Koolaborate's Blog

If you’re in a composition rut, have you tried writing a song in the Mixolydian mode?  You retain the major qualities of an Ionian song, but with a different twist: the lowered seventh.  If you haven’t read my previous entry on the mixolydian mode, you can find it right here.  There’s a couple of angles you can go, so read on!

Background:

Let’s harmonize the mixolydian mode in both the keys of G and C.  If you play a fretted instrument (like the guitar), the rules of transposition apply.  If you decide that a song sounds better on A Mixolydian vs. G Mixolydian (low G on the third fret), simply move all the chords two frets higher.  If you play an instrument like the piano, simply play the major scale, except lower the 7th interval by one half step.

• G Mixolydian: G 7th  – A min7th – B dim or (B min7thFlat5th) – C maj7th – D min7th – E min7th – F maj7th – G 7th
• C Mixolydian: C 7th  – D min7th – E dim or (E min7thFlat5th)  – F maj7th – G min7th – A min7th – Bb maj7th – C 7th

Following a pattern of:

• I 7th – ii min7th – iii dim or (iii min7thFlat5th) – IV maj7th – v min7th – vi min 7th – VII maj7th – I 7th

Application:

So the first thing we notice is that the first chord is is a dominant chord.  In standard or traditional applications, the dominant chord precedes the resolution chord in what we know as a standard or authentic resolution.  By that rational, the first chord naturally wants to “go” to it’s fourth chord, which naturally has the I-V7 relationship in the Ionian mode.  So it’s only fitting that the I7 to IV maj7th would be a strong progression in the mixolydian mode.  Try it:

• G7 to C maj7 or
• C7 to F maj7

Try it various forms, ie: a C to F progression will resemble the I – IV part of the progression in a blues pattern.  It also resembles a plagal cadence found in hymns.  Although this is a strong progression, it’s nothing too new under the sun.  This progression does not differntiate itself from an Ionian I-IV.  However, a I7-IV, I7-IV maj7th mildly interesting, since you have a chord progression starting in a dominant chord progressing to a major 7th IVth.

The next application is the relationship between the I7 to v min7th.  This is super interesting for a couple of reasons.  One, with respect to the ionian mode, the mixolydian mode does not retain such a strong resolution as the ionian’s V7 to I (called the authentic) resolution.  In fact, with respect to the ionian mode and its resolution, this is called the half open resolution (where a ii resolves to a V7), which leads to the second point of interest.

Using the IVth, the ii (min7) can be effective.  Instead of a ii-V-I, or a IV-V-I progression (from an inonian mode),  how about we use the  v-IV-I progression and/or resolution?  Try it, it sounds kind of cool:

• G7 – D min – C
• C7 – G min – F

Not as interesting is the mixolydian’s ii-v-I7 resolution.  In the ionian mode, you have the dominant in a ii-V7-I.  So the mixolydian’s v-I7 resolution isn’t as strong, while the I-ii progression in both modes are the same.  If you want to differentiate between the modes, you can add the 7th in the I (in the mixolydian, as oposed to the I maj7th for the ionian).

One thing cool is the relationship between the third chord and the six chord.  The ionian’s relationship is iii-vi while the mixolydian’s is iii dim – vi.  This could make for an interesting bridge.  Diminished chords can act as a sub for a dominant (like B dim subing for G7 in the key of C, read it here, or the appendix notes below).

Last thing, try a vii dim – I (not I7) or a ii-vii dim-I progression.  Sound familiar?  It should, if you believe that the diminished chord can sub for a dominant, then it’s a ii-V7-I transposed to the mixolydian’s ii-vii dim-I.

References:

• http://koolaborate.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/on-the-mixolydian-mode/
• http://www.guitarnoise.com/lesson/chord-substitution/

Appendix A: Diminished Chord Substituion:

The easiest way to explain this is to look at two chords in the key of C major (or ionian).  A G7 chord is GBDF.  A B diminished chord is BDF.  See the commonality?  The most important notes in a G7 are B and D because they are the third and seventh degree, which determines the G’s major quality and its seventh quality.  Both are present in the B diminished.

