In this video you can hear me playing an improvised piece of music which I called The Butterfly’s Path to reflect its erratic and irregular shape, and fast flitting nature. It felt a little bit like a journey — starting near the ground with the caterpillar, then the chrysalis, breaking free from that chrysalis and the transformation into a butterfly, testing its new wings, and then on to the unpredictable and changeable path of the butterfly’s flight.
Butterflies can symbolise resilience and liberation due to their struggles to break free from the chrysalis which ultimately develops the strength of their wings. They also represent transformation and renewal due to the way the caterpillar breaks down and reforms inside the chrysalis during metamorphosis. A butterfly’s flight can look chaotic and erratic to a human observer, but often it is guided by a very precise internal compass: magnetoreception — a kind of “sixth sense” for reading the planet’s unseen magnetic grid lines. It is a part of a highly specialised navigation system for surviving a complex environment. They are attuned to a structural matrix that is invisible to the outside world.
The fast and complex broken chord patterns, polyrhythms, changes of direction, fleeting melodic voices, and harmonic development within this piece of music felt like they represented these themes. In this improvised music, I felt like I was following the butterfly’s path to see where it leads me.
Modal Analysis Table
| Mode Used | Note Names | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ Dorian | F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E | E Major | 2nd mode of E Major |
| D Lydian ♯2 | D, E♯, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯ | F♯ Harmonic Minor | 6th mode of F♯ Harmonic Minor |
| F♯ Lydian | F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯ | C♯ Major | 4th mode of C♯ Major |
| Enharmonic Equivalent: G♭ Lydian | G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F | D♭ Major | 4th mode of D♭ Major |
| F Aeolian (Natural Minor) | F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭ | A♭ Major | 6th mode of A♭ Major |
Interval Formulas
Dorian Mode Formula
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Minor 7th)
Learn more about the Dorian mode
Lydian ♯2 Mode Formula
1 – ♯2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
(Root, Augmented 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th)
Learn more about the Lydian sharp 2 mode
Lydian Mode Formula
1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
(Root, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th)
Learn more about the Lydian mode
Aeolian Mode Formula
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
(Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th, Minor 7th)
Learn more about the Aeolian mode, aka natural minor scale
Further Reading and Listening
Learn more about modes here: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
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