Dorian Mode Example
Lesson 51 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Dorian Mode Example
Lesson 51 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Lesson Info
51. Dorian Mode Example
Lessons
Introduction
00:58 2Basic Music Theory Terms
08:07 3Keyboard Layout and Octaves
06:19 4Working out Major Scales
08:58 5Perfect 5ths
06:42 63rds - Part 1
08:05 73rds - Part 2
07:39 8Perfect 4ths
04:36Chords and Inversions - Part 1
10:05 10Chords and Inversions - Part 2
09:13 11Chord Progressions - Part 1
10:22 12Chord Progressions - Part 2
08:26 13Inversions
08:53 147th Chords
09:48 15Chord Extensions
08:09 16Suspended Chords
02:40 17The Circle of 5ths
04:30 18Minor Scales
08:09 19Chords in the Natural Minor scale
09:56 20Harmonic and Melodic Minor
09:30 21Write the Chords, then the Melody
09:03 22Write the Melody, then the Chords
18:01 23Arpeggios
08:00 24Writing Bass Parts
11:35 25Writing Bass Riffs and Adapting Melodies
14:10 26Song Analysis - Chords, Part 1
10:17 27Song Analysis - Chords, Part 2
05:58 28Song Analysis - Melody
08:55 29Song Analysis - Arrangement
07:30 30Song 2 Analysis - Arrangement
05:04 31Song 2 Analysis - Chords
08:55 32Song 2 Analysis - Melodies
06:34 33Song 3 Analysis - Chords
11:41 34Song 3 Analysis - Melodies and Arrangement
06:55 35Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 1
10:22 36Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 2
18:47 37Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 3
18:49 38Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 4
08:21 39Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 1
08:16 40Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 2
08:07 41Create a Song from a Melody - Part 1
07:27 42Create a Song from a Melody - Part 2
09:05 43Modes Intro
04:10 44Ionian
00:43 45Dorian
04:31 46Phrygian
02:09 47Lydian
01:35 48Mixolydian
02:13 49Aeolian
00:39 50Locrian
01:50 51Dorian Mode Example
09:12 52Pentatonic Scales
12:27Lesson Info
Dorian Mode Example
OK. Now I'm going to write a song based on a modal scale. So it's still the same scale. It's still one of the major scales we choose, but it's just starting on a different note. That's basically what a mode is. It's not really a completely different scale. It's just kind of a new scale based on a major scale. So for example, D Dorian will be C major but starting on the D and kind of rooted around the D, let's use Dorian as an example, I've just thrown together some loops here, just some drums and a tabler effect just to make it a bit more interesting. And I've also got a bass sound, a pad sound and a lead sound. So let's just draw in a baseline. Remember D Dorian is the notes of C major, but starting on the D. So the difference between D Dorian and D minor is instead of this a sharp or B flat, we have a B natural. So all we really do is sharpen this sixth note here. So one, 23456. So if this was sharpen it to a B natural instead of uh an a sharp or a B flat. And that's basically the di...
fference between a minor scale and a Dorian scale. The easiest way to think of it is, it's just the second note of a major scale. And of course, we need to include this sharpened sixth note to make it sound do. And if we don't even have this sharpened sixth note, it will just sound like a minor scale, it will sound slightly different, slightly out of key or out of tune. That's because it's the mode gives it new flavor and a new color that it might not necessarily be used to, but it can make some interesting sounds. So let's choose the Dorian and I'm just gonna write in a base note really quickly. It's just writing a few really simple baselines. OK? And now I'm just going to copy this over to the pad just so we can write a pad sound based around these bass notes. So I'm just gonna build some cords now and then I'll just put it up an octave. So we have the D. So I'm just gonna start with ad minor and then I'm gonna include this B. So let's go up to an E I might not. And then we have this D again. So I'm just gonna try ad but I'm gonna keep the B. So we have ad seven an F and then A B. So we're kind of using a six instead of the fifth I am just gonna repeat this. OK? I'm just gonna stretch these notes out a bit. So yeah, this B sound should really give that modal D Dorian feel. So without this, it's really just ad minor. So let's hear this now. And of course, I'm just gonna put it all up an octave. I'm going through this quite quickly as this is a music theory class, not a Ableton Live. Course if you want to check out my complete Ableton live course if you do want to know more about Ableton Live, but this can be used in any digital audio workstation. It's more about how to write the song and the sound of modal scales just gonna go into the synthesizer quickly make it a bit less harsh. OK? Now I'm going to take these cords and drag them above into a lead instrument and just go in, I turn this into a lead instrument really. So I'm just gonna put this up and octave as well just so it stands out so I can hear the instruments clearly. And I'm just gonna base the lead instrument around these top notes of the A and the B I especially want the B to be heard because this is the note that differentiates a minor scale and the actual Dorian scale. So if we can't hear this b it's not a dori scale, it's just a minor. So let's just uh putting a few notes here a passing to there then I'm just gonna base it around this. B let's just see the cords. So we have AJ and then A F. So it's good to have the co up by writing melodies just because you can know what it actually will fit. So at the moment I'm not actually hearing any notes, but I know from the theory that this will actually work. So this is kind of how Beethoven wrote when he, he lost his hearing, he knew his music theory so well, he could write music without actually being able to hear it, which seems absolutely incredible now. But obviously, I'm sure his music theory knowledge was really top notch. OK. So let's say this, I'm just gonna go into the synthesizer and just change the sounds around slightly just so we can hear this a bit clearer. So you can hear now. It sounds kind of weird, but I think it works, it sounds nice. It doesn't sound like a major, it doesn't sound like a minor. It sounds like a minor, but something's slightly off, but in a good way and that's what modes are really, it's slightly off, but in a good way. And this is an example of the Dorian mode. Let's just have a listen to this loop again. So we can write music completely a mode. We don't have to use the major and the minor scale, of course, they are types of mode. They, but it allows us to write some interesting music that sounds slightly different and it uses a, a new way of writing, but all it really is is the major scale but rooting around another note in the scale. So thank you for watching this lecture all about writing music in the Dorian mode.
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Electronic Music Production