Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Music
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Dr. Samantha Inman
Second Advisor
Dr. Stephen Lias
Third Advisor
Dr. Alexander Amato
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Nolan Stolz
Abstract
Modality is quite commonplace in heavy metal music, including some of the less common modes such as Phrygian and Locrian. This thesis provides musical examples and analyses of heavy metal music based on theories of scholars such as Brett Clement and Nicole Biamonte and demonstrates how modes are used in conjunction with other musical elements such as meter, tempo, instrumentation, and timbre to paint the text and color the sound. The primary focus of repertoire is selected works from the 1970s and early ’80s by early metal pioneers Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, and Scorpions. Other brief examples from Metallica, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Iron Maiden demonstrate the influence of these groundbreaking works on later generations and the resulting widespread use of modality throughout the metal genres. The study also explores how the harmonic functions of modes differ from harmonic functions found throughout the Common Practice Period and argues how uncommon modes such as Locrian have legitimate functionality within a heavy metal setting.
Repository Citation
Young, Richard W. Jr., "MODES IN HEAVY METAL MUSIC" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 539.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/539
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
