In this video you can hear me playing a piece of piano music which I improvised and named A Hidden Prophet. Although the word “prophet” is often thought of as something mystical or spiritual, it comes from the Greek prophetes, which means “one who speaks for another”. So historically they have been portrayed as messengers of a deity, but they can also often be secular. The inspiration for this title is about the idea that sometimes the wisest and most visionary voice is the most unassuming and easily overlooked one. The one with the most intuition who really sees into the shadows, can be cloaked in humility, or simply unrecognised. They can be a carrier of forbidden and unwanted truth, which creates a tension between burial and potential revelation. A message can be hidden in the metaphorical code of art, and the resonant language of the heart. This piece of music represents the light and dark of prophetic insight vs shadowed obscurity, and the urgency and latent momentum that can result from this paradox.
In this improvisation, the opening sections alternated between the wistful and warm F Dorian mode, and the slightly darker and more melancholic F Aeolian mode.
Then a harmonic slide took us into the dark, mysterious and secretive E Lydian sharp 2, which has paradoxical glimmers of light in its raised 2nd and 4th degrees.
The E Lydian mode created more light in its ethereal floatiness, like a gentle drift towards insight.
The exotic and dark mystery of the D Phrygian mode brought the promise of ancient and buried secrets.
The frequent harmonic slides between modes in this piece of music uncovered a tension between dark and light, like burial and revelation, with that tension creating a latent momentum.
Mode Table
| Mode Used | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| F Dorian | F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ | E♭ Major | 2nd Mode |
| F Aeolian (Natural Minor) | F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ | A♭ Major | 6th Mode |
| E Lydian ♯2 | E – F𝄪 – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ | G♯ Harmonic Minor | 6th Mode |
| E Lydian | E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ | B Major | 4th Mode |
| D Phrygian | D – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C | B♭ Major | 3rd Mode |
Interval Formulas
Dorian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Minor 7th)
Aeolian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th, Minor 7th)
Lydian ♯2 Mode Formula:
1 – ♯2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
(Root, Augmented 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th)
Lydian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
(Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th)
Phrygian Mode Formula:
1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
(Root, Minor 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th, Minor 7th)
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
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