Mixolydian Mode?

[Ivan Vegvary]

Trying to follow some ideas on Dave Frank's Improvisation site.
He is suggesting using the "F Mixolydian Mode" scale against a left hand vamp.
What he is really playing is a Bb Scale (two flats) starting on the note F. So, he plays FtoF using Bb and Eb.
My questions is terminology. The scale he is using is really the Mixolydian mode of the Bb scale. Why is it not called the Bb Mixolydian mode vs the F mixolydian mode.
The dorian mode in the scale of C would be all white notes starting with the note D. Would this not be called the "C" dorian scale instead of the "D" dorian?

Please advise.

Ivan Vegvary

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

Post by Ivan Vegvary
Trying to follow some ideas on Dave Frank's Improvisation site.
He is suggesting using the "F Mixolydian Mode" scale against a left hand vamp.
What he is really playing is a Bb Scale (two flats) starting on the note F. So, he plays FtoF using Bb and Eb.
My questions is terminology. The scale he is using is really the Mixolydian mode of the Bb scale. Why is it not called the Bb Mixolydian mode vs the F mixolydian mode.
The dorian mode in the scale of C would be all white notes starting with the note D. Would this not be called the "C" dorian scale instead of the "D" dorian?
Please advise.

Modes are named from tonic to tonic. Thus, the C Dorian scale would only be
called such if its starting note were C rather than D. You are conceiving of
these scales or modes in terms of their rotational ties to the major scale. In
truth, the B-flat major scale is not F Mixolydian's "parent" just because it
shares the same pitches.
Orlando

[Ivan Vegvary]

Post by Orlando Enrique Fiol

Post by Ivan Vegvary
Trying to follow some ideas on Dave Frank's Improvisation site.
He is suggesting using the "F Mixolydian Mode" scale against a left hand vamp.
What he is really playing is a Bb Scale (two flats) starting on the note F. So, he plays FtoF using Bb and Eb.
My questions is terminology. The scale he is using is really the Mixolydian mode of the Bb scale. Why is it not called the Bb Mixolydian mode vs the F mixolydian mode.
The dorian mode in the scale of C would be all white notes starting with the note D. Would this not be called the "C" dorian scale instead of the "D" dorian?
Please advise.

Modes are named from tonic to tonic. Thus, the C Dorian scale would only be
called such if its starting note were C rather than D. You are conceiving of
these scales or modes in terms of their rotational ties to the major scale. In
truth, the B-flat major scale is not F Mixolydian's "parent" just because it
shares the same pitches.
Orlando

Orlando, thank you very much for your thoughtful and clear explanation. This should certainly simplify things in my mind.
Ivan Vegvary

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

Post by Ivan Vegvary
Orlando, thank you very much for your thoughtful and clear explanation. This should certainly simplify things in my mind.

I'm glad. Just remember that key signatures denote more than major and minor
keys; they stand in for all the "modal" rotations of those same diatonic
scales.