On the site the chords are given for each Key in de Major and minor scales, this is great!
But, where and how do I find the chords in each Key for the different modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, etc…..)?
I found a rather creative ‘Circle of Fifth’ on the Internet in which each mode is included just with the purpose to find those chords. !s this usable or is there another, better way?!
The chords belonging to a modal key will be the same as those belonging to the relative major of that mode. For example, D Dorian, E Phrygian etc will have the same chords as those you’ll find in C major.
If you look at A Aeolian as an example, this is the same thing as A natural minor. Both share the same chords as C major.
Where you may have to be careful is to make sure that the key still sounds like home. If you are playing a i-iv-v in A minor (Am, Dm, Em) then it will sound like A minor.
If you just pick some random chords from a key that you think sound good, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be playing in that key.
Take for example, a ii-V7-I. In the key of C, this chord sequence will be C major whether we like it or not. The V7 (G7) drives home the key of C and makes it a very stable sounding key.
If we just look at it as three chords, Dm, G, C then we could argue that this could be the key of any of the modes relative to C major – i.e., they share the same key signature.
That’s all pretty complicated if you don’t understand the theory but in general, I-IV-V’s will usually make the I chord sound like home. In ordinary major and minor keys this is usually pretty obvious because we are very used to hearing it.
When practising modes it’s usually better to simplify things and just use a two chord vamp. This is explained in more detail here.
