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Aeolian mode

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Musical mode

TheAeolian mode is amusical mode or, in modern usage, adiatonic scale also called thenatural minor scale. On the piano, using only the white keys, it is the scale that starts with A and continues to the next A only striking white keys. Its ascendinginterval form consists of akey note, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step. That means that, in A aeolian (or A minor), a scale would be played beginning in A, move up a whole step (two piano keys) to B, move up a half step (one piano key) to C, then up a whole step to D, a whole step to E, a half step to F, a whole step to G, and a final whole step to a high A.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 7/4 \key c \aeolian c4^\markup { C Aeolian scale } d es f g aes bes c2 } }$

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History

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The wordAeolian, like the names for the other ancient Greektonoi andharmoniai, is an ethnic designation: in this case, for the inhabitants ofAeolis (Αἰολίς), a coastal district ofAnatolia.^[1] In themusic theory ofancient Greece, it was an alternative name (used by some later writers, such asCleonides) for whatAristoxenus called the Low Lydiantonos (in the sense of a particular overall pitching of the musical system—not a scale), nine semitones higher than the lowest "position of the voice", which was calledHypodorian.^[2] In the mid-16th century, this name was given byHeinrich Glarean to his newly defined ninth mode, with thediatonic octave species of the natural notes extending one octave from A to A—corresponding to the modern natural minor scale.^[3] Up until this time, chant theory recognized eightmusical modes: the relative natural scales in D, E, F and G, each with theirauthentic andplagal counterparts, and with the option of B♭ instead of B♮ in several modes.^[4]

In 1547,Heinrich Petri publishedHeinrich Glarean'sDodecachordon in Basel.^[5] His premise had as its central idea the existence of twelvediatonic modes rather than eight, including a separate pair of modes each on the finals A and C.^[6] Finals on these notes, as well as on B♮, had been recognized in chant theory at least sinceHucbald in the early tenth century, but they were regarded as merely transpositions from the regular finals a fifth lower. In the eleventh century,Guido d'Arezzo, in chapter 8 of hisMicrologus, designated these transposed finals A, B♮, and C as "affinals", and later still the term "confinal" was used in the same way.^[7] In 1525,Pietro Aaron was the first theorist to explain polyphonic modal usage in terms of the eightfold system, including these transpositions.^[8] As late as 1581, Illuminato Aiguino da Brescia published the most elaborate theory defending the eightfold system for polyphonic music against Glarean's innovations, in which he regarded the traditional plainchant modes 1 and 2 (Dorian and Hypodorian) at the affinal position (that is, with their finals on A instead of D) as a composite of species from two modes, which he described as "mixed modes".^[9] Glarean addedAeolian as the name of thenew ninth mode: the relative natural mode in A with theperfect fifth as its dominant,reciting tone, reciting note, ortenor. The tenth mode, the plagal version of the Aeolian mode, Glarean calledHypoaeolian ("under Aeolian"), based on the same relative scale, but with theminor third as its tenor, and having a melodic range from aperfect fourth below the tonic to aperfect fifth above it.

Scholars for the past three centuries have regarded the modes added by Glarean as the basis of theminor/major division ofclassical European music, ashomophonic music replaced Renaissancepolyphony. Howard S Powers considers this to be an oversimplification, since the key ofA minor is as closely related to the old transposed modes 1 and 2 (Dorian and Hypodorian) with finals on A—as well as to mode 3 (Phrygian)—as it is to Glarean's Aeolian.^[3]

In modern usage, the Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of the major scale and has the following formula:

1, 2,♭3, 4, 5,♭6,♭7, 8

The Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of the major scale, that is, it is formed by starting on the sixth degree (submediant) of the major scale. For example, if the Aeolian mode is used in its all-white-note pitch based on A, this would be an A-minor triad, which would be the submediant in the relative major key ofC major.

${\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 7/4 \hide Staff.TimeSignature a4^\markup { A Aeolian scale } b c d e f g a2 } }$

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Aeolian harmony

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All harmony Aeolian except for thePicardy third ending this i–v–i–iv–i–v–I progression

Aeolian harmony[10] isharmony orchord progression created fromchords of the Aeolian mode. Commonly known as the "natural minor" scale, it allows for the construction of the followingtriads (three note chords built frommajor orminor thirds), in popular music symbols: i,♭III, iv, v,♭VI, and♭VII. Thescale also produces ii^o, which is avoided since it isdiminished. Theleading-tone andmajor V which contains it are also not used, as they are not part of the Aeolian mode (natural minor scale). However, Aeolian harmony may be used withmode mixture.

For example,♭VII is amajor chord built on the seventh scale degree, indicated by capitalRoman numerals for seven.

