Name:Jackie Zhi Qi, Zhou

School/Affiliation:McMaster University/Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour

Co-Authors:Michael Schutz

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Abstract:

The distinction between major and minor modes forms one of the most fundamental organizing principles in Western music. Although it is traditionally treated dichotomously (major/minor), it is not clear if this captures how it is functionally used in many musical works. For example, some passages modulate between major and minor or hover between tonal centers. Consequently, the concept of relative mode offers a more flexible, continuous spectrum between major and minor, reflecting the fluid transitions in modality.
Here, we explore different approaches to assessing relative mode as a proof of concept for this construct. Specifically, we examined relative mode evaluations of 72 preludes composed by J.S. Bach, F. Chopin, and D. Shostakovich using three approaches: (1) perceptual, which averaged listeners’ ratings of mode, (2) analyzed, which averaged music theorists’ ratings of the scores, and (3) computational, which averaged the results from various computed perspectives of the mode algorithm. Results reveal strong correlations among all three approaches to relative mode, with correlations of R = 0.77, R = 0.82, and R = 0.64 (P < .001), indicating that regardless of the method, assessments of relative mode are likely to be similar and interrelated. These findings suggest that a continuum-based understanding of mode may provide a more nuanced framework for analyzing tonal ambiguity and modulation in music. This research has potential implications for enhancing music cognition studies, refining key-finding algorithms, and broadening the theoretical understanding of modality beyond a strict dichotomy.