In this video you can hear me playing an improvised piece of music which I named A Swirl of Mist. The title is symbolic of uncertainty, distant memories, shifting perception and awareness, and the thresholds between illusion, reality and revelation. These themes were represented by the ambiguity and darkness of the A Phrygian and A Dorian ♭2 modes, the glimmers of light in the A Phrygian Dominant mode, and the unsettled dreaminess of the B♭ Ionian Augmented mode; as well as the swirling and changing directions of the fast broken chord figurations.
Darkness With Light Breaking Through
Both the A Phrygian mode and the A Dorian flat 2 mode have darkness in their flattened 2nd degrees, but the Dorian flat 2 mode has light in its major 6th degree — like seeing an opening in the mist, a hint of light breaking through the fog.
An Andalusian Mystery
An Andalusian cadence bridged the way between the A Phrygian and the A Phrygian Dominant modes a few times, creating a melancholy descent with ambiguous brightness.
Clarifying the Andalusian Cadence
Although basic music theory often simplifies the Andalusian cadence as a i – VII – VI – V progression in a minor key (implying the music is waiting to resolve back to the first chord), this improvisation treats the sequence through the lens of Phrygian tonality, and the Andalusian origins of the harmony.
In this context, the final chord (A) in the cadence is the tonic, i.e. the true “home.” This defines the sequence as a descending iv – ♭III – ♭II – I progression (Dm – C – B♭ – A). This perspective acknowledges the Phrygian root, (and the Phrygian character of Andalusian music), where the ♭2 chord (B♭) creates the characteristic Phrygian tension and darkness before resolving down to the home chord.
By using this progression as a iv – ♭III – ♭II – I descent, the music echoes the ambiguity of the swirling mist, and stays in the dark, shifting mystery of the A Phrygian and A Phrygian Dominant modes rather than being forced into a traditional classical minor key with its gravitational pull towards resolution.
A Dark Intrusion and Ionian Augmented Disquiet
A unexpected maj7(add♯5) chord created a dark and disquieting intrusion, like the collision of two realities, just before fully stepping into the full reality or surreality of the ethereal and unstable B flat Ionian Augmented mode.
Settling
At the end, the music closed in the A Phrygian mode with a sudden settling of the texture, like the swirling fog has stopped moving.
Modal Analysis Table
| Mode | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Phrygian | A, B♭, C, D, E, F, G | F Major | 3rd Mode |
| A Dorian ♭2 | A, B♭, C, D, E, F♯, G | G Melodic Minor | 2nd Mode |
| A Phrygian Dominant | A, B♭, C♯, D, E, F, G | D Harmonic Minor | 5th Mode |
| B♭ Ionian Augmented | B♭, C, D, E♭, F♯, G, A | G Harmonic Minor | 3rd Mode |
Interval Formulas
Phrygian:
1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
Dorian ♭2 (Phrygian ♮6):
1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7
Phrygian Dominant (Mixolydian ♭2 ♭6 / Freygish):
1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
Ionian Augmented (Ionian ♯5):
1, 2, 3, 4, ♯5, 6, 7
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes in general here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
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