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Subject: Dorian Scale


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Original Message                 Date: 10-Feb-03  @  09:06 AM   -   Dorian Scale

Dominic

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So all a Dorian scale is a minor but with a flatterened 7th, yes?




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Message 11/14             20-Feb-03  @  10:31 AM   -   RE: Dorian Scale

Dominic

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Psy, you are too kind. :-)



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Message 12/14             24-Feb-03  @  08:18 PM     Edit: 24-Feb-03  |  08:24 PM   -   RE: Dorian Scale

psylichon

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oh yeah... almost forgot  

"If Am as the relative mionr to C, uses the same notes (all the white notes)as C major, then hows this gonna give me different chords to use?"

It's all about context. When you're in a given key, each chord in the scale has a different feeling and "emotion" associated with it, based on the quality of the chord (major, minor, diminished). When you're head is centered on the tonic of a song, the chords will have their own contextual meaning in that key.

1. Well, you would do the same thing in a minor key that you do in the major key, only the root of each mode and the triad you build on it follows the minor scale now. So it would be (in C minor):

Cmin

Ddim

Ebmaj

Fmin

Gmin

Abmaj

Bbmaj

Cmin


As you can see, in the context of a minor key, the modal chords carry different qualities than they do in a major key.

2. But the VI chord (Ab maj) is not the relative major of Cmin because those scales use different notes. Go up a third for the relative major, down a third for the relative minor, if you want a rule of thumb.

3. There are several kinds of minor scales. The one that is the same as the aeolean mode is the natural minor. This follows the key of the relative major. In the example above (C min), notice that the dominant (v) chord is G min. This is a flatted 7th (the Bb in the chord is the 7th interval in a C scale, flatted... yeah, it's confusing that they always reference the major scale when descibing chords) and makes a natural minor scale.

Perhaps more popular is the harmonic minor because it gives a more powerful dominant chord with a raised 7th. Play these chords in progressions and you'll get what I'm talking about.

C,Eb,G (i)

C,F,Ab (iv)

C,Eb,G (i)

G-Bb-D-F (v7)

C,Eb,G (i)


that's the natural minor. Now try this:

C,Eb,G (i)

C,F,Ab (iv)

C,Eb,G (i)

G-B-D-F (V7)<--notice the change to major quality

C,Eb,G (i)


Composers consider the dominant chord to be more powerful when it's made major because of that b resolving up a half step to the tonic. half step resolutions are generally more powerful. But that doesn't mean it's always appropriate.

Once you learn the different chord qualities, you'll find they fall into groups of character, and that certain chords want to go to others. Then you learn tensions and all that and you can write jazz!

I really need to get out my old theory books so I can copy some important points for you in better words than I can muster.

psy



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Message 13/14             25-Feb-03  @  06:33 PM   -   RE: Dorian Scale

Dominic

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Psylichon, you're the man on DT at the moment. It used to be Bedwyr but nows its you! Well done (he, he, he).

I think I understand more about minor keys now and thank you for the time you have spent explaining it.

I'm only 2 months into my piano lessons now but its helped me loads. My tracks are sounding alot better from knowing just a small amount of theory.

I know it sounds a bit silly but I can just about play with 2 hands now. This weeks piano lesson homework is to learn the first bit of Phil Collins "One More Night". My teacher was saying that alot of Phil Collins stuff is actually quite simple when you break it down and alot of beginners learn Phil Collins songs.

Its in C major and it's interesting for me to see how the song works. It's all based around playing the C maj and G maj chords in the left hand and plinking away the melody with the right. Most of the song is based around just C, E and G notes in the right (the melody) and as previously said the chords in the left. The E in the right hand is always played over the top of a C maj chord at the beginning of the bar and the D note in the right always over the C maj . In one bar it also uses the F major but that's only once in the bit I'm learning.

Anyway I'll shut up rambling in a beginner fashion now and go and pratice some more. Cheers again matey!!!



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Message 14/14             02-May-03  @  02:38 PM   -   RE: Dorian Scale

younger brother

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Really great stuff Psylichon!  



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