Modes of the Major Scale

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What are Modes? 3

Modes of the Major Scale 4

The Ionian Mode (The Major Scale) 5

The Dorian Mode Natural Minor with a Major 6th Interval 6

The Phrygian Mode Natural Minor with a Flat 2nd Interval 7

The Lydian Mode Major with a Sharp 4th Interval 8

The Mixolydian Mode Major with a Flat 7th Interval 9

The Aeolian Mode (The Natural Minor Scale) 10

The Locrian Mode Natural Minor with Flat 2nd & Flat 5th Intervals 11
What are Modes?
Modes are t pes of scales that have tonic notes on different degrees of the Major Scale. Since there are 7 scale
degrees of the Major Scale, there are 7 Modes.

Modes are used to add colour and character to otherwise normal sounding Major and Minor tonalities.

Despite their exotic sounds (and exotic names), modes are no different than what you have been reading about
so far. In fact, ou ve been using modes alread with the Major Scale and Natural Minor Scale!

The Major Scale is also known as the Ionian Mode. The Natural Minor Scale is also known as the Aeolian Mode, the
6th mode of the Major Scale.

How Do Modes Work?

Remember, any Major Scale (the Ionian Mode), follows this pattern of whole steps and half steps:

WWHWWWH

Now, rather than choosing our tonic as the first degree, let s choose the 6th degree (W W H W W W H), and
rearrange the pattern to create the pattern of the Natural Minor scale (or the Aeolian Mode):

WHWWHWW

You can do this with every degree of the Major Scale to create 7 modes. Each have a characteristic sound
because of the shifted intervals.

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Modes of the Major Scale
Mode Pattern Intervals Quality Character

Ionian (I) WWHWWWH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Major Bright & Happy

Dorian (ii) WHWWWHW 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 Minor w/ maj6 Dark & Sweet

Phrygian (iii) HWWWHWW 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 Minor w/ ♭2 Dark & Exotic

Lydian (IV) WWWHWWH 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 Major w/ ♯4 Bright & Mysterious

Mixolydian (V7) WWHWWHW 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 Major w/ ♭7 Bright & Tense

Aeolian (vi) WHWWHWW 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 Natural Minor Dark & Sad

Locrian (viio) HWWHWWW 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 Half Diminished Dissonant

Let’s compare the Ionian Mode & Lydian Mode. Most of the intervals are the same, but the Lydian Mode has a ♯4.
If you play the Lydian mode you’ll notice a difference in character from the normal Major Scale.

If we chose C as our tonic, C Ionian would consist of the notes C D E F G A B. In comparison, C Lydian would be
slightly different with C D E F♯ G A B (notice the F♯). These ‘character’ intervals that give each mode their unique
sound.

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The Ionian Mode (The Major Scale)
Interval 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

C Ionian C D E F G A B

C♯ Ionian C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯

D♭ Ionian D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C

D Ionian D E F♯ G A B C♯

E♭ Ionian E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D

E Ionian E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯

F Ionian F G A B♭ C D E

F♯ Ionian F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯

G♭ Ionian G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F

G Ionian G A B C D E F♯

A♭ Ionian A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G

A Ionian A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯

B♭ Ionian B♭ C D E♭ F G A

B Ionian B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯

C♭ Ionian C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭

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The Dorian Mode - Natural Minor with a Major 6th Interval
Interval 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

C Dorian C D E♭ F G A B♭

C♯ Dorian C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B

D Dorian D E F G A B C

D♯ Dorian D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯

E♭ Dorian E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭

E Dorian E F♯ G A B C♯ D

F Dorian F G A♭ B♭ C D E♭

F♯ Dorian F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E

G Dorian G A B♭ C D E F

G♯ Dorian G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯

A♭ Dorian A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭

A Dorian A B C D E F♯ G

A♯ Dorian A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F𝄪 G♯

B♭ Dorian B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A♭

B Dorian B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A

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The Phrygian Mode - Natural Minor with a Flat 2nd Interval
Interval 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

C Phrygian C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭

C♯ Phrygian C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A B

D Phrygian D E♭ F G A B♭ C

D♯ Phrygian D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯

E♭ Phrygian E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭

E Phrygian E F G A B C D

F Phrygian F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭

F♯ Phrygian F♯ G A B C♯ D E

G Phrygian G A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F

G♯ Phrygian G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E F♯

A♭ Phrygian A♭ B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭

A Phrygian A B♭ C D E F G

A♯ Phrygian A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯

B♭ Phrygian B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭

B Phrygian B C D E F♯ G A

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The Lydian Mode - Major with a Sharp 4th Interval
Interval 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7

C Lydian C D E F♯ G A B

C♯ Lydian C♯ D♯ E♯ F𝄪 G♯ A♯ B♯

D♭ Lydian D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C

D Lydian D E F♯ G♯ A B C♯

E♭ Lydian E♭ F G A B♭ C D

E Lydian E F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯

F Lydian F G A B C D E

F♯ Lydian F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯

G♭ Lydian G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F

G Lydian G A B C♯ D E F♯

A♭ Lydian A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G

A Lydian A B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯

B♭ Lydian B♭ C D E F G A

B Lydian B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯

C♭ Lydian C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭

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The Mixolydian Mode - Major with a Flat 7th Interval
Interval 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7

C Mixolydian C D E F G A B♭

C♯ Mixolydian C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B

D♭ Mixolydian D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭

D Mixolydian D E F♯ G A B C

E♭ Mixolydian E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D♭

E Mixolydian E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D

F Mixolydian F G A B♭ C D E♭

F♯ Mixolydian F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E

G♭ Mixolydian G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭

G Mixolydian G A B C D E F

A♭ Mixolydian A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭

A Mixolydian A B C♯ D E F♯ G

B♭ Mixolydian B♭ C D E♭ F G A♭

B Mixolydian B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A

C♭ Mixolydian C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B𝄫

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The Aeolian Mode (The Natural Minor Scale)
Interval 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

C Aeolian C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭

C♯ Aeolian C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B

D Aeolian D E F G A B♭ C

D♯ Aeolian D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯

E♭ Aeolian E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭

E Aeolian E F♯ G A B C D

F Aeolian F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭

F♯ Aeolian F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E

G Aeolian G A B♭ C D E♭ F

G♯ Aeolian G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯

A♭ Aeolian A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭

A Aeolian A B C D E F G

A♯ Aeolian A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯

B♭ Aeolian B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭

B Aeolian B C♯ D E F♯ G A

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The Locrian Mode - Natural Minor with Flat 2nd & Flat 5th Intervals
Interval 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

C Locrian C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭

C♯ Locrian C♯ D E F♯ G A B

D Locrian D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C

D♯ Locrian D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B C♯

E♭ Locrian E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B𝄫 C♭ D♭

E Locrian E F G A B♭ C D

F Locrian F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭

F♯ Locrian F♯ G A B C D E

G Locrian G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F

G♯ Locrian G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯

A♭ Locrian A♭ B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E𝄫 F♭ G♭

A Locrian A B♭ C D E♭ F G

A♯ Locrian A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯

B♭ Locrian B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭

B Locrian B C D E F G A

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