February 17, 2025

The Seven Modes

Modes are built from the major scale by starting on different degrees. Each mode has the same seven notes as its parent major scale but a different root, which shifts which intervals are prominent and changes the sound completely. The key to using modes is knowing what they sound like, not just how to construct them.

All Seven Modes from C Major

C major:     C D E F G A B C
Ionian:      C D E F G A B C  (1st — this is just the major scale)
Dorian:      D E F G A B C D  (2nd — minor with raised 6th)
Phrygian:    E F G A B C D E  (3rd — minor with flatted 2nd)
Lydian:      F G A B C D E F  (4th — major with raised 4th)
Mixolydian:  G A B C D E F G  (5th — major with flatted 7th)
Aeolian:     A B C D E F G A  (6th — this is the natural minor scale)
Locrian:     B C D E F G A B  (7th — diminished, rarely used in isolation)

Step Patterns

Ionian:     W-W-H-W-W-W-H   (same as major: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7)
Dorian:     W-H-W-W-W-H-W   (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7)
Phrygian:   H-W-W-W-H-W-W   (1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7)
Lydian:     W-W-W-H-W-W-H   (1 2 3 #4 5 6 7)
Mixolydian: W-W-H-W-W-H-W   (1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7)
Aeolian:    W-H-W-W-H-W-W   (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7)
Locrian:    H-W-W-H-W-W-W   (1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7)

What Each Sounds Like and Where to Use It

  • Ionian (major) — bright, happy, resolved. Everything from folk songs to pop choruses. The default sound of Western music. Use over Imaj7 chords.
  • Dorian — minor with a lift. The raised 6th (compared to natural minor) gives it an optimistic quality despite being in a minor key. Jazz minor, funk, 60s rock. Santana's "Oye Como Va," Miles Davis's "So What." Use over m7 chords.
  • Phrygian — dark and Spanish. The flatted 2nd (a half step above the root) gives it a Mediterranean or flamenco quality. Metal, flamenco, some film music. Use over m7 chords where you want intensity.
  • Lydian — dreamy, floating, otherworldly. The raised 4th creates an ambiguous, lifted quality. Film scores (John Williams used it constantly), ambient, some jazz. Use over maj7 or maj7#11 chords.
  • Mixