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By which I mean keep all the same notes in the same order, but start on a note that isn't the root.

Let's work in C major. There's obviously the special case that if you start on the 6th (sub-mediant, same as going down a minor 3rd) you are in the relative minor key - Am here. But what about the other 5 possibilities - does the 'scale' F, G, A, B, C, D, E have any meaning, or B, C, D, E, F, G, A?

Mr. Boy
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  • They are called [modes](http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Music_Theory/Modes). – Dom Jan 12 '15 at 15:37
  • Ah it does seem the exact same _information_ but my question comes from the opposite direction. It should be marked as a duplicate. – Mr. Boy Jan 12 '15 at 15:45
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    3rd close vote. Please don't take this as a rejection of the question -- people will find this question and follow the link. – slim Jan 12 '15 at 15:47
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    That's kind of the point of the duplicate close reason. You can ask the same question a ton of ways and instead of answering it over and over again the question is linked to the other set. – Dom Jan 12 '15 at 15:47
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    In relation to modal theory, starting on another scale degree will indicate that you are now playing another mode. In the key of "C" if you start on the 2nd which is "D" and work your way up, you now see that the complexion in tone has changed. You are in fact playing a C major scale but starting on the D. Essentially you have gone from 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 to 1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7. This is called the Dorian mode. The next will be Phrygian and so on. Hope this helps – Jordan Jan 12 '15 at 23:18

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