I am publishing the first part of the second lesson; the second will follow shortly.
Practical exercises will follow.
- I -
IONIAN TONAL ORGANIZATION
LYDIAN TONAL ORGANIZATION
By IONIAN TONAL ORGANIZATION, we mean the construction of modes starting from the diatonic degrees of the ionian scale, namely (Tab. 1):
C
I O N I A N
D
D O R I A N
E
P H R Y G I A N
F
L Y D I A N
G
M I X O L Y D I A N
A
A E O L I A N
B
L O C R I A N
Table 1
By LYDIAN TONAL ORGANIZATION, we mean the construction of modes starting from the diatonic degrees of the lydian scale, e.g.:
C C lydian
D D mixolydian
E E aeolian
F# F# locrian
G G ionian
A A dorian
B B phrygian
The Ionian scale is the center of tonal organization in "Western Harmony" and in "Church Harmony". This scale possesses two tonics: C and F. In fact, let us analyze the intervals of this scale:
C-D tonic C
C-E tonic C
C-F tonic F
C-G tonic C
C-A tonic C
C-B tonic C
As is evident, the Ionian scale possesses two tonics: C and F; consequently, it accepts chords derived from the two tonics as happens in the II-V-I; furthermore, tonal oscillation occurs within a tonal space delimited by the two tonics.
This is thus a scale that does not verticalize; it is self-limiting. It is defined as horizontal.
The strongest interval from an acoustic point of view is the fifth; if we proceed by fifths starting from C, we have: C-G-D-A-E-B-F# - C# and so on until the next C. Therefore, the perfect scale that accepts any chord is the chromatic scale, as it has a very wide tonal environment. If we analyze the ionian scale by fifths, we have C-G-D-A-E-B-F-C; thus, the progression by fifths is interrupted by the appearance of F. This artifice causes the creation of the tritone F-B which resolves in C maj, and therefore makes the scale tonally closed.
If we place the Lydian scale at the center of tonal organization (example C Ly), first of all, we notice that the II-V-I no longer exists in cadential terms because the V degree is not Dominant (in fact, G ionian requires its own Tritone, C-F#, to resolve in D Maj and not in C Maj); furthermore, we obtain a scale with only one tonic: C