Note: Before reading the blog below, you should know a little about music theory.  I’m not claiming to be a music theorist, but check out the references for a couple of definitions and concepts.

I had the great pleasure of studying with the great David Bloom for about six months.  He formally introduced me to modes in a manner in which I could understand.  It’s my second favorite (Dorian being my number one non synthetic mode).  You can look at modes in one of two ways:

1. From an interval stand point, the mixolydian mode’s intervals is as follows, one to two is a whole step, two to three is a whole step, three to four is a half step, four to five is a whole step, five to six is a whole step, six to seven is a half step, and lastly, seven back to the tonic is a whole step.  You can mimic this naturally (no sharps or flats) by playing G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G on your instrument.
2. From a relative stand point, you can look at a mixolydian mode as an ionian mode (major scale) except that the seventh degree is lowered by a half step.  So a C Ionian scale is CDEFGABC.  The C Mixolydian Mode is CDEFGABbC.

So let’s look at a couple of properties.  The most obvious is the lowered seventh.  This creates the following diatonic progression (please excuse the formatting):

• I-ii-iii (dim)-IV-v-vi-VII.
• With the seventh it is: I7-ii(min7)-iii(min7flat5)-IV(maj7)-v(min7)-vi(min-7)-VII(maj7)

So I was jamming with a friend using a couple simple progressions, like

• I7-ii
• I7-ii(min7)-v
• I7-IV-v

So we made a couple observations.  He said that “empty space” between the subtonic and the tonic created a sound that infers “victory” or “royalty”.  I kind of agree.  It definately didn’t sound Ionian, while being part of the “major” family.  To me, the Ionian scale sounds kind of blase any way.  I interpret the “space” as something between “happy” and “exotically happy”.

Another property and observation is that the relationship between the tonic and the dominant isn’t as strong as the Ionian’s.  Analyzing the relationship wrt to Ionian, my sophomoric understanding is that the reason why the relationship is so strong between the Ionian’s tonic and dominant is that the notes in the dominant chord wants to resolve to the tonic or root (if my terminology is correct).  Let’s examine using the C Ionian (Major) dominant chord to the tonic, GBDF to CEGB:

• G to C, or V to I, is called the Authentic or Standard Cadence.  This has the “strongest” resolution in Western Music.  Alot of the songs from classical to blues to rock to jazz end this way.
• B to C, or VII to I, naturally wants to resolve to I.  Like playing the Ionic scale to the 7th or subtonic and holding it there.  You can tell that the subtonic “wants” to resolve to the tonic.  Moreover, diatonically, vii (dim or min7 flat 5) to I (or I maj 7th) is called the Leading Tone Imperfect Authentic Cadence, based on the vii diminished (or min7 flat 5).
• F to C is called the plagel cadence, or the “Amen Cadence”, often found at the end of hymns.  This is a very strong cadence (albeit not as strong as the authentic cadence).
• D to C doesn’t really want to resolve.  Although, diatonically, if a song resolves in a V, preceded by a ii, it is called a half cadence (which is relatively weak).

So 3.25 out of 4 notes in an authentic or a standard cadence truely wants to resolve to the tonic.  Let’s look at the v-I resolution on the mixolydian mode in G, DFAC to GBDF.

• D to G is an authentic cadence.
• F to G is not a leading tone resolving to the tonic (because of the whole step interval)
• A to G is similar to ionic scale’s II to I but does not retain the half cadence property.
• C to G is a plagel cadence.

So only 2 out of 4 notes in a mixolydian v(or v min 7th) to I resolution “wants” to resolve to the tonic.  Although one note may not seem like a lot, it is when it comes to music.  Balance and harmony is very fragle in music.  For instance, dissonance and harmony is separated by one whole step degree (playing C and the adjacent D versus playing C and E provides a distinct difference in sound).

Like I wrote before, I’m not a music theorist, just an admirer of certain mathematical (and mystical) properties of music.  Please feel to correct any ideas I may have incorrect.  Thanks!

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixolydian_mode
• http://www.bloomschoolofjazz.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_(music)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(music)

Plus, check out some songs written using the mixolydian mode like “Dear Prudence” by the Beatles or “Star Trek: Next Generation” theme song.