"Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon
"Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon is the name I have given to a sensitivity to this chord progression.
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The chord progression is from the chord I to chord IV in the dorian mode. In the key of D the chord progression is D minor to G major. It corresponds to the chord progression II-V in a major key although this would normally resolve to I. In the Dorian mode, the resolution is a return to the I.
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I discovered at a young age that I had a heightened sensitivity to this chord progression. It causes an emotional and psysiological response. The chord progression has been used in many songs designed to provoke strong emotions - usually sadness.
Here is a list of songs that employ this chord progression. In bold are the songs that exploit the moving quality of the chord change.
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Cameleon - Herbie Hancok
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
Everybody Hurts – REM
Use Me – Bill Withers
The Ghetto – Donny Hathaway
Staying Alive – Beejees
Full House - Wes Montgomery
Who needs Love like That – Erasure
Wicked Game - Chris Isaac
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars
Oye Como Va – Tito Puente/Santana
Evil Ways - Santana
Breathe - Pink Floyd
Gimme gimme gimme a Man After Midnight – Abba
Aeroplane – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Rock DJ – Robbie Williams
This Masquerade - Carepenters/ George Benson
Holding Back the Years – Simply Red
Red Box – Simply Red
I Wish – Stevie Wonder
Love will bring us back together- Roy Ayres
Aint Gonna Stand for It – Stevie Wonder (chorus)
Puzzlin' Evidence – Talking Heads
Rat in Mi Kitchen – UB40
Mad World – Gary Jules (Originally Tears for Fears)
Ecstacy – Barry White
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Certain musiciens and composers seem to have a heightened sensitivity to "Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon. In the classical genre, Debussy would fall into this category. A good example is La Mer (listen for the climax at the end). In the pop genre Michael Jackson wrote a lot of songs based on the Dorian I-IV chord see-saw. Here are a few :
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Don't Stop Until You Get Enough
Thriller
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Bad
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Jam
Blood on the Dancefloor
Ghosts
Money
Earth Song
This Is It (bridge)
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Variations
Sometimes the chord see-saw is inverted: it starts(and always resolves back to) the major chord. In this case, the key is the Mixolydian mode. For example, the root is G with the chord I being G major, which then moves to the V which is D minor and then continues to oscillate between the two. Some examples of this form of the phenomenon are the following:
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Moby - Porcelain
Gorillaz - Don't Get Lost In Heaven
Millenium - Robbie Williams
Carnavalia – Tribalistas
Yroco - ​Jimmy Sabater
Medieval Music
Dorian Mode comes from medieval music, sacred (such as Gregorian chant) and secular. The Dorian mode is one of 8 modes.