This allows you to borrow chords from parallel modes, and experiment with harmonic color.
To interact quickly with the widget, you may use your computer keyboard; otherwise, it’s navigable using just your mouse.
How to Use the Widget
Think of it as a type of harmony lab: standing in the home key, you pull the shades from other modes that share the same tonic. To begin, select a key for your home center (A-flat through C) in the drop-down box on top. Then you’ll pick if your home is a minor or a major scale. That determines how it acts as your starting point for every other chord you borrow.
It shows you what the diatonic chords are in that home mode. When you need a parallel source, you’ll choose one with the mode bank buttons. These buttons represent various modes (e.g., Phrygian, Dorian). You can see at-a-glance what’s changed in the notes within the selected mode by reading the label on each button. After choosing a bank, tap on any of the seven chord tokens and listen to the chord.
This helps you get an idea of how it will sound without having to commit it to your progression. This is a close-up view of the chosen chord in the lens panel. The quality and the spelling of each note are indicated. By comparing the twin of the home chord with the borrowed one, the change in color is clear.
To add the chord to your bridge, press the lay plank button once you’re prepared for action. This means that you construct your progression in the bridge section. Start and end with your home tonic. Up to four borrowed chords can be brought into the bridge (the middle of the song) to span the distance between the two sides or ‘shores’. Each chord on the track is represented as a plank in the bridge section.
As it plays through the progression the traveller icon moves along the track illuminating which harmony is present at any time. At the bottom right is the hero button. It controls the playback of the audio sequence and the animation of the bridge crossing. Above the button, there is a sliding scale for controlling the tempo. The slower you make it the longer you have to listen to common tones and voice leading.
The loudness slider will let you control the volume too. To rotate a chosen plank’s voicing, use this control if you wish to adjust that aspect. It will cycle through inversions and back into root position. For each plank it will work out what inversion results in the least number of semitones moved by the inner voices. There is also an option here to auto-find nearest inversion and have the system decide on the smoothest route for you.
Quicken the pace with the keyboard. To add or play a chord, choose from the active bank of modes by pressing the corresponding numbers on the keyboard (1-7). Then press I to copy it into place as an imported chord on the bridge. If you mess up, hit U and it will remove the previous plank added. Hit B to begin playing the audio for the bridge crossing.
Prebuilt examples (explore the architected crossings). These recipes replace the middle span of the bridge with classic progressions, offering examples that illustrate the application of modal interchange within actual music contexts. Listen out for these examples and let them stimulate your own voice leading ideas and chord choices.
As you play through, monitor the diagnostics panel. The figures will include total cost of voice travel plus the number of common tones in each chord. If the voices are moving around comfortabley from one chord to another then this is reflected here. A high cost for voice travel could mean a jarring change that you might wish to soften.
Anytime, you want to go back to tonic shores and wipe the bridge clean. You are starting with a blank canvas, which will reset the progression and allow you to try out new ideas without having to carry your previous choices forward. The idea is that it’s a quick trial and experimentation widget.
The help panel, which can be toggled on or off, will remind you how everything works if you get lost. A handy guide to keyboard shortcuts and mouse actions that way. That means no features go unnoticed as you explore. The interface is thorough without being confusing.
To illustrate this, try moving the concept onto a different home key and notice that the modal relationship is unaffected by the pitch. So you can then practise modal interchange in whichever key you like. Perhaps some will work better on your audio set-up than others.
Try combining modes of various banks into new harmonies. Pulling a chord from Dorian then another from Phrygian for example, can form lush harmonic patterns that are not easily categorized as a single tonality.
It allows you to follow visually which chord is coming next. Experiment with rotations using the rotation tool. Some chords sound harshly in root position but smooth when inverted into, for example, a first inversion. The widget suggests inversions that minimize the distance between voices. This selection can be overridden if you wish to rotate the voicing yourself.
The number of common tones is an important part of the diagnostics. These are the notes that anchor the progression and give it continuity. Often borrowed chords contain notes from the surrounding harmony. Knowing where these links exist is what helps make sense of why some progressions ‘work’.
