A 'mode' in this sense is a sequence of notes that fits within the scale you're playing in (D whatever, in your case), but with a different root note. So it's like you pick a note of the scale and play the scale starting and ending on that note; that's a mode.
A simple example is playing C major from A to A forms the A Aeolian or A natural minor mode.
That bit about the tessitura on the other hand sounds like someone trying to wave their music-theory cock in the wind.
Edit: Upon listening to the piece (which is pretty damn cool by the way), I can't register any use of an actual mode of D major, but you have used notes that aren't part of the D major scale and give the piece a flavouring of A# Phrygian or D minor (of which A# Phrygian is a mode).
Actually, scratch that theory, on closer inspection I'm picking up D Phrygian dominant at the end, which is a mode in itself of G harmonic minor. So I think that's what they were trying to indicate.
edited 5th Jul '11 1:54:33 PM by AsTheAnointed
Hey, I understand your A natural minor example! This means I'm getting somewhere.
I write music that sounds like that Phrygian bit near the end a lot, so it's good to know.
edited 5th Jul '11 1:57:36 PM by annebeeche
Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.In days gone by, Solstace or zeroplusalpha would have explained the whole scenario with their degree/diploma-level musical education. Unfortunately neither of them post in this forum (or at least subforum) anymore so it seems you'll have to make do with my amateur theory (but hey, I at least managed to get the basic mode concept across!).
Hey, what would the mode in the scale C D E F G Ab Bb C be? That's another one I use a lot, and I think is the Semitic March scale transposed but I'm not sure about that.
Okay, I examined the A# scale on my piano and noticed that the scale I use only need to go from E to Eb in order to become I'm pretty sure is A# major.
edited 5th Jul '11 2:27:12 PM by annebeeche
Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.Annebeeche: The scale that you describe there is called the Hindu scale, and is the fifth mode of the melodic minor scale. Actually, that is exactly what that person who commented on your song is talking about. F melodic minor, starting on C is the C Hindu scale.
About the "tessitura" part, ignore that. All a tessitura is is the range of notes for a singer or an instrument that has the best tone.
If you'd like, I can give you a different perspective of how to approach modes, but Anointed covered the basics pretty well.
dysfunctional human artistryI wasn't aware there was a single Hindu scale, considering how many different modes (ragas) I've heard are used in Hindu music. That's not even getting into the messy bits with just intonation scales and the shrutis... Though I guess there has to be a "standard" scale, like we have our C major and Bb minor.
I'm not a music theorist, though. I just dabble and try to make software. So :/
Sakamoto demands an explanation for this shit.Well, it's called the Hindu scale, partly because it sounds exotic, partly because we're running out of scale names. It probably is roughly based on an actual Indian scale, but I'm not sure.
Personally, I think of it as the Mixolydian mode with a b6, because it works as a chord scale for 7(+5) chords.
I have a rough understanding of Carnatic music, and yeah, their scale system is much more intricate. They split their octave into 22? intervals, as opposed to our twelve, then from those intervals they pick 12 to put into a family, then they create scales from that family of twelve notes. They have something like 90 unique scales, not including what we'd call modes.
edited 5th Jul '11 10:40:22 PM by Soraya
dysfunctional human artistry22 shrutis, yes. They're technically (aside from the first tone, and the 3:2 tone, which are considered "fixed") just alternate versions of the 12 tones, as made through just intonation upwards and downwards on the scale. Each raga chooses from these 22 shrutis as fits best for the scale in question. The scales can be approximated using equal temperament 12-tone, but it loses some of the flavor — same as for Western music ET vs. just intonation.
As for Arabic music, the modern scales use 24 tones, effectively including quarter tones. At some point around the 17th century, there was a 17-tone scale in effect instead.
/random-microtonal-scales-aside
Sakamoto demands an explanation for this shit.Yeah, I do know that there's a more in depth method to creating scales from the shruti than just assigning, but like I said, I'm not that well versed.
On a wild tangent, I know that there's a sitar instructor near where I live, maybe I should invest in a sitar and lessons.
dysfunctional human artistryYeah, we need an expert in foreign music systems in the fora. I don't believe that zeroplusalpha or I quite qualify.
dysfunctional human artistry</favourite-kind-of-aside>
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

I like to compose music, but I know next to nothing of music. Yes, that means I do not fully understand the music I write.
Okay, so near the end of this song I was told that I go into a kind of "phrygian mode."
Which is weird because I could have sworn the key I start and keep referring back to in this song is D.
Unfortunately, this doesn't really explain to me what phrygian mode really is.
edited 5th Jul '11 1:32:39 PM by annebeeche
Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.