What Mode am I In?

[Silence Kid]

Trying to understand more of what little music theory I happen to remember from college...

So if my progression is I , V , IV , IV (so E, B, A, A) and my melody line is rooted in d# and tonic to E major... Then am I in D# Locrian? Or is this still somehow E Major? Is more information needed? The chord progression is pure major, but I can comfortably play what I've written rooted in D# over it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: What Mode am I In?

If the tonic chord is E, then you are in E major (ionian), just emphasizing the major 7th of the chord (D#). I wrote some articles explaining the modes in depth here.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What Mode am I In?

^^ Nail, meet head.

To improvise some Allman Brothers type lead over that type progression, you can use a VI minor pentatonic...in this case, a C#m.