Major Scale vs. Ionian Mode - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #29

The Major scale and the Ionian mode share a lot. Pitch collection, home note, key signature. So, are they the same? We find out today on Two Minute Music Theory.

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Hey, I'm Jesse, a composer and music theorist. I believe that Music Theory is a practical and valuable artform for all musicians throughout their lifetime. On this channel, I am making videos to help all musicians grow in their understanding of music theory and how it can make them a better musician.

[jordanmatthewmusic]

when he raises his eyebrows, it creates the illusion of a unibrow. A masterpiece

[TooSlowTube]

44 seconds in, already lost. Need to go and look up tonic and dominant to make any sense of the rest of it...

[SteveGoody]

As you mentioned that music in 20th/21st century mix tonal/modal choices in a scale, would it be fair to say that this distinction is most useful if you wanted your music to sound pre 20th/21st century? I understand that being aware of when you make modal/tonal choices is a good thing, but I can't help but think defining the whole scale based on those choices could influence a restriction depending on your choice to use one or the other. I think we could be aware of those choices without defining the scale by them.
Personally, I would consider this distinction more of an observational theory if I wanted to understand why something sounds the way it does rather than thinking of it while writing in most cases.

[patxmcq]

Thanks to this video, I finally understand the distinction behind the genre "modal jazz"

[gorimus]

Nice video. I've read somewhere that an Ionian mode is characterized by the perfect 4th and major 7th dissonance, while major voicing is associated with major and minor triads. I am thinking that beyond a point, it's just hair-splitting. What is the difference shut/close, Japna/Nippon, India/Bharat, etc. It's referring to the thing, but perhaps depending on the context one may use it interchangeably.

[austin]

John Mayer said he doesn't know ionian in one of his videos.

[FelixFraenkel]

Loving the videos, keep up the good work! I have a question: is it "wrong" to think only in the ionion/major key when given a mode to play in? For example when someone tells me to play C mixolydian I immediately think of F Ionian and therefore play this very scale. I'm a guitarist and there are all these shapes and positions to remember - do I shortcut those by thinking the way I do about modes, or is it technically wrong? Thanks in advance!

[MichaelHenryMusic]

Thanks for the video. I'm just getting going on modes and you helped push me along a bit.

[patrickdarby-sheehan]

Just watched another video by 'my guitar academy' for 'major/ionian'. The narrator stated that the major scale and Ionian scale are the same! Not that there was a difference in tonality/modality...maybe this is why 'theory' is confusing me...

[dlou]

Thanks! Good explanation. Concise. I understand.

[jaypeeluga]

I really believe there's so much information in this video, but my mind could not comprehend it at the moment.. but I'll see what modal or tonal means...

[patrickdarby-sheehan]

🤯 guess I'm not ready for this yet...

[patereekoelectrik]

Nope, the fact that it not called Major (or conversely that it is called Ionian)
has no standing on any chord progression, supposed or real.
you would have to admit that C major and C Ionian scales are the same scales, we have just taken to calling Ionian major. ... There is no difference in the scales that's clear, but there's also no difference in their usage either,
You can have a modal piece of music in a major key, you could say the music is in C major and you would not be wrong, you could say the piece is written in C Ionian, and you would still not be wrong .,
The only real difference is that of all the modes the Major scale, being our western fundamental scale that so many things come from it has 2 names due to its, almost overuse, no other mode has the distinction of having 2 names.
eg, the Lydian is always just that and you would expect to hear that #11 (4) sound, even though, technically you could jump over it to have no 4th at all.
that's another story,
However, they are one and the same thing, with no presumption of usage.

[KenyonCT]

Thanks for the video - very well done. I don't understand the term used at :50, "a progression so common in jazz you mine as well call it ?"

[rodrigobarboza]

So are the same thing but with extra steps

[matthewbaumann]

If strong harmonic rhythm make something major instead of modal, songs like Matona Mia cara by Orlando di lasso would be in a major key before they existed and some punk rock songs would be modal because they avoid the dominant.

[franceme]

I believe practically all keys have Ionian being the same group of notes !!! So it appears Hummm

[ilhamramadhan]

Man, u look like oliver sykes. No kidding