| Tunes That Use the Relative Minor |
Tunes That Use the Relative Minor
As you learned in the lesson on minor keys, most minor-key tunes in Irish music use the Dorian mode. But some Irish tunes move between a major key and its relative minor, G and E minor, for example. When this happens the minor part uses the relative minor scale, also called the natural minor or Aeolian mode. The chords you’ll use to back up tunes in the Aeolian mode are different than tunes that use the Dorian mode. Flynn starts this lesson by talking about the sound of the Dorian mode, showing you how an A Dorian tune is accompanied using Am, G, and D chords. To demonstrate the sound of a melody moving between a major key and its relative minor, Flynn uses the tune “The Hare’s Paw,” which is in the key of G and E minor. To backup tunes in E minor that use the Aeolian mode, which has a C instead of a C# in the scale, you’ll use Em, C, D, and G chords.
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"The Hare's Paw" (Available to subscribers)
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