I realize this is a very basic question and I apologize in advance. If I am in a jam and play a song like the Cuckoo in G Modal, what key do I tell the other players (guitar, etc.) that they should play in? Is it basically a minor key? G Modal would be equivalent of G minor on guitar? Since most guitar players won't enjoy playing in G minor, do most capo up and do A Modal with Am accompaniment?
"G modal" is not an unambiguous concept. There are seven different modes that can be called "G modal", of which one is equal to the major scale and one to the minor scale. The Cuckoo is in Dorian mode and I would say G Dorian and use to call G Dorian for a mixture between G minor and F major. The chords used in The Cuckoo is Gm and F.
Not really a basic question. Have a read at Jack Beuthin's sticky at the top of this forum. The "mode" of a tune refers to the scale, not the key. The common major and minor scales are two of the modes. Old-time tunes that are called "modal" are most often in the Myxolydian or Dorian modes, or are pentatonic, so really don't fit any mode.
A lot of people would play guitar to a tune like The Cuckoo with the 1 minor and the 7 major, some like all major chords. In G I'd probably do this with capo 3 and Em and D shapes
Lots of good discussion in Jack's thread.
There is also a good thread in the Music Theory Section about modes: https://www.banjohangout.org/topic/287412.
". . . Since most guitar players won't enjoy playing in G minor, do most capo up and do A Modal with Am accompaniment?"
Yes, most jams play this tune in A modal, especially if there is a fiddle involved. Capo on the 2nd fret for banjo and the guitar will play Am and G chords with no capo.
David
Also look at this archived thread banjohangout.org/archive/382762
The 4th post down, by Don Borchelt, makes some great points about modal ambiguity in old-time music.
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