This video captures an improvisation of mine which I named A True Siren Song. Sirens are mythological creatures that are often thought of as dangerous temptresses, singing haunting incantations to lure sailors to their deaths. However some earlier versions of the mythology describe them not as being primarily there to destroy sailors and seduce them into peril; but as promisers of absolute truth, insight, prophecy, and forbidden knowledge. Rather than being monsters in beautiful disguise, and rather than the danger being malice; perhaps they are simply trying to signal the way to a transformative truth that may be hard to survive. True love and profound human connection require a vulnerability that can be terrifying, and this can be mistaken for a dangerous trap. But sometimes the heart is the only truth worth seeking.
I started this improvisation in D Lydian sharp 2 — the Lydian sharp 2 mode has a suspended and ethereal feel due to the instability and light of its Lydian raised 4th, but it also has paradoxical darkness and exotic mystery in its harmonic minor augmented 2nd structure.
The chromatic slide from the major quality chord VII of D Lydian sharp 2, to the minor quality tonic triad of C sharp Aeolian, both of which shared the same root, created an otherworldly change of colour and a slight drop in the angle of light, before the lamenting quality of the Aeolian mode started to sing.
Another slight drop in pitch into the B Aeolian mode brought more lamenting melodies from darker shadows, like the incantations of the sirens being carried on the wind from the depths, persuading the ships to steer in a different direction.
In this piece, I rotated the three modes in varying order, which felt like a searching and a melancholic drift; until the return to the D Lydian sharp 2 mode for the coda finally illuminated the way, simultaneously and paradoxically ending with a sense of unsettled uncertainty of what lies ahead.
Mode Table
| Mode Used | Pitch Collection (Note Names) | Parent Scale Reference | Modal Relationship to Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Lydian ♯2 | D — E♯ — F♯ — G♯ — A — B — C♯ | F♯ Harmonic Minor | 6th Mode |
| C♯ Aeolian (Natural Minor) | C♯ — D♯ — E — F♯ — G♯ — A — B | E Major (4 Sharps) | 6th Mode |
| B Aeolian (Natural Minor) | B — C♯ — D — E — F♯ — G — A | D Major (2 Sharps) | 6th Mode |
Interval Formulas
- Lydian ♯2 Mode Formula: 1 – ♯2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
- (Root, Augmented 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th)
- Aeolian Mode Formula: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
- (Root, Major 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
