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6.16
What About Chord
Progressions Based on the Church Modes?
6.16.1
Modal Theory in Music: Modal Harmony
Modal theory in music usually focuses on modal scales other than the two commonly used in the Western tonal system, the Ionian and Aeolian modes, which we call the major and natural minor scales, respectively. The tonal harmony with which we are so familiar is based on these scales.
But what about modal harmony—that is, chords based on scales other than the Ionian and Aeolian? In other words, what about chords and chord progressions based on the Church modes: the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Locrian modes?
Now that you’ve slogged your way through this long, excruciating chapter on circular harmonic scales and you know all about chord maps and how they work, you might be wondering whether or not you could construct viable circular harmonic scales using the Church modes.
Time to find out.
First, a brief summary of the rules governing the construction of a cirdular harmonic scale:
- A “default” circular harmonic scale consists of seven chords, each rooted on one of the seven different notes of the diatonic scale.