No, most people use the aeolian or dorian mode these days. Harmonic minor gets used (very occasionally) but I've not heard the melodic minor used in popular music.

There may be stuff out there, I just haven't heard it.

Ok, thanks.

You said popular music, do you mean like pop/rock sort of music? How about Bach and the like...

Well oviously that's different. That's why the melodic minor was created, but I can't think what period it was most used in.

Bach used melodic minor a lot.

Ah ok.

But then I can't recall hearing a dorian scale in any music (besided that 'drunken sailor' song hehe).

Since were on the topic...
What makes music dorian? What sort of harmony would it use? What makes an aeolion scale? and what harmony would it use?

They're modes of the major scale, surely you know that.

I guess what makes it is the base note of the piece... A piece can *feel* minor and start on the appropriate note be in the aeolian mode (check Iron Maidens entire backcatalog)

Dorian? Check pretty much every funk record ever made.

ah.

Like a lot of the theory I know, I don't how to apply it. If I were to write some music in dorian, how would I let people know that it is dorian? How much freedom can I have to move around out of the scale before its not in dorian/aeolian anymore?

I've hardly had any experience of modes, perhaps I have but just didn't notice.

Hmm.. Dorian isn't really a "key" as such. Like any music once you move outside of the scale, barring the odd accidentaly you'll have changed key (if only for a bar or whatever).

I guess letting people know it's dorian lies on your use, like I say of the base note. If you're using D Dorian (C Major) Starting on a chord of D minor (or the basis of a D minor chord) and moving from there would give the implication of a dorian feel.

Ok, so are you meaning have a melody based on the Dorian mode?

Is there a particular harmonic set that sounds characteristically dorian?

Sticking with D Dorian..

Something like Dm, G, A, C is a very dorian chord sequence. Dm7 followed by an A is a dorian staple too

Sorry, "harmonic set" is a term I'm unfamiliar with.. is that what you meant?

, I just used harmonic set, I don't think that's anything you'll find in a harmony textbook!

I just had a play of those chords and I cant say I can pick any tune I've heard them in. I'm not saying you are wrong, I need to do some listening!!!

Would building triadic chords like in major harmony work with modes? I'll give dorian a shot...