Scales and modes
Modes
Modes are the seven scales you get by playing the major scale from each of its degrees: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.
What are modes in music?
A mode is a scale defined by its pattern of intervals from a tonic. The seven best-known modes come from the major scale: take the notes of C major (C D E F G A B) and simply change the starting note.
| Mode | Start in C | Formula | Characteristic note | Chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | C | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 7 | Cmaj7 |
| Dorian | D | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | 6 | Dm7 |
| Phrygian | E | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | ♭2 | Em7 |
| Lydian | F | 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 | #4 | Fmaj7 |
| Mixolydian | G | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | ♭7 | G7 |
| Aeolian | A | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | ♭6 | Am7 |
| Locrian | B | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | ♭5 | Bm7♭5 |
Three modes are major (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian), three are minor (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian) and Locrian is diminished.
Why D Dorian is not just C major
The notes are the same, but the tonal centre is what creates the mode. If the backing revolves around Dm7, C major notes sound Dorian; if it revolves around C, they sound Ionian.
To really hear the difference, compare modes on the same root. From A:
- A Ionian = A major (3 sharps);
- A Dorian = notes of G major;
- A Phrygian = notes of F major;
- A Lydian = notes of E major;
- A Mixolydian = notes of D major;
- A Aeolian = notes of C major;
- A Locrian = notes of B♭ major.
Exercise: hear the modes on one string
Let the open A string ring as a drone and play each mode on that same string, from fret 0 to fret 12:
- A Dorian: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 (lean on F#, fret 9);
- A Mixolydian: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 (lean on G, fret 10);
- A Lydian: 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 (lean on D#, fret 6);
- A Phrygian: 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 (lean on B♭, fret 1).
Playing on one string turns intervals into distances, with no fingering to memorize. Then move to full positions with the guitar scales tool, showing intervals so the characteristic note stands out.
Which chords bring out each mode?
A mode takes over when the backing makes its characteristic note heard:
- Am7 D (the 6, F#, inside D): Dorian;
- E F (the ♭2 inside F): Phrygian;
- Fmaj7 G/F (the #4, B, inside G): Lydian;
- G F (the ♭7 inside F): Mixolydian;
- Am G F: Aeolian.
Borrowing a chord from a parallel mode (B♭ or Fm in a song in C major) is called modal interchange. Other scales have modes too, such as the melodic minor scale.
Key takeaways
- Seven modes of the major scale: same notes, different tonic.
- Each mode has a characteristic note: 6 (Dorian), ♭2 (Phrygian), #4 (Lydian), ♭7 (Mixolydian).
- Compare them on the same root to hear them.
- The underlying chord decides the mode.
Frequently asked questions
How many modes are there?
Seven for the major scale. But every seven-note scale has seven modes: melodic minor and harmonic minor each give seven more, such as Lydian dominant or Phrygian dominant.
In what order should I learn the modes?
Start with the ones closest to what you know: Aeolian (natural minor), Dorian and Mixolydian. Then add Lydian and Phrygian, and finally Locrian, which is rare outside jazz and metal.
Are modes just positions of the major scale?
No. The five or seven major-scale fingerings on the neck are not modes until you change the tonic. A mode is a sound heard against a root, not a place on the fretboard.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.