What is a parallel mode?

Question

What is a parallel mode? How are the parallel modes used in composition and/or improvisation?

Answer 1

Hi! How are you doing today? I hope you're staying sage at home!

The use of Parallel modes consists in “borrowing” chords derived from a scale different from that you were using so far in the song. This is also known as MODAL INTERCHANGE. 

Modal theory: 

1. Modes are SCALES with their own interval structure. 

1. How can you get to know the structure of modes? Each of the 7 notes in a scale can work work as the first degree ( I ) of a mode.

For example: Let’s use the Natural Major Mode in the key of C (our basic C - D - E - F- G - A - B ….C)

This scale is also known as IONIAN Mode and ins interval structure is: 

Note Degree Derived Chord Notes in the chord Degree chord

C I Cmaj7 C, E, G, B Imaj7

D II Dm7 D, F, A, C IImin7

E III Em7 E, G, B, D IIImin7

F IV Fmaj7 F, A, C, E IVmaj7

G V G7 G, B, D, F V7

A VI Am7 A, C, E, G VImin7

B VII Bm7b5 B, D, F, A VIIm7b5

As you can notice, the Ionian Mode (Natural Major Scale) starts and ends on the first ( I ) degree, which yields this particular interval structure where all intervals (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th) are ALL MAJOR. Please pay attention to the resultant Degree Chords (I and IV are MAJOR CHORDS -  II, III and VI are MINOR CHORDS and VII is a m7b5 chord).

Now, let’s start our scale on the VI degree of the same Natural Scale, for example… so let’s start our scale in A and go up to A in the next octave.  

(A - B - C - D - E - F - G … A). Let’s apply the same procedure for this scale. 

“A” will be our first degree ( I ) now.

The resulting structure (I, II, bIII, IV, V, bVI, bVII) is called AEOLIAN MODE (which happens to be the same that the natural MINOR scale). Here this scale has a lowered III, VI and VII degrees, being now bIII, bVI and bVII). Hence, derived chords will also change due to these new flat intervals.

 Note Degree Derived Chord Notes in the chord Degree chord

A I Am7 A, C, E, D Imin7

B II Bm7b5 B, D, F, A IIm7b5

C bIII Cmaj7 C, E, G, B bIIImaj7

D IV Dm7 D, F, A, C IVmin7

E V Em7 E, G, B, D Vmin7

F bVI Fmaj7 F, A, C, E bVImaj7

G bVII G7 G, B, D, F bVII7

IONIAN mode (tonal center: I degree) and AEOLIAN mode (tonal center: VI degree) are two of the seven PARALLEL MODES (each of the 7 degrees of the scale has its own derived mode!)

I:  Ionian (used in this example)

II:  Dorian

III: Phrygian

IV: Lydian

V: Mixolydian

VI: Aeolian (used in this example)

VII: Locrian

_______

Now, to hear how Parallel modes sound like, you can include an “unexpected” chord from a parallel mode when the listener was “expecting” a diatonic chord (a chord taken from song key). So, you can use the same degree chord of a different scale (for example, having a major song and using the IV degree chord of the parallel minor scale... or using both the major and minor versions of the IV degree chord!).

You can hear this in Creep by Radiohead..., for example... 

The song goes as:  G (I)

Bm (IIIm) 

C (IV)

Cm (IVm)!!!!!  (minor chord for the IV degree, taken from parallel C minor scale)

This could make a great tool for your songs, even using it in low amounts!

If you're interested in some harmony contemporary harmony lessons please let me know! I'd be glad to assist you and provide great support materials included in the lessons.

Have a great weekend!

Carlos

Answer 2

It's pretty simple - if I'm in D major, the parallel mode is D minor, and vise versa. The Beatles are good at using parallel modes in their songs - While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Things We Said Today both move to the parallel mode for the bridge. In classical music, Mozart's Rondo Alla Turka in A minor moves to A major for one of the episodes, and the 2nd movement of Schubert's "Great" symphony also moves from A minor to A major throughout the main melody. It's a way of shifting the mood from light to dark while keeping the same root note. If you're improvising freely you can go from parallel major to minor whenever you want, though if you're improvising over a song, you have to stick with fitting those specific chord changes. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Parallel means it starts on the same tonic, so if we're in A major, the parallel minor would be A minor.

They're especially useful in modulating.

Answer 4

A parallel mode is a mode that shares a tonic pitch, but is of a different tonality. For example C major and C minor are parallel modes; F# major and F# minor are parallel, etc.

Musicians uses parallel modes all the time to color harmonies and melodies. For example the "blue note" is actually just a pitch borrowed from the parallel minor key, usually the 3rd or 7th scale degree. Our "modal" scale degrees are 3, 6, and 7, so when one incorporates alterations of those scale degrees in their harmonies then they are incorporating pitches from parallel modes. Borrowing from the parallel minor can give us great harmonies such as the flat-VI, or the flat-III chord.