Ep 6 - The Sound of DEATH in Music: Phrygian Mode

[@JohannaPepke]

Thank you professor Wills!!

[@calebdillon7069]

Amazing video, Professor Wills! A very entertaining way to learn about a fascinating topic!

[@LucasJosiahFenton]

Great video Professor Wills, I'm very impressed by your editing skills!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

I appreciate that!

[@bozertoes]

I learned about phyrgian half cadences in my music theory class last year but I never understood WHY it was called that, just that it was a iv6 to a V in minor. Thanks for explaining!

[@michaelhurwitz56]

I wish you were my college music harmony professor 50 years ago! Fantastic!

[@jjfloyd618]

This is the most comprehensive and informative music theory video I’ve seen, and I watch a lot of them. Most of it was over my head but it tackled the subject from different angles then I’ve not seen addressed before. Thank you.

[@christopherwillsmusic]

You’re most welcome! Thank you so much for your comment.

[@screamsproject]

I really enjoyed this.

[@SillyWillyFan47]

Nice! another example of Phrygian (neopolitan progressions) is in the death scene of Mozart's Don Giovanni, which also got picked up by Beethoven in his Neopolitan use in Moonlight Sonata.

[@alluringskull2133]

really underrated channel

[@nicholaskim9350]

Awesome video!! Super enjoyed it!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

So glad!

[@alexanderlicudine2431]

Great content and editing!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

Much appreciated!

[@Kamamura2]

But that's the western understanding of the mode. In Arabic music, the very same same sequence of tones together with traditional melodic progressions is called "maqam kurd", and is traditionally used to express feelings of "freedom, romance, solitude, enchantment, mysticism".

[@christopherjwillsmusic]

Yes, indeed, you’re correct. My focus is on the western, occidental perception. Perhaps a part two video is warranted?

[@AfterlifeGames]

That ending was godlike.

[@erichobbs4042]

I think that I need to learn a lot more music theory in order to have any chance of understanding this video

[@christopherwillsmusic]

Hi Eric. Yes, the video does assume a certain basic level of music theory comprehension. I’m hoping some of my earlier videos, like episodes one through three, might help provide some of that foundation. I might need to go back and fill in some gaps.

[@stephenhillcomposer]

Very cool! Thanks, Chris!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

Glad you liked it!

[@bryanbotka]

Very cool! What software do you use to animate the staff notation?

[@christopherjwillsmusic]

Thanks so much, Bryan. Oh it was a whole mixture of different software programs. Primarily CapCut, but also PowerPoint, Finale, Logic Pro…

[@BeethovenReincarnate]

Mode and Scale are not quite synonyms. Modes are more versions of scales, for example the Octotonic Scale has 2 modes. I love the video though.

[@christopherwillsmusic]

The term “pitch collection” might be more precise. Thx!

[@christopherjwillsmusic]

Some will say that “mode” refers to the particular interval pattern, whereas “scale” is more specific in that it indicates the tonal center upon which the interval pattern is applied. I can accept that. I don’t believe there’s total agreement about these terms. But I like to distinguish between tonality and modality, e.g., C Major. The mode is obviously Major and tonality is C. The term “scale” captures the entirety of the term.