Using Modal Layering for Harmonic and Melodic Surprises

In this post I’m going to show you how you can create surprising harmonic landscapes by using a technique called modal layering. It consists of doing exactly what the name says, which is adding a mode on top of the other. If you were a piano player, it is like having a mode on the left hand and another on the right.

I’m going to go step by step through the thought process and procedures that I used throughout the piece of music that you will hear near the end. So, let’s get right to it:

The Process – A Section

The whole A section is basically a harmonic melody created by a 10^th interval relationship between the left and right hands, moving in parallel. The left hand is using the C Aeolian mode (or Cm), while the right hand is on C Lydian b7:

Momentarily, I adjusted the right hand to get notes from C Lydian because I was hearing something different in those places so I experimented with it. Lets hear how it would have sounded if I had stayed with C Lydian b7 throughout:

And again, what I ended up with:

A bit more dramatic, I suppose… The difference is with using either a Bb or a B natural. I much prefer the overall harmonic effect of the last one, but this is completely for you to decide, based on your personal taste.

As for the synth solo on top of this harmonic base, the obvious choices would be using the mode either from the left hand, the right hand or even mixing them up and thus introducing some chromaticism.

Overall, what I chose to use was Cm pentatonic or some notes from the diatonic and using the occasional F# that can be considered either the augmented fourth or blue note of the pentatonic or, because of harmonic context, it’s the F# from the Lydian mode. In the second half of the solo, I used C Lydian only to return to Cm pentatonic.

The B Section

As for everything that happens on the B section, the general approach is the same but with some differences. I still divided the modal layering to the left and right hands but this time the right hand is doing chords.

Again, the general principle is the same in which you think about a harmonic melody, or a melody that dictates how the harmony will move. The technique for this type of harmonic movement is called parallel harmony or harmonic planing where chord voices move all at the same time and in the same direction.

The bass is doing a melodic phrase that repeats throughout the whole section. The overall vibe is of Cm pentatonic but the way I created the line was by thinking in Cm pentatonic mixed with C Lydian b7.

As for the chords on the right hand, I used chords made by stacking 4^th intervals and thus creating what is also called as quartal harmony.

Mind you that when you go about creating these type of harmonic effects, you will want to think of a melody for the harmonic movement. You can either pick the root or the top note of the chord structure for that purpose. I did both and in the first half of the B section I chose C Phrygian to define the direction of my harmonic melody, on the bottom. Then I stacked perfect 4^th intervals on top of each note that I chose for harmonic melody.

And then, for the second half, I chose the top notes of the chord structure using C Lydian b7. This time, I added 4ths that would belong to the modes I am using. Mind you that the bass is mixing the modes Cm and C Lydian b7 so I thought of also doing that here.

There are 4 voices in each chord. From the top down, the first is the harmonic melody in C Lydian b7 and the second is a natural fourth found in that mode. The next two 4^th intervals belong to Cm. And that is how I got those harmonies:

Along with the bass, the whole section has a “sounding out” type of vibe caused by means of layering modes or we can also refer to it as polymodality. Here’s how it sounds all put together:

There’s a solo in the second half of this section. For the most part I followed the harmonic melody that is underneath and added some extra notes, all from C Lydian b7 for a bit more weight in that direction:

And now, the whole piece put together. As usual, it consists of an A and a B section with their respective synth solos. And with no further ado, here is the complete piece of music:

And Back to You…

As always, these were just my choices for layering modes and create this type of effect. My suggestion is that you play around with these materials and then explore the same approach using different modes as each combination will have a different vibe. And if you wanna suggest other ideas to implement this approach, please leave them in the comments.

Happy Composing!