In this video you can hear me playing a piece of music I improvised and named Nightlights in Midsummer. The specific combination of warmth, gentle light, and darkness created by the modes and textures in this piece brought to my mind the nostalgic warmth of distant past summers, the comfort of a nightlight chasing away the shadows in the darkness of the night, fireflies and fairy lights creating magical sparkles in a summer evening garden, and hidden secrets in the depths of the midnight darkness.
The E flat Mixolydian mode has warmth and bittersweet nostalgia in its combination of a bright and cheery major 3rd degree (and resultant major quality tonic triad), and melancholic minor 7th degree. The flattened 7th brings shade to what would otherwise be a bright and sunlit mode.
The C Aeolian mode is darker like night due to its minor 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees. Frequently whilst in this mode I lingered on the submediant chord (♭VI) with simultaneous modal triads, creating a Lydian chord-scale pairing (on A♭) — which introduced sparkling light into the darkness.
Mode Table Showing Note Names of Modes Used and Parent Scales
| Mode Used | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ Mixolydian | E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ | A♭ Major | 5th Mode of A♭Major Scale |
| C Aeolian (Natural Minor) | C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ | E♭ Major | 6th Mode of E♭Major Scale |
Interval Formulas
Mixolydian Mode Formula:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Major 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)
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
