Ingeniero

Music Theory
Advanced Level

June 2005

Defining modes .................................................................................................................................... 4
Theory................................................................................................................................................. 4
Most Important Modes................................................................................................................ 5
Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Using Modes for Improvisation ......................................................................................................... 9Theory............................................................................................................................................... 10
A. Recap ....................................................................................................................................... 10
B Choosing appropriate modes............................................................................................... 11
Using Modes for Composition .......................................................................................................... 16
Usage ................................................................................................................................................ 18
The Dorian Mode................................................................................................................................ 19
The Phrygian Mode ............................................................................................................................ 22
The Lydian and Mixolydian Modes ................................................................................................. 24
Lydian Mode.................................................................................................................................... 24
Mixolydian mode ............................................................................................................................ 25
The Locrian Mode ............................................................................................................................... 27
Usage............................................................................................................................................ 27
Modulation ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Modulating into the parent key................................................................................................... 29
Modulating into an adjacent key ................................................................................................. 30
Modulating into remote keys ....................................................................................................... 31
Inter-tonal Exchanges................................................................................................................... 32

2

Introduction
This document is part of a compilation of a series of threads that deal with music theory and that
were originally published by Eowyn on www.mysongbook.com. The compilation has been
reorganized into three separate documents:
•

Basic Music Theory

•

Intermediate Music Theory

•

Advanced Music Theory – this document

This hasbeen done for two reasons:
1. The size of one single file was too large for download
2. The material covered by the different topics is of varying levels of complexity and
targets different audiences.
The text of the original threads has been modified and/or extended in several places where it was
deemed appropriate for increased readability. The rather crude layout of the original text (due...