In this video you can hear me playing a piece of music I improvised and named A Mountain Above the Valley. The title represents the distance between the two vastly unrelated parent scales/keys of the two modes I used, and the contrast between light and dark of those two modes — the expansive, soaring brightness of the D Lydian mode; and the dark, downward pull of the D Phrygian mode. The imagery is symbolic of the idea of perspective and clarity, seeing the bigger picture, having the strength to experience the darkness below, and having the resilience and endurance to climb back out of that darkness.
In this improvisation I moved between two very distant keys, but using modes that shared the same tonal centre — D. This represented the idea of the same landscape, but with a vastly different perspective.
The D Lydian mode has light and a feeling of floating upwards due to its raised 4th, which expands the usual perfect 4th interval that is found in the major scale. This lifts and brightens the sound and removes the ground from under our feet, with the expansion of the standard perfect 4th interval depressurising the sound, like clouds slowly drifting apart.
The D Phrygian mode has weighty darkness in its flattened 2nd degree, creating a feeling of dropping or pulling downwards and inwards compared with the standard major 2nd degree found in major or minor scales.
The movement between these two modes feels like moving between two extremes of pressure and altitude.
I started in D Lydian, and when I moved to D Phrygian, some rising melodic motifs and use of the major quality supertonic chord provided light within the darkness. Then I returned to and closed in the suspended-sounding D Lydian. This progression of modes represented the idea of an elevated perspective, stepping into the darkness of the valley whilst being able to see that there is still light above, and then finding the strength to climb back out again.
Modal Table Showing Modes Used, Note Names and Parent Scales
| Mode Name | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Lydian | D — E — F♯ — G♯ — A — B — C♯ | A Major | 4th Mode of A Major |
| D Phrygian | D — E♭ — F — G — A — B♭ — C | B♭ Major | 3rd Mode of B♭ Major |
Interval Formulas
D Lydian:
1 — 2 — 3 — ♯4 — 5 — 6 — 7
D Phrygian:
1 — ♭2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — ♭7
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
