Definition

Noun: - A type of musical scale: Specifically refers to any of the eight scales or systems of pitch organization used in Western liturgical (Gregorian) chant from the early Middle Ages until about 1600. These modes provided the melodic foundation for this music and were historically derived from earlier Greek musical theory, though the medieval system was adapted and distinct.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in historical musicology and analysis of early Western sacred music.
• It describes the tonal material, not just a single scale, but a system of related scales, each with its own characteristic intervals and final note.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The chant was composed in the Dorian medieval mode.
  • Understanding the medieval modes is essential for performing Gregorian chant authentically.
  • The transition from medieval modes to major and minor scales was a gradual process.

Advanced Usage

• "Authentic mode" vs. "Plagal mode": Within the system of eight medieval modes, four are classified as authentic (e.g., Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian) and four as plagal (e.g., Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian, Hypomixolydian), distinguished by their range relative to the final note.
• Modal theory: The study of medieval modes involves their rules for ambitus (range), finalis (final note), and repercussion (reciting tone).

Variants and Related Words

• Church mode: A common synonym for medieval mode.
• Gregorian mode: Another synonym, emphasizing the association with Gregorian chant.
• Mode (in a historical context): The more general term, which can refer to these medieval systems or to the ancient Greek modes from which they were adapted.

Synonyms

• Church mode
• Gregorian mode
• Ecclesiastical mode

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Modal music: Music based on modes rather than major/minor tonality.
• Final (or finalis): The central, concluding note of a medieval mode.
• Ambitus: The permissible range of a melody in a given mode.

Noun

1. any of a system of modes used in Gregorian chants up until 1600; derived historically from the Greek mode