There are common subsets including i–♭VII–♭VI, i–iv–v andblues minor pentatonic derived chord sequences such as I–♭III–IV, I–IV,♭VII (The verse of "I'm Your Man").^[11] All these lackperfect cadences (V–I), and may be thought of as derived fromrewrite rules using recursive fourth structures (repeated progression byperfect fourth, seecircle progression).^[11] Middleton^[11] suggests of modal and fourth-oriented structures that, rather than being, "distortions or surface transformations ofSchenker's favoured V–I kernel, it is more likely that both are branches of a deeper principle, that oftonic/not-tonic differentiation."

Songs that use Aeolian mode

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The Aeolian mode is identical with thenatural minor scale. Thus, it is ubiquitous inminor-key music. The following is a list of some examples that are distinguishable from ordinary minor tonality, which also uses themelodic minor scale and theharmonic minor scale as required.

Traditional – "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen"
Bob Dylan – "All Along the Watchtower"^[12]
R.E.M. – "Losing My Religion"^[12]
Phil Collins – "In the Air Tonight"
Alter Bridge – "Blackbird"
Fleetwood Mac – "Isn't It Midnight"
Pink Floyd – "Shine on you Crazy Diamond"
Dido – "White Flag"
Radiohead – "Street Spirit"
Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Californication"

References

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^"Aeolian".Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.).Oxford University Press. (Subscription orparticipating institution membership required.)
^Egert Pöhlmann, Olympia Psychopedis-Frangou, and Rudolf Maria Brandl, "Griechenland",Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, second, newly compiled edition, edited byLudwig Finscher, part 1 (Sachteil), vol. 3 (Eng–Hamb) (Kassel & New York: Bärenreiter; Stuttgart: Metzler, 1995), 1652,ISBN 978-3-7618-1101-6 (Bärenreiter);ISBN 3-7618-1101-2 (Bärenreiter);ISBN 978-3-476-41000-9 (Metzler);ISBN 3-476-41000-5 (Metzler);Thomas J. Mathiesen, "Greece, §I: Ancient",The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited byStanley Sadie andJohn Tyrrell (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001), 10:339.ISBN 0-333-60800-3;ISBN 1-56159-239-0;ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5;ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5;ISBN 0-19-517067-9 (set);ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2 (set).
^^a ^bHarold S. Powers, "Aeolian (i)",The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 29 volumes (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001), 1:^{[page needed]}.ISBN 0-333-60800-3;ISBN 1-56159-239-0;ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5;ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5;ISBN 0-19-517067-9 (set);ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2 (set).
^Harold S. Powers, "Mode, §II. Medieval Modal Theory, 3: 11th-Century Syntheses, (i) Italian Theory of Modal Functions, (b) Ambitus."The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001)^{[page needed]} (Example 5).ISBN 0-333-60800-3;ISBN 1-56159-239-0;ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5;ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5;ISBN 0-19-517067-9 (set);ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2 (set).
^Clement A. Miller, "Glarean, Heinrich [Glareanus, Henricus; Loriti]",The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited byStanley Sadie andJohn Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).
^Clement A. Miller, "Glarean, Heinrich [Glareanus, Henricus; Loriti]",The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited byStanley Sadie andJohn Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001); Harold S. Powers, "Mode, §III. Modal Theories and Polyphonic Music, 4: Systems of 12 Modes, (ii): Glarean's 12 Modes."The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001).
^Harold S. Powers, "Mode, §II. Medieval Modal Theory, 2. Carolingian Synthesis, 9th–10th Centuries, (i) The Boethian Double Octave and the Modes, (b) Tetrachordal Degrees and Modal Quality."The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001).ISBN 0-333-60800-3;ISBN 1-56159-239-0;ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5;ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5;ISBN 0-19-517067-9 (set);ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2 (set).
^Harold S. Powers, "Is Mode Real? Pietro Aron, the Octenary System, and Polyphony",Basler Jahrbuch für historische Musikpraxis 16 (1992): 9–52.
^Harold S. Powers, "Mode, III: Modal Theories and Polyphonic Music, 3: Polyphonic Modal Theory and the Eightfold System, (ii) Composite Modes,"The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001)^{[page needed]}.ISBN 0-333-60800-3;ISBN 1-56159-239-0;ISBN 978-0-333-60800-5;ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5;ISBN 0-19-517067-9 (set);ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2 (set).
^Alf Björnberg (^{[full citation needed]}1985). Cited in Middleton 1990, p. 198.
^^a ^b ^cRichard Middleton,Studying Popular Music (Milton Keynes and Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1990), p. 198.ISBN 0-335-15275-9.
^^a ^bGary Ewer, "Dorian Mode, Aeolian Mode, Minor Key... What’s the Difference?",The Essential Secrets of Songwriting Blog (accessed 14 December 2014).