Have you ever wanted to switch your Dorian melody into a Phrygian, Mixolydian or maybe even a Locrian one? In this episode, I show how you can transform your music from one musical mode to another. Let’s dive into this amazing technique!
Transform Your Music with Modal Shifts
Exploring the world of musical modes can open up endless creative possibilities. Transforming a piece of music from one mode to another isn’t just an interesting experiment; it’s also a practical way to create new music without starting from scratch. The results can be surprising, and while not every transformation will be useful it might still give you inspiration for a new piece of music!
Modal Transformations Cheat Sheet
In this lesson, we’ll take an original piece of music in D Dorian and transform it into D Mixolydian and D Locrian. To guide us, I’ll use my handy Modal Transformations Cheat Sheet, which you can download below. This cheat sheet shows you exactly what notes you need to change when switching your music into a different mode.
Watch The Tutorial
Starting Point: D Dorian
My original piece of music is composed in D Dorian. If you’re unfamiliar, the Dorian mode is a minor-oriented mode that’s often associated with a jazzy, soulful, or slightly melancholic vibe. On the cheat sheet, you’ll find the specific notes that make up the Dorian scale. From this scale you can derive the chords for D Dorian.
Here’s the score to the original piece in D Dorian:
Step 1: Transforming to D Mixolydian
To shift from D Dorian to D Mixolydian, the only change needed is to raise the third scale degree by half a step. This means turning F into F#.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Adjust all F melody notes to F#.
- Update any chords containing F to include F# instead.
- Dm becomes D
- F becomes F# diminished
- B diminished becomes Bm
Once those changes are made, your music takes on the brighter, more upbeat character of the Mixolydian mode.
Here is the new piece of music in D Mixolydian:
Step 2: Transforming to D Locrian
Now let’s move to D Locrian, a mode known for its dark, unstable, and mysterious character. This transformation requires several adjustments when transforming from D Dorian:
- Lower the second scale degree (E to Eb).
- Lower the fifth scale degree (A to Ab).
- Lower the sixth scale degree (B to Bb).
- Update any chords that have the new notes.
- Dm becomes D diminished
- Em becomes Eb
- F becomes Fm
- G becomes Gm
- B diminished becomes Bb
- C becomes Cm
The resulting music sounds dramatically different from both Dorian and Mixolydian. It’s amazing how each mode can add such a unique flavour.
Here is the score of the piece in D Locrian:
The Magic of Modal Transformations
Each mode carries its own unique character. Hearing the same piece of music transformed into different musical modes shows how powerful these subtle changes can be.
If you found this concept intriguing but feel like the process was a bit fast-paced, I’ve got you covered. My Modal Playbook course is designed for musicians of all levels, from beginners to intermediates. It’s packed with practical exercises and insights to help you master musical modes and integrate them into your playing and writing.
Explore The Musical Modes
Create music with the musical modes in no time!
Check out my ‘Modal Playbook’ course with 43 bite-sized lessons.
Stay Creative and Keep Exploring
Music is all about exploration and pushing boundaries. Modal transformations are just one way to expand your creativity and breathe new life into your compositions. So, grab the cheat sheet, give it a try, and see where it takes you.
Stay inspired, stay creative, and I’ll see you next time!