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

0:00 Teaser
1:07 The Sound of Phrygian Mode
1:36 The Definition of Phrygian Mode - the Mirror Image of Major Mode
2:41 The Color/Highlight Tone of Phrygian
2:59 Transposed Phrygian (from E down a Major 3rd to C)
3:20 The "fa-mi" Phrygian Inflection
3:48 Phrygian as "mi" scale (Major Mode 3 Rotation)
4:36 Example 1 of Phrygian Melody (Home Alone: Star of Bethlehem)
4:41 Relative Major vs. Parallel Minor Key Signature Approaches
5:25 Example 2 of Phrygian Melody (Star Wars, Episode VI)
5:55 Examining Phrygian Harmony (Late Medieval Cadence)
7:15 Death in Film: Phrygian Passages
7:19 Passage 1 (Superman: Destruction of Krypton)
7:37 Passage 2 (The Patriot: Gabriel's Letter)
8:05 Passage 3 (The Planets: Mars, the Bringer of War)
8:44 Phrygian Flamenco Sonority
9:01 Phrygian II Chord: the Neapolitan
9:30 Phrygian Half Cadence
10:00 Phrygian Application: Reharmonization (V7 to vø7)
11:12 Two Famous Phrygian Passages (Liszt and Rachmaninoff)
11:41 Converting Major to Phrygian (Joy to the World)
My name is Christopher Wills and I'm a professional composer, orchestrator and keyboardist for film, television, Broadway musicals and symphony orchestras. You can hear me in blockbuster Hollywood movies and televised concerts. Many know me as "Professor Wills," so I'm also an educator at several universities. My consuming passion is the magic of harmony (progressions, voicings), and I'd like to share that passion with you and empower you to thus expand your chord vocabulary so you may experience a new kind of expressive freedom as you compose and improvise!
This tutorial channel is designed in particular for music theory students and improvising keyboardists of any genre, though it may appeal to anyone who is interested in the language of music. Our videos aim to present material with clarity and hopefully a little entertainment along the way!

[@michaelhurwitz56]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@AfterlifeGames]

That ending was godlike.

[@nicholaskim9350]

Awesome video!! Super enjoyed it!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

So glad!

[@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.

[@alexanderlicudine2431]

Great content and editing!

[@christopherwillsmusic]

Much appreciated!

[@screamsproject]

I really enjoyed this.

[@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?

[@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.