Dorian mode

Encyclopedia : D : DO : DOR : Dorian mode

Due to historical confusion, Dorian mode can refer to two very different musical modes or diatonic scales.

Greek Dorian mode

The Dorian mode is named after the Dorian Greeks. In Greek music theory it was based on the Dorian tetrachord: a series of rising intervals of a semitone followed by two whole tones. Applied to a whole octave, the Dorian mode was built upon two Dorian tetrachords separated by a whole tone. This is the same as playing all the white notes of a piano from E to E: E F G A | B C D E. Placing the two tetrachords together, and the single tone at bottom of the scale produces the Hypodorian mode (below Dorian): A | B C D E | (E) F G A. Placing the two tetrachords together, and the single tone at the top of the scale produces the Hyperdorian mode (above Dorian), which is effectively the same as the Mixolydian mode: B C D E | (E) F G A | B. Confusingly, the Greek Dorian mode is the same as the mediaeval and modern Phrygian mode.

Medieval and modern Dorian mode

The early Christian church developed a system of eight musical modes (the octoechos), which medieval music scholars related to the ancient Greek modes. Misinterpreting the Latin texts of Boethius, medieval modes were given the wrong Greek names. Thus, in medieval and modern music, the Dorian mode is a diatonic scale or musical mode which corresponds to the white keys of the piano from "D" to "D". It may be considered an "excerpt" of a major scale played from the pitch a whole tone above the major scale's tonic (in the key of C Major it would be D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D), ie a major scale played from its second scale degree up to its second degree again. The resulting scale is, however, MINOR (or has a minor "feel" or character) because as the "D" becomes the new tonal centre the minor third between the D and the F make us "hear minor". If we build a chord on the Tonic, third and fifth, it is a minor chord.

Examples of the Dorian Mode include:

The D Dorian mode contains all notes the same as the C major scale
The G Dorian mode contains all notes the same as the F major scale
The A Dorian mode contains all notes the same as the G major scale

The Dorian mode is symmetric, meaning that the pattern of tones and semitones (T-s-T-T-T-s-T) is the same ascending or descending. Examples of the mode's use include "What shall we do with the drunken sailor" and "Scarborough fair". The Doors use the Dorian mode in many of their songs, including "Light My Fire" Miles Davis used the dorian mode in compositions such as "So What".

The Dorian mode is equivalent to the natural minor scale (or the Aeolian mode) but with the sixth degree raised a semi-tone. Confusingly, the medieval and modern Dorian mode is the same as the Greek Phrygian mode.

["The Modern Dorian Mode, in A"] ([file info])
*
* Problems listening to the file? See [Media helpmedia help].

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Modes of the diatonic scale	[http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit ]
Lydian (IV) \| Ionian (I) \| Mixolydian (V)
Dorian (II) \| Aeolian (VI) \| Phrygian (III) \| Locrian(VII)