From: yeidel@tomar.accs.wsu.edu (Joshua Yeidel)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: The Grateful Dead and the Mixolydian Mode...
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:24:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: serval.1992Aug13.192440.18280
Reply-To: yeidel@tomar.accs.wsu.edu (Joshua Yeidel)
Organization: Academic Computing Services, Washington State University


Just a couple of additions and one IMHO important correction:

In article <BsxKrC.60C@news.udel.edu>, moffitt@chopin.udel.edu (Curtis Moffitt) writes:
|>From: moffitt@chopin.udel.edu (Curtis Moffitt)
|>Subject: The Grateful Dead and the Mixolydian Mode...

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|>
|>  There are basically 2 ways to think of modes in music:
|>1) A mode is a particular position of a major scale, or
|>2) A mode is a series of whole and half steps that is related to a major scale.

>
|>For 1) I mean that, taking a particular scale, say C major, we can take any
|>one of seven different positions in that scale.  The first position of the
|>scale of course is C, the second D, etc.   Like:
|>
|>    C   D   E   F   G   A   B   
|>    1   2   3   4   5   6   7
|>
|>Now, the corresponding modes for any scale are named by position of the
|>starting note in the scale:
|>
|>1 = Ionian       2 = Dorian    3 = Phrygian    4 = Lydian
|>5 = Mixolydian   6 = Aolean    7 = Locrian
|>

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|>
|>For 2) We can look at modes as each having it's own whole and half-step
|>pattern.  From what I have explained above, we can see that there are
|>clearly defined whole and half step patterns dictated for each mode:
|>
|>Ionian     =  w w h w w w h  (Major scale pattern)
|>Dorian     =  w h w w w h w
|>Phyrgian   =  h w w w h w w
|>Lydian     =  w w w h w w h
|>Mixolydian =  w w h w w h w
|>Aolean     =  w h w w h w w  (Natural Minor scale pattern)
|>Locrian    =  h w w h w w w
|>
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Another way of looking at it is that the C major scale is the
C Ionian mode (when starting on C), the D Dorian mode (when starting
on D), the E Phrygian mode (when starting on E), etc. -- or again,
the NOTES of the C major scale are the notes of the C Ionian mode, the
D Dorian mode, etc.  Any of these ways of lookign at it might be helpful
to different people for different purposes at different times -- they're
all the same mathemusically.

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|>Birdsong - the jam in this song is predominantly E7 in E mixolydian.
|>  What this means basically is that the main chord to which the jam is
|>"centered around" is E7 (with most emphasis in the E triad: E G# B and some
|>emphasis on the dom7: D).  The mode is mixolydian (E is the fifth position)
|>so the predominant scale is A major (A B C# D E F# G A  - note E is in the 5th
|>position).  Thus we get E mixolydian (E F# G A B C# D E).  

Sorry, but an error mars this optherwise excellent presentation.  The A major
scale (and E mixolydian) contain G#, not G. This is very important, because the G# is a moajor Third, which maintains the major feel of the E chord.
is|>home, pop in China->Rider, skip to the segue and play a G scale starting

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|>
|>The dead's heavy use of the mixolydian mode is quite easy to understand I
|>think.  It is the only mode/position that has the dom7.  The dom7 is the
|>main component to "blues" felling.  Ever notice how alot of dead tunes sound
|>"kinda bluesy but aren't really".  This is a major blues feeling (or major 
|>penatonic with the added dom7).   

Yes, I think this is the point -- that "major blues" feel is also a jazz and rock feel (it's one of the things that makes those three styles "family"), and so it fits in with just about everything the Dead does (except Marty Robbins ?!) 

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 Joshua Yeidel               | yeidel@tomar.accs.wsu.edu
Academic Computing Services | All standard disclaimers apply
Washington State University |   "Believe it if you need it, 
Pullman, WA 99164-1226      |     or leave it if you dare..."
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Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead