Originally Posted by: JoeNoviceI like that sound. It still seems logical for me to view this as D dorian though. Same notes different focus. The change of focus doesn't constitue a new mode (to my ear). It sounds more like extensions of the underlying harmony. Dmin/A or even Asus to Dmin.....


Thanks for providing something new to think about! I look at those books and do some more ear training on these re-focused modes.


:cool:

Here is something to think about:
When you play an "A minor scale" do you call it a "C major scale" just because they have the same notes?...ofcourse not; they have different origines, the "A minor scale" has its origen on the "A major scale" and when you flat the 3rd, 6th, 7th, it becomes an A minor scale, which happens to be Relative to the C major scale.
Or, if you play a "D dorian" do you call it a C major scale just because they have the same notes?...I hope not, because they have different origines;
the "D dorian" has its origen on the D major scale, and when you flat the 3rd and the 7th it becomes a D dorian, which happens to be Relative to the C major scale.
The problem begins when people teach modes in relation to the C major scale, as in..."play from the second degree of the major scale, and you get a dorian mode"...although that is right; the truth is the D dorian has its origen on the D major scale. As result people play the diatonic modes over a C major chord. I know that sounds good, because the C major chord is made of notes contained in the different modes. But if you do that you are missing the point of playing modes, you should treat the dorian mode as a different scale on its own right, and play it over a D minor chord and progression.
If that is not enough to make you think of the modes as different scales, take a look at the series of intervals they have:
C major=........ P1-M2-M3-P4-P5-M6-M7-P8
A minor=........ P1-M2-m3-P4-P5-m6-m7-P8
D dorian=....... P1-M2-m3-P5-P5-M6-m7-P8
The D hypodorian has its root a fourth below the tonic of the dorian, which means that the root of the hypodorian has a ratio of 3:4 or 1:1.333. and the root of the dorian has a ratio of 1:1
So, we cannot say those scales are the same just because they have the same notes.