This video captures a freeform improvisation of mine which I named A Flight of Starlight. It felt to me a little like a flight of fancy, but more grounded in reality and hope, even whilst being paradoxically ethereal at times. Starlight is real and physically present, not just a fantasy, even if it crosses immense distance to reach us, and even if it is only a faint glimmer of ancient history. The momentum in this piece carried me through the uplifting facets of the modes, and rather than being a flight from danger, it felt more like a flight towards hope, even while carrying wistful longing and melancholy shadows at times.
I started this improvisation in G major (aka Ionian) which is grounded in its perfect 4th and 5th degrees, and has warmth and light in its major 3rd. Frequent add 9 chords, 9th chords and 11th chords added tension to what would otherwise be a straightforwardly bright and happy mode/key, creating a layer of reaching, longing and nostalgia.
G Dorian is also grounded in its perfect 4th and 5ths, but also has darkness in its melancholy minor 3rd, and a hopeful and wistful light in its major 6th, like a glimpse of starlight in the night sky.
G Lydian erases the grounded perfect 4th of the previous two modes by replacing it with an augmented 4th — this structurally expansive interval opens and brightens the sound and lifts it away from the ground, creating an ethereal weightlessness.
The three modes shared the same tonal centre — G — like a planet orbiting a star, changing the angle of starlight it receives, an endless flight created by gravity.
Mode Table
| Mode | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| G Major (Ionian) | G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯ | G Major | 1st mode of G Major |
| G Dorian | G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F | F Major | 2nd mode of F Major |
| G Lydian | G – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ | D Major | 4th mode of D Major |
Interval Formulas
Ionian (Major) Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th
Dorian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Minor 7th
Lydian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
