Jazz Theory

When considering jazz, or any music for that matter, there are several different ways in which to look at. These different ways of arranging scales and chords are known as modes. And there are two different ways in which to look at modes. The seven modes are Ionian, Dorian, Lydian, Myxolydian, Aeloian (referred to as natural minor), and the Locrian. These modes can be looked at in two different ways: relative and parallel. In relative, the scale in one key follows the standard progression of a scale, but starts out on a different degree. For a scale in the key of C, a major relative Ionian mode would follow start out with a root note of C, for a scale in the key of C, a major relative Dorian mode would start out on a D, and so on. Parallel does almost the opposite of what the relative does. All the modes in a key start out on the same root note. For parallel Ionian, the root note would be C for the key of C, but for a parallel Dorian in the key of C, the root note would be C, even though the scale is still the key of C (Thomas).…