For this improvisation I decided to explore something a bit different (for me) — the Dorian flat 2 mode (also known as the Phrygian natural 6 mode, or Phrygian 6 mode). Specifically, I used B Dorian♭2 (B Phrygian♮6). To me it sounds dark, yet vivid: with the darkness coming from the Phrygian flattened 2nd degree and the Dorian minor 3rd, and the brightness coming from that Dorian major 6th (raised compared to the natural minor). The colour ultramarine is deep/dark yet vivid/intense, but “ultramarine” also means “beyond the sea”; and to me this music was conveying a sense of distance, turbulence, and a sensing of something beyond the known, slightly obscured by crashing waves. The mysterious, otherworldly narrative draws inspiration from strange sci-fi and fantasy fiction stories. The B Aeolian brings a mournfulness, and a very brief hint of B Phrygian later in the piece darkens the character further. With B minor being the tonic triad of all three modes, I felt like I was tilting the gravity of the B minor universe. Here it is:
In this improvisation I decided to start with a chord sequence in B Dorian flat 2 (B Phrygian natural 6): Bm, Am, E, D — outlined in the bass through dark repeated open 5ths in the extended pattern of root, 5th, 8ve, 12th; with the right hand playing fast sweeping broken chords, and melody. Whenever the fast sweeping broken chord patterns make an appearance, I am playing a polyrhythm — two different time streams played simultaneously: one for the sea floor (LH) and one for the waves (RH). The right hand broken chords are often in tuplets of 13 or 15, against groups of 4 in the left hand. This creates a phase-shifted effect.
Next the repetitive 5ths accompaniment in the left hand changed to a slightly higher register and a less extended pattern (just root and 5th repeated), coinciding with a modulation to B Aeolian, where I played a largely pentatonic-based single-line melody, which then became filled out with chords.
When I returned to the opening theme (with slight variation), I started off in B Phrygian just for a very brief moment by playing the chords: Bm, Am11 ( an 11th chord includes a 7th, that 7th being G♮, which would have been raised to G♯ in B Dorian♭2 / B Phrygian♮6, but as it is lowered it turns the mode into Phrygian). Then I played the chords E and D, with the G♯ of the E chord signalling the proper return to B Dorian♭2 / B Phrygian♮6. Again these chords were played as mostly open 5ths (in the earlier extended pattern) in the left hand, and fast broken chords in the right hand.
A common point of confusion: the “natural” in the “Phrygian natural 6” mode indicates that the 6th degree retains the Major 6th interval relative to the root, i.e. the 6th is unaltered compared with the major (Ionian) scale. It doesn’t necessarily mean the note itself is a natural; in the case of B Phrygian ♮6, that note is G♯.
Modes used
| Mode | Notes | Parent scale | Modal relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Dorian♭2 / B Phrygian♮6 | B C D E F♯ G♯ A | A melodic minor | 2nd mode of melodic minor |
| B Aeolian | B C♯ D E F♯ G A | D major | 6th mode of major (natural minor) |
| B Phrygian | B C D E F♯ G A | G major | 3rd mode of major |
Scale formulas:
• Dorian♭2: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
• Aeolian: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
• Phrygian: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
All three modes share the notes B–D–E–F♯–A, which is the B minor pentatonic scale, which is what I largely (but not exclusively) based my melody on. But the modes differ in how they treat the 2nd and 6th degrees of the scale:
• Dorian ♭2: tension and darkness via flattened 2, brightness and lift via major 6.
• Aeolian: melancholy yet grounded. Major 2nd grounds the sound, minor (flattened) 6th contributes to the sorrow.
• Phrygian: dark, unstable, compressed. Flattened 2nd and 6th (along with minor 3rd) create darkness.
By moving between them in this improvisation, it felt like tilting the emotional gravity by one degree at a time.
You can learn more about modes of the melodic minor, harmonic minor and major scales here: Complete guide to modes
You might also like Doloroso e Inquieto — Improvisation in F♯ Aeolian & A Lydian Dominant
