Well done . . . I've been teaching this stuff for a good twenty years, and I've not come across an explanation as direct, and clear. I'll have my own students view this, and maybe I can get you a few more fans.
Hello all! For folk tunes the main keys will always be chords 1, 4 and 5 apart from for tunes in the mixolydian mode which take chords 1, 7 and 5. I'm on lockdown in Spain at the moment so my next music theory video will be a little delayed, but subscribe and click the little bell next to the subscribe button to be informed when I make more folky tutorials! Here are this video's timestamps: 1:42 - The "Greek" Modes 6:58 - Recognising the characters of the different modes (with scale play-throughs) 8:46 - Harmonising the modes- which chords go with which ones? 10:48 - The Amazing Mode Wheel - a quick and easy way to find the right chords Leave me a comment if you'd like to book a skype lesson or just to say hello! :)
I wouldn't say "start" on a given Note, I would say "stress" a note or "gravitate" towards a note. Never understood "start" because there are songs in C major that don't start on C...
That's true! Tunes often start on a note other than the key note, but it is usually one taken from the key chord (IE notes 1, 3 or 5 from the key). Tunes also tend to end on the key note, which is a useful way to find the key.
@Folk Friends - Celtic Music Heyo Ney! I just finished learning The Lannigan’s jig about 10 days ago 😺 Only... it has 2 Cs! One is # sharp and the other is natural. Is it Dorian or Aolian? I learnt it by ear from the lovely guitar of Cady Finlayson’s track. Aslo whilst working the backing of some Altan songs sometimes the chord was major and sometimes minor. How come? So there was an E major and and E minor chord in the samw song. Seen the same treatment for other chords sometimes. Can Irish trad songs have for instance the chorus in a mode and the verses in another one? Cheers! Have a good week, mate! Thomas
It's quite common for tunes to change their mind about whether they're dorian or aeolian part way through, and even more common for mixolydian tunes to occasionally try being ionian for a bar or two (often the last bar of a section). It's also common for the A part to be in one mode and the B part to be in another. Generally the two will be related and share the same notes in their scales eg a D ionian tune will have an E dorian B part. Sometimes you will also find tunes where the B part is in a different mode entirely eg A part in D ionian and B part in G ionian. One other thing to look out for is that in minor keys accompaniment musicians will sometimes choose to make chord V into a major to make the resolution back to chord I more definite. Hope that helps!
@@folkfriend Hi Nye! It does indeed! You are so clear and easy to understand. Oh, I forgot to ask. You mainly teach about Irish Music. But are the rules in Scottish Music exactly the same? And I sadly don’t know much Welsh trad bands and dance music musicians. Is the Welsh Music in those 4 modes too? I hope you shall make a video on how to back a Breton tune some day :) Do you have preferences in type of Breton tunes? En-dro or gavotenn? Or plinn perhaps? Kenavo tuchant! Pob hywl, mate 😺 Diolch yn fawr!
@@Melvorgazh Scottish music is more or less the same yes- there's a lot of crossover too. There are a few rhythmic features you commonly find in folk music of Scotland but not Ireland (notably the scotch snap) but generally they're very similar. To be honest despite being Welsh I don't like Welsh folk music as much which is why I don't really talk about it on here. It sounds more modern to me (probably thanks to Cromwell- a long story which I will make videos about one day!) and personally I find most of it a bit slow. The theory is more or less the same though, with a few more modern additions, most notably use of the harmonic minor scale to make chord V major in minor tunes.
Well done . . . I've been teaching this stuff for a good twenty years, and I've not come across an explanation as direct, and clear. I'll have my own students view this, and maybe I can get you a few more fans.
Thanks John!
Hello all! For folk tunes the main keys will always be chords 1, 4 and 5 apart from for tunes in the mixolydian mode which take chords 1, 7 and 5. I'm on lockdown in Spain at the moment so my next music theory video will be a little delayed, but subscribe and click the little bell next to the subscribe button to be informed when I make more folky tutorials!
Here are this video's timestamps:
1:42 - The "Greek" Modes
6:58 - Recognising the characters of the different modes (with scale play-throughs)
8:46 - Harmonising the modes- which chords go with which ones?
10:48 - The Amazing Mode Wheel - a quick and easy way to find the right chords
Leave me a comment if you'd like to book a skype lesson or just to say hello! :)
Great stuff! Thank you. I have ordered one of your mode wheels!
Glad you enjoyed it! Your Mode Wheel is in the post :D
Very helpful video thanks!
No problem, glad you enjoyed it! Check out folkfriend.co.uk for loads more :)
Great video. Cheers
No problem, glad to help!
I wouldn't say "start" on a given Note, I would say "stress" a note or "gravitate" towards a note. Never understood "start" because there are songs in C major that don't start on C...
That's true! Tunes often start on a note other than the key note, but it is usually one taken from the key chord (IE notes 1, 3 or 5 from the key). Tunes also tend to end on the key note, which is a useful way to find the key.
This is so cool, does this work on violins as well as guitar?
Yep absolutely!
@Folk Friends - Celtic Music
Heyo Ney!
I just finished learning The Lannigan’s jig about 10 days ago 😺
Only... it has 2 Cs!
One is # sharp and the other is natural.
Is it Dorian or Aolian?
I learnt it by ear from the lovely guitar of Cady Finlayson’s track.
Aslo whilst working the backing of some Altan songs sometimes the chord was major and sometimes minor.
How come?
So there was an E major and and E minor chord in the samw song.
Seen the same treatment for other chords sometimes.
Can Irish trad songs have for instance the chorus in a mode and the verses in another one?
Cheers!
Have a good week, mate!
Thomas
It's quite common for tunes to change their mind about whether they're dorian or aeolian part way through, and even more common for mixolydian tunes to occasionally try being ionian for a bar or two (often the last bar of a section). It's also common for the A part to be in one mode and the B part to be in another. Generally the two will be related and share the same notes in their scales eg a D ionian tune will have an E dorian B part. Sometimes you will also find tunes where the B part is in a different mode entirely eg A part in D ionian and B part in G ionian. One other thing to look out for is that in minor keys accompaniment musicians will sometimes choose to make chord V into a major to make the resolution back to chord I more definite. Hope that helps!
@@folkfriend Hi Nye!
It does indeed!
You are so clear and easy to understand.
Oh, I forgot to ask.
You mainly teach about Irish Music.
But are the rules in Scottish Music exactly the same?
And I sadly don’t know much Welsh trad bands and dance music musicians.
Is the Welsh Music in those 4 modes too?
I hope you shall make a video on how to back a Breton tune some day :)
Do you have preferences in type of Breton tunes?
En-dro or gavotenn? Or plinn perhaps?
Kenavo tuchant!
Pob hywl, mate 😺
Diolch yn fawr!
@@Melvorgazh Scottish music is more or less the same yes- there's a lot of crossover too. There are a few rhythmic features you commonly find in folk music of Scotland but not Ireland (notably the scotch snap) but generally they're very similar. To be honest despite being Welsh I don't like Welsh folk music as much which is why I don't really talk about it on here. It sounds more modern to me (probably thanks to Cromwell- a long story which I will make videos about one day!) and personally I find most of it a bit slow. The theory is more or less the same though, with a few more modern additions, most notably use of the harmonic minor scale to make chord V major in minor tunes.
Be safe in Spain. Travel is not recommended on Canada.
Thanks