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Discussion
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This is a Phrygian piece that I started working on last night. I have not done much work in Phrygian mode, so it felt a bit like unfamiliar territory. Any helpful feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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Replies
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Hey Vincent,
Sorry I haven’t had a lot of time to study this but here’s a few quick general observations. Also a disclaimer, I don’t claim to be an expert in writing modal music.
I like the overall flavor of the piece. There’s some places that feel like they could be better fleshed out to me.
Measures 7 – 14 feel a bit awkward in terms of voice leading and would likely cause some struggles for many congregations, assuming that is your intended audience. The octave leap in measure 8 and the leap of a 6th in 9, for example.
Also, I might question whether this piece is fully in Phrygian mode. It feels a bit like it moves outside of that, especially in measures 7-20. And maybe you intended that?
Just one thought, when writing modal music, I’ve found it easier to think horizontally (each line as its own melody) than vertically (chord by chord). Again I don’t know that I’m qualified to speak on best practices in writing modal music but figured I’d share that.
I also think the whole note at the end of each phrase prevents the forward motion in the piece.
Again, these are just quick observations. Keep working on it! Love to see new work being written!
Lyndon
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