I named this improvised piece of music Stars in the Light, to convey a paradox of visibility that inspired me at the time. Usually we only see stars in the darkness of the night sky. But in the daylight sky, we can no longer see the stars, but we know they’re still there. It’s a metaphor for the persistence of truth — in daylight, the sun dominates and outshines the more distant stars. We could almost imagine that those stars don’t exist, but if we look beyond the glare to the hidden celestial patterns, we can see the ancient truth of history. I conveyed this feeling through the use of bright major-flavoured modes within a tranquil and slow texture interspersed with shimmers of fast arpeggios. Some darkness and ambiguity appeared in certain modes too, reflecting the hidden truth and history of the invisible stars in the light.
I started in E Mixolydian, which is a major coloured mode due to its major 3rd degree, which results in a major quality tonic triad (an E chord). Major tends to sound brighter than minor. The prevailing feel was slow and calm, with some fast descending arpeggios in the introduction and between phrases.
Next I modulated to A Lydian — the Lydian mode is the brightest of the modes of the major scale, due to its sharpened 4th, along with that major 3rd degree, again resulting in a major quality tonic triad. The sharpened 4th de-stabilises it, creating a more ethereal, less grounded feel. Within A Lydian, I played a fast arpeggio texture in a more static position than the opening sweeping arpeggios. The decending sweeping arpeggios at the start brought to mind an image of falling comets in the sky, whereas the static position fast arpeggios feel more like a shimmer of a star at a fixed point in the sky.
Next I modulated to B Phrygian Dominant, still playing the fast arpeggios at first, then changing to a simpler, more melodic texture. The Phrygian Dominant mode has brightness in its major quality tonic triad, but also a paradoxical darkness due to being a mode of the harmonic minor scale.
Then I modulated to G Dorian sharp 4, again alternating between the fast arpeggio texture, and a simpler more melodic texture. The Dorian sharp 4 mode sounds more ambiguous and unsettled in this context.
Next I moved to G Aeolian — the Aeolian mode can be quite melancholy, with some darkness due to its minor 3rd, but I also made use of major chords within the mode (such as chord VI and VII) which brought a paradoxical brightness.
Next I transitioned back through G Dorian sharp 4, to A Lydian, then returned to E Mixolydian.
Modes – Notes & Parent Scales
| Mode | Notes | Parent Scale | Mode Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Mixolydian | E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D | A major | 5th mode of the major scale |
| A Lydian | A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ | E major | 4th mode of the major scale |
| B Phrygian Dominant | B – C – D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A | E harmonic minor | 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale |
| G Dorian ♯4 | G – A – B♭ – C♯ – D – E – F | D harmonic minor | 4th mode of the harmonic minor scale |
| G Aeolian | G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F | B♭ major | 6th mode of the major scale |
Interval Formulas
E Mixolydian
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
A Lydian
1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
B Phrygian Dominant
1 – ♭2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
G Dorian ♯4
1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
G Aeolian (natural minor)
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
Further reading and listening
Learn more about modes in general: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
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