How to learn music : Scales and Modes : The Dorian Mode - learning to play and read music

Lets learn to play and read music by taking a peak at the second mode of the Major Scale: the Dorian Mode.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Taken the lesson on the Major Scale and minor scale, the musical alphabet, and possibly the article on intervals.

1. Review the Major Scale. There are seven notes in the Major Scale (a heptatonic scale). Each note is called a degree. In the C Major Scale [C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=6, B=7] For example, You would say, "E is scale degree 3 in the C Major Scale". Dorian is the second mode

2. Construct the Dorian mode. To form the Dorian mode or scale play [D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D]. Another way to think of this scale is as a minor scale with a raised 6th scale Degree. So D Dorian is equivalent to a D Minor scale with a raised 6th, that means with a B natural instead of B-flat.

3. Analyze the interval content. If you wish to think of the mode by intervalic information then the Ionian mode contains the following intervals, M2,m3,P4,P5,M6,m7,P8. [M=Major, m = minor, P = Perfect, d = diminished, A=Augmented]

4. Proceed to the next mode, Phrygian to further enhance your understanding of Modes. The complete list of modes are: [1=Ionian, 2=Dorian, 3=Phrygian, 4=Lydian, 5=Mixolydian, 6=Aeolian, 7=Locrian]

5. Learn to play and read more music by using the mode for composition and improvisation. Dorian works best with minor13 chords

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