In this video I am playing an improvised piece of music which I named Obsidian Kaleidoscope, because the music expressed the dark, reflective, imposing weight of obsidian; along with the multifaceted, fragmented light and colours of a kaleidoscope. I used four different modes belonging to one parent scale — resulting in an exploration of the shifting facets, colours, moods and angles of that one parent scale. By rotating through four different modes of one major scale, like how a kaleidoscope rotates the mirrors to reveal different patterns in the same shards of glass — the music reveals how one body or world (the parent scale) can show up in different characters. The identity of each mode is different, despite having the exact same set of notes, which does provide some recognisable common ground. Then an additional mode appears — the bright D flat Lydian mode, which is from a different parent scale — like the beacon of light that makes the patterns in the kaleidoscope visible. This piece is a representation of one world with many dark and light angles, and a single beacon of light — or one dark crystal with many facets. Here is the video:
The Identities and Colours of the Modes Used
F Dorian
With its melancholy minor 3rd, and lifted major 6th, the Dorian mode provided some of the reflectiveness of the obsidian — like light catching the surface of the facet, but with darkness below that sheen.
G Phrygian
The Phrygian mode is more weighty and shadowed due to its flattened 2nd degree, along with the minor 3rd, 6th and 7th. This echoed more of the obsidian darkness.
C Aeolian
The Aeolian mode can also be dark, but less so than the Phrygian mode as it doesn’t have that flattened 2nd degree. The Aeolian mode can also have some light when making use of its major quality chord VI (an A♭ chord) as I did, which provided a path into the A flat Lydian mode.
A♭ Lydian
The A flat Lydian mode is a brighter part of the E flat major parent scale, due to its augmented 4th on top of its major 3rd.
D♭ Lydian
Also luminous due to being another Lydian mode, but this time it is from a different parent scale (unlike the previous four modes), thus appearing like an external beacon of light.
Modes, Note Names and Parent Scales
| Mode | Notes | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| F Dorian | F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭ | E♭ Major | 2nd mode of major |
| G Phrygian | G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭, F | E♭ Major | 3rd mode of major |
| C Aeolian | C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ | E♭ Major | 6th mode of major |
| A♭ Lydian | A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G | E♭ Major | 4th mode of major |
| D♭ Lydian | D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C | A♭ Major | 4th mode of major |
Interval Formulas
- F Dorian: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — ♭7
- G Phrygian: 1 — ♭2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — ♭7
- C Aeolian: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — ♭7
- A♭ Lydian: 1 — 2 — 3 — ♯4 — 5 — 6 — 7
- D♭ Lydian: 1 — 2 — 3 — ♯4 — 5 — 6 — 7
Further Reading and Listening
Read more about modes: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
