.. all over jazz and blues and pop, the V chord is minor..
1 fret higher again (6th mode) Key of E, notes from G) - Aeolian mode = Minor mode
you may know that the 6th (E) is the relative minor of the 1 (g) ?? that is why the Aeolian is known as the natural minor mode.. to be honest the Dorian feels and sounds more natural to me, but thats of course only my ear and tastes..
1 fret higher again.. the Locrian mode.. forget it.. not really musically useful..
You may have noticed that modes 1,4,5 are the major modes and 2,3, 6 are the minor ones..
if you think about it, this makes perfect sense, because normally chords 1,4,5 would be major chords and 2,3,6 would be minor chords..
ok good luck Di I really hope it helping.. I know most modal discussions are terribly confusing, I hope I wasnt :D
Gak! No stick dulcimers on hand! I have a few that will be up by the weekend, though. Would it be the same if I tuned a DAD down to a DAb and used dulcimer fret #2 for the home note?
it is..
but two of the frets will be split ie will not span all 3 strings..
watch this space..
meantime.. grab a strumstick (or one of your lovely ones) and capo to the major 3rd (2nd fret that is there) apart from 2 ugly notes.. thats it
Comments
I just read this again! sooooo much fun!
lets say ur stick is in the key of g, so its tuned g,d,g ok?
we put a capo on fret 2 (or fret 4 if u count the ones that are missing)
we are now in the key of B. We are tuned b,f#,b ..
but we are playing with the notes from the key of g..
that, in a nutshell, is why we're in the Phrygian mode..
so pop a thumbpick on if you can use one, and start a rhythm on that bass string, b,b,b,b,
whole notes, quarter notes, half notes, whatever floats ur boat..
ok. so now u have this reference of ur bass note, pick out a melody on the other strings..
and thats what the Phrygian mode sounds like :)
now make up some chords..
maybe a riff or two..
string em together.. u wrote a song! great..
ok..
now heres the tricky part..
take the capo off..
and try to play it again.. :)
ooh that dulci..
just found a whole new voice..
1 fret lower : (2nd mode)( key of Am with the notes from the G major scale) Dorian mode
*another really tasty minor mode. think blues.. (Gary Moore's fav among many many others, SRV loved it, even Van Halen, many popular songs eg. Elanor Rigby)
1 fret higher : (4th mode) (key of C with the notes from G..) Lydian mode = major mode..
the Lydian has a #4.. it feels to me like perhaps Irish or Celtic folk music ?? in popular terms, think of a lot of Jimmy Page's acoustic folky stuff (led Zeppelin 3 particularly)
1 fret higher again (5th mode) (key D, notes from G) Mixolydian mode = major mode..
very useful and popular mode because it gives you the dom7 chord on the root note.. all over jazz and blues and pop, the V chord is minor..
1 fret higher again (6th mode) Key of E, notes from G) - Aeolian mode = Minor mode
you may know that the 6th (E) is the relative minor of the 1 (g) ?? that is why the Aeolian is known as the natural minor mode.. to be honest the Dorian feels and sounds more natural to me, but thats of course only my ear and tastes..
1 fret higher again.. the Locrian mode.. forget it.. not really musically useful..
You may have noticed that modes 1,4,5 are the major modes and 2,3, 6 are the minor ones..
if you think about it, this makes perfect sense, because normally chords 1,4,5 would be major chords and 2,3,6 would be minor chords..
ok good luck Di I really hope it helping.. I know most modal discussions are terribly confusing, I hope I wasnt :D
but two of the frets will be split ie will not span all 3 strings..
watch this space..
meantime.. grab a strumstick (or one of your lovely ones) and capo to the major 3rd (2nd fret that is there) apart from 2 ugly notes.. thats it