G'day,

I remember John Greenway, visiting Australia in the 1960s, playing The Plains of the Buffalo to a single chord (Dm ... ?). Somehow, these days, I suspect this had more to do with Dr Greenway than The Plains of the Buffalo!

M.Ted:
"Everything with a modal melody can be played with just one chord, or more properly, with just the fundamental and fifth as drones-- "

Just which of the 12 modes were you imagining can be specifically called "modal"?

Normal major tunes are in the Ionian mode ... normal "minor" tunes are in the Aeolian mode ... many minors in, say, Irish use are in the Dorian mode ... lots of Scots tunes are in the Myxolydian mode ... and so on. There are lots of modes alive and well in the world's folk musics ... and they are all different in sound and accompaniment.

Regards,

Bob Bolton