Here is a video in which you can hear me playing a piece of music I improvised and named Neptune’s Midnight Rain. Whilst playing this music, the modes and textures carried me through the feeling of a mournful midnight blue rainfall, the dark green and blue oceanic turbulence of the Roman god Neptune’s domain, and the diamond raindrops of the planet Neptune forged in stark coldness. The planet Neptune is a blue ice giant furthest from the sun, and it is believed that it actually rains diamonds due to the way carbon is crushed by the intense atmospheric pressure. Despite the bleakness and cold isolation of this inhospitable planet, it harbours dark secret wonders. In this improvisation, I had a feeling of the dark marine turbulence, and the lamenting rainfall crystallising into a musical soliloquy.
I started this improvisation in D Aeolian (or natural minor) which has mournful shadow in its dark minor 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees.
The E flat Lydian mode brings a sparkling light due to its bright augmented 4th degree, which removes the functional harmony of the perfect 4th, destabilising the sound, leading to an otherworldly, unanchored lift.
A very brief use of D Phrygian introduced a further drop into midnight due to the darkness of its flattened 2nd degree, in addition to the minor 3rd, 6th and 7th.
G Aeolian approached the lamenting darkness from a different angle, like the different facets of the crystal rain drops; while the combination of modes and textures conveyed the different facets of the imaginary scenery — the mythological god Neptune’s sea, the midnight rainfall, and the distant planet’s diamonds.
Mode Table
| Mode Used | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Aeolian (Natural Minor) | D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C | F Major | 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 |
| G Aeolian (Natural Minor) | G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F | B♭ Major | 6th Mode |
Interval Formulas
Aeolian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 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)
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
How to Improvise on the Piano — A Basic Method
Learn how my video exchange piano improvisation lessons work
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