Teory behind Clinch mountain backstep

I have played a little banjo, FMB, Scruggs style and so on. When I heared Clinch Mountian backstep it sounded different, kind of minorisch. I downloaded the tune and saw the differens. In my eyes fhe banjo used the minor scale. Funny because the backup played in Mayor.
I made a test and played guitarr together with the band and I could play in either minor or mayor and it didn´t sound wrong. I have played backup for a irish mandoline and then I used modal chords and even those worked whith Clinch Mountain.
Is there anybody who knows enogh teory to exlaine this for me? Is it a modal fiddletune from the beginning? Are there more tunes of this kind? What´s the history?
It sounds very nice!

Renée from Sweden

Hi Renee

This issue is touched on in the Theory Lesson you'll find on the Lessons page. The word 'modal' is very misleading, since there are many modes, and just saying 'modal' doesn't tell us which mode we're talking about!

I can tell you that most of the backing in Clinch Mt is NEITHER major nor minor; it simply leaves out the 3rd of the scale. The guitar is playing a G shape (capo 2nd fret) which is only Gs & Ds - real As & Es; and no G# in the E chord either. This means the soloist can choose whether to play Cs or C#s, and Gs or G#s, making it major or minor to taste (since the scale always uses a flattened 7th (G), with C# it would be the Mixolydian mode, with a C it would be the Dorian mode). You can make it a bit ambiguous by bending and sliding from a C upwards, and it's this ambiguity that really gives it it's flavour. Chris Pandolfi seems to favour the more minor approach - Dorian, while Jeremy's fiddle is full of C#s - Mixolydian.

I hope that helps a bit. Do check out the Theory Lesson though; and a new Further Theory Lesson will be available at some point in the next few months which will look at modes far more thoroughly.

Andy

When I´m backing Irish I use cord that leaves out the 3:d, that´s what I call modal cords. It gives abit more drone tone.
Since I just get hold on the banjopart when downloading I don´d see the guitarr backup in tabs. In my ears it´s mayor. Do I have to pay once more to see the guitarr too? Not the solo, just the backing.
Is it common to backup bluegrass in this way?

I check out the theory lessons if I find it.
Thanks for the amswer!

Renée