In this video I am playing an improvised piece of music which I named Sweet Lilac Tree. A lilac is a sweetly scented flower that symbolises love, remembrance, and nostalgia. Due to their appearance in early spring after a long cold winter, these flowers also represent renewal and hope. In addition, in Greek mythology the nymph Syringa turned into a fragrant lilac shrub (or reed in some versions of the story) to escape the pursuit of Pan, who then made a panpipe and beautiful music from one of her branches. As such, the lilac also symbolises transformation.
I started in G♭ Major (Ionian), and for me, the warmth of this major key conveyed the feeling of love and affection; while the tension created by suspensions and upper extensions expressed longing and nostalgia.
The idea of transformation was conveyed by a modulation to A♭ Dorian sharp 4, whose parent scale is the relative minor of G flat major, so the change was not drastic, and yet the Dorian sharp 4 mode is much darker and more mournful than the major, conveying the sense of remembrance.
After a return to the light and warm G flat major, a chromatic slide into the more twilit G Mixolydian flat 6 mode again represented the idea of transformation.
Then a modulation to F Dorian, with its melancholy minor 3rd and lifted major 6th brought more nostalgia and wistfulness.
Another shift into the darker A flat Dorian sharp 4 involved a change of texture (as with the earlier use of A flat Dorian sharp 4) — a lone and mournful, single-line melody with chordal accompaniment.
Then the music returned to and closed in the more hopeful G flat major, like renewal.
Modes Used, Note Names and Parent Scales
| Mode | Parent Scale | Notes | Relationship to Parent | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G♭ Major (Ionian) | G♭ Major | G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F | I — 1st mode of major | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| A♭ Dorian ♯4 | E♭ Harmonic Minor | A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭, F, G♭ | IV — 4th mode of harmonic minor | 1, 2, ♭3, ♯4, 5, 6, ♭7 |
| G Mixolydian ♭6 | C Melodic Minor | G, A, B, C, D, E♭, F | V — 5th mode of melodic minor | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 |
| F Dorian | E♭ Major | F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭ | II — 2nd mode of major | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7 |
Interval Formulas
- Major (Ionian): 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7
- Dorian ♯4: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — ♯4 — 5 — 6 — ♭7
- Mixolydian ♭6: 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — ♭7
- Dorian: 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
