Modes of the diatonic scale?

[jaycat]

I didn’t see this in the thread, so if you need a memory aid:

I Don’t Play Lounge Music Any Longer

I learned the modes back around 1976 (on guitar) and I can say that they really confused my roch’n’roll playing brain at the time. When I started playing [guitar] again a bit over 12 years ago I found them a nice warmup, though applicability still eludes me sometimes.

I haven’t started working on them on mandolin, yet, but I’m getting there.

I learned it as "I Don't Particularly Like Modes A Lot." I also use them for a warmup but not much else. Well, I can play the bass part to So What, that's in Dorian.

[DougC]

The more you know about music, the more valuable you'll be to other musicians.

Personally I understand the notion of 'why do I need this'? I suppose one can play without much understanding of what they are doing. But one does not have to go very far before, questions arise about 'why these chords don't work', or 'why is it so hard to find the right notes on particular tunes'. Or why are some tunes avoided because they are 'too hard'.

It does depend on what type of music you play. One may never need one of these modes...

One might ask why are these the only modes used in Irish trad? Why not Phrygian, Lydian, Aeolian or Locrian? Well, each folk musical culture has "a sound," and for whatever reason, the sound of say the Phrygian mode just wasn't as attractive to these players. I'm no ethnomusicologist, so someone else will have to explain this one.

(Irish Trad does have some Aeolian tunes BTW. Not much freygish or mishaberek however.)