Get it all set up and turn on, then adjust the sound to where you can comfortably play complex progressions. Keep in mind that you can change the volume using the loudness slider. You don’t want to scare yourself at the first note. You’ll also want to be able to pick out the delicate voice leading details.
To keep things distraction free, there is also a fullscreen option for the widget. This expands the interface across your entire screen. It adds some extra space so you can view the chord tokens and the track of the bridge. If you’re working on a larger monitor, it’s nice.
Spend some time experimenting with the various options. Each one has its own range of harmonic colors. By accident, you may stumble upon some new favorite progressions. The tool’s interactive nature encourages both discovery and curiosity.
Share your findings with other composers or musicians. The concepts demonstrated here are the foundations of moddern harmony. Once you grasp the concept of modal interchange, you open yourself up to a world of creative options. Apply these ideas in your own arrangements and compositions.
The interface is also responsive, adapting to fit different screen sizes. It works equally well on desktop browsers and on tablets. You can use it anywhere you have access to a web browser.
The design focuses on ease of use and clarity. Keep in mind that your reference point (home collection) sets the baseline. Everything else is measured relative to that. Switching to minor changes the meaning of the borrowed chords. It shifts the entire harmonic context.
To hear what the difference is between chords, use the compare shift button. It plays each chord, first the home and then the borrowed, in sequence. This highlights the exact notes that change. It’s a powerful tool for ear training.
Clear the bridge regularly as you experiment so that you stay focused. Starting again isolates the effect of each individual chord. As you gain more confidence, you can always add more chords. There’s no penalty for experimentation here.
Use the designed crossings as a place to start with your own ideas. They demonstrate how professional composers use these techniques. By studying them, you’ll begin to notice patterns you might not have noticed otherwise. Use them as templates for your own progressions.
Your session isn’t saved between visits. That means each visit is a new opportunity to explore. This encourages you to interact with the tool actively. With practice and repetition, you’ll learn the mechanics.
The voice leading metrics are also calculated in real time. They reflect the actual note movement in the generated audio. This gives you immediate feedback about your choices. You can optimize either for contrast or for smoothness as you wish.
While composing a melody, why not use the widget? You can find chords that support your melodic ideas. The modal interchange options provide unexpected harmonic twists. This can add interest to simple melodic ideas.
Note the inversion labels on the planks of the bridge. These tell you how the chord is voiced. Often, root position chords have a strong basic sound. Inversions can create smoother transitions between harmonies.
The widget does all the music theory calculations for you. You don’t have to spell out each chord manually. This allows you to focus on the creative side. Less time analyzing means more time listening.
Use the arrow keys to move between chord tokens. If you’d rather not use the mouse, this is helpful. You can quickly cycle through options without having to click. It makes the workflow more efficient.
The bottom status bar provides textual feedback. It confirms your actions and tells you what’s going on. This helps you understand what the widget is doing. This is especially useful when you use keyboard controls.
Play around with the tempo slider to find the pace that’s right for you. Faster tempos make the progression feel urgent. Slower tempos let you savor each chord change. Match the tempo to the needs of your composition.
The visual design uses color to differentiate the different elements. For example, home chords are marked differently than borrowed chords. This lets you track the structure of your progression. You can easily see what’s borrowed and what’s native.
Consider using this tool for ear training exercises. See if you can figure out the mode of the borrowed chord by ear. The widget provides immediate confirmation of your guess. This strengthens your ability to recognize harmonic color.
The tool is a harmonic exploration sandbox. There are no wrong answers here. Feel free to try any combination of chords you want. The goal is to discover what interests you.
Listen to too many progressions and you risk getting fatigued. Taking a break helps you retain what you’ve learned. You’ll come back with a new way of looking at things and new ideas.
The tool is designed to be practical and educational. It connects theory and practice. You get to see the math and hear the result all at once. This two-way view strengthens your understanding.
If you ever feel lost, use the help panel. It provides a short overview of all the features. Refer to it as a quick cheat sheet. It ensures you get the most out of the widget.
Now go ahead and start playing to see how modal interchange works. Hit a few buttons and hear what happens. The widget is responsive and ready for your input.