equivalency.Most Jazz scholars identify the seminal recordings of Miles Davis in the
late 1950’s as heralding the advent of modal use in Jazz. There is evidence that
trumpet player Don Cherry may have used modal resources earlier in the decade.
The Ecclesiastical Modes (or “Church” Modes) were seven-tone scales built upon D,
E, F, and G. Each was ordered as an octave species from the modal
final
19
(modal
“tonic”). Each also had a re-ordered version wherein the top tetrachord of each was
placed below the modal
final
(Latin:
finalis
). The original ordering was called the
Authentic
20
form of the mode, the transposed version was called the
Plagal
21
form.
These alternate
Plagal
orderings were not new modes: each pair,
Authentic
and
Plagal
, had the same
final
. A particular form was so labeled based upon the range of
the modal melody as well as upon the perceived modal dominant within each form.
Ecclesiastical (“Church”) Modes
Originally, modes had specific names. These names reflect regional or place names
from the Hellenistic world but were really stylistic indicators. In early church music
modes were numbered sequentially. Eventually, the early names were re-used
reflecting their early origins. We label modes using these names.
Figure 3.16
Ecclesiatical Modes
Audio 11
The “Church” Modes
In and of themselves, the theoretical modes were considered to have certain flaws
in regard to their use in practical composition. These perceived flaws were treated
19. The modal equivalent of
Tonic
or keynote.
20. The original ordering of a
mode as an octave species from
the
final
.
21. A re-ordering of the mode
wherein the top tetrachord is
placed below the
final
.
Chapter 3 The Foundations Scale-Steps and Scales
3.4 Heptatonic Scales: Introduction to Modes
107
