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As a beginner, I'm told that usually songs mostly use the 1, 4 and 5 chords (e.g. C major songs mostly use C, F and G), but does this apply to modes as well? Thinking about getting started with the basics, not every esoteric possibility here. For instance, if you're in Dorian in the key of C so your root note is D and the other notes are all naturals, would the "basic" chords be D, G and A as 1, 4 and 5? Enlighten me, please.

As a beginner, I'm told that usually songs mostly use the 1, 4 and 5 chords (e.g. C major songs mostly use C, F and G), but does this apply to modes as well? Thinking about getting started with the basics, not every esoteric possibility here. For instance, if you're in Dorian in the key of C so your root note is D and the other notes are all naturals, would the "basic" chords be D, G and A as 1, 4 and 5? Enlighten me, please.

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[–] [deleted] • 0 pt (edited )

First, 1-4-5 is just a progression not a rule. If you were to be playing in d dorian, it just means that the tonal center has shifted from the 1 to the 2 in the major scale. So, the progression would be centered around the dm chord and it would sound like home. Without going into things like parallel Major/minor and stuff like that, starting from the 1 (C), your chords will be I Major, ii minor, iii minor, IV Major, V Major, vii minor, and vii diminished. You can form your progression from any of those chords, but for it to sound Dorian, the dm needs to feel like home.

Is that making sense?

[–] • 0 pt

My ear isn't good enough to know what feels like home. That's why I was asking the original question. Thanks anyway.

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt (edited )

Try creating your progression from this group of chords: C, dm, em, F, G, am. Forget about bdim for now.

Start and end your progression on dm and see how it sounds to you. Using the F somewhere in the progression will help solidify you in the key of C, as G uses an f#dim instead.