I chose the title for this improvised piece of music because the three different modes felt like three distinct but connected aspects of the same landscape. Their different characters and colours represented different perspectives and outlooks that were nonetheless connected by a common body — the sea — the way the body of water connects the coast, the harbour and the lighthouse.
The Coast
The coast symbolises a threshold between the known and unknown, in the way that it is a meeting point between the safe, grounded land and the chaotic ocean waves. The C sharp Aeolian mode felt like the grounded, gravity filled aspect of the coast, and yet its darkness hints at the unknown things beyond the threshold. It’s not just the safe land with the solid ground underfoot, but it’s also the undercurrent — the forces that stay below the surface but create the waves.
The Harbour
The harbour represents safety and sanctuary; and the E Dorian mode with its nostalgic warmth and tranquility felt like this refuge. The harbour is safe because of its seawall which contains the movement of the water, preventing us from being swept away by a flood of turbulence — the Dorian mode has that balance of light and dark, in its sweet combination of minor 3rd and major 6th, lending itself to this feeling of security, and yet still that sense of potential wildness beyond.
The Lighthouse
The lighthouse symbolises hope, guidance, and enlightenment — the brightness of the C Lydian mode felt like it represented this lighting of the way home. But sometimes the Lydian mode can sound unstable and fragile, a bit like the way the lighthouse beam can be almost swallowed by the fog, and its light is shattered as it bounces on the turbulent waves and is fragmented by a sea spray, reminding us that enlightenment can be fleeting.
The Waves
My use of sweeping fast broken chord figurations interspersed through the piece felt like an echo of the pulsing sweep of the lighthouse beam, across the movement of the waves.
Interval Formulas and Characters of the Modes Used
- C# Aeolian (Natural Minor): 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
- The Gravity: Weighty, folk-lament, grounded.
- E Dorian: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7
- The Warmth: Similar to Aeolian but with that lifted, major 6th.
- C Lydian: 1 – 2 – 3 – ♯4 – 5 – 6 – 7
- The Light: Very bright, floaty, and unstable due to the augmented 4th.
Mode Table — Note Names and Parent Scales
| Mode | Notes | Parent Scale | Modal Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| C# Aeolian | C# D# E F# G# A B | E Major | 6th Mode of Major |
| E Dorian | E F# G A B C# D | D Major | 2nd Mode of Major |
| C Lydian | C D E F# G A B | G Major | 4th Mode of Major |
Learn more about modes: Complete Guide to Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor Scales
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