Examples of use of Phrygian mode in Symphony X songs and solos

[Yngvai_Malmsteve]

Phrygian mode is such a cool mode because of it's Egyptian sound to it. The beginning of the solo to "In the Dragon's Den" (the interlude at 1:57-2:09) is a perfect example of Romeo using the Phrygian mode. He plays a C# harmonic minor scale, but starts on G# making it G# phrygian.

Anybody else have examples of the use of Phrygian mode in Romeo's solos or in Symphony X's music?

 

[Thared]

i guess i need to go somewhere and study modes. I always thought that only the major scale could have modes. But I guess the harmonic minor can too. I thought the harmonic minor was a mode itself. But what other scales have modes? The minor pentatonic dont not really have modes I guess, I heard they just call it "starting on certain note in the scale".

 

[Yngvai_Malmsteve]

Originally posted by Thared
i guess i need to go somewhere and study modes. I always thought that only the major scale could have modes. But I guess the harmonic minor can too. I thought the harmonic minor was a mode itself. But what other scales have modes? The minor pentatonic dont not really have modes I guess, I heard they just call it "starting on certain note in the scale".

Some modes are minor and some are major. For example, phrygian is minor, but aeolian is major (C Aeolian would be a C major scale). One of Vinnie Moore's instructional videos does a good job of explaining modes.

Harmonic minor is not a mode, but a scale. It is a normal minor scale, but the 7th tone is raised a half-step. For example, an A minor scale is ABCDEFG. However, an A harmonic minor scale is ABCDEFG#. The 7th tone, G, is raised a half step from G to G#. This gives the scale a more minor feel to it, because a normal minor scale still wants to resolve to major. The G# wants to resolve to A giving it a more minor quality. Listen to most of Yngwie's stuff...his stuff is full of use of harmonic minor.

 

[Dado-x]

The intro solo to Fallen is the same thing, I guess.

 

[stringskipping]

But mode 5 of Harmonic minor is not Phrygian, because it now has a major 3rd, making it Phrygian Dominant (named because the accompanying chord is a dom 7th chord) or Phrygian Major (because of the maj 3rd). I don't know why for the life of me Yngwie to this day calls it Phrygian when the sound is quite different - the difference between a minor and major chord in fact.

 

[Dado-x]

Shut up, nerds!

 

[BastrdDrmr]

stringskipping........ I was thinking the exact same thing as I was reading this. You're right that it's actually phrygian major (I never call it phrygian dominant but I hear that term sometimes). For all other theory "nerds" who would like to hear a couple other examples, I know that the Of sins and Shadows intro riff, the Sea of Lies intro sequence, and the Fallen intro riff all use the phrygian major scale.

 

[BastrdDrmr]

I need to correct Yngvai........ you're wrong dude. the C aeolian scale is NOT a C major scale. The C aeolian scale is the exact same as a C minor scale. This is a relative minor to a D# major scale (which of course, is not the same as a C major scale).

 

[Yngvai_Malmsteve]

Originally posted by BastrdDrmr
I need to correct Yngvai........ you're wrong dude. the C aeolian scale is NOT a C major scale. The C aeolian scale is the exact same as a C minor scale. This is a relative minor to a D# major scale (which of course, is not the same as a C major scale).

You're right. I meant to say C ionian is a C major scale. My bad.

 

[idioglossia]

Actually guys you're all wrong

A mode is not determined by the note you start playing over the scale, but by the CHORD played over the scale. I have talked about this way too many times already. Please tell me you people understand me

But since you all seem to follow that way (that a mode is determined by the starting note of a solo onto the chord) I have to say that stringskipping is right, and I don't care if you say that "this is a phrygian mode" or "that is a locrian mode", all I care is for us to understand each other musically

Cheers

 

[Yngvai_Malmsteve]

Originally posted by idioglossia
Actually guys you're all wrong

A mode is not determined by the note you start playing over the scale, but by the CHORD played over the scale. I have talked about this way too many times already. Please tell me you people understand me

But since you all seem to follow that way (that a mode is determined by the starting note of a solo onto the chord) I have to say that stringskipping is right, and I don't care if you say that "this is a phrygian mode" or "that is a locrian mode", all I care is for us to understand each other musically

Cheers

I was going more by Vinnie Moore's instructional video. He plays a B major chord, and then plays a B major scale starting at different notes over that chord to show the different sounds of the modes. So, yes, the mode is determined by the chord.

I don't think we're all saying that a mode is determined by the starting note of a solo onto the chord. That would be like saying that the key of a song is determined by the first chord played in the song, which is not true.

 

[mark_bwaite]

I believe MJR uses that particular mode very proficiently in the Egypt solo off of the album V.

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

maybe i'm wrong but I think he uses that mode on Pharaoh am I right?

 

[sweepking]

I know the pentatonic scale as taught by Metal Method...ha ha. I suck...but Symphony X and MJR rule! I need to learn some theory.

 

[Yngvai X]

Romeo uses phrygian dominant ALL OVER the place, especially in his riffs.