WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Accidentals, on Purpose

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choose mode
Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian
song
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
method
C tonic
use white keys
play
tempo
240
The modern conception of harmony was developed in the
th
17
century. Prior to that time, Western music consisted simply of single note melodies created from scales known as the church modes. These modes had Greek names, but had only a loose connection to the Greek modes of antiquity. Each mode had a distinctive sound and conveyed a distinctive mood by its chromatic alterations to the major scale. Listen to the new sound of these well-known melodies when transformed into the other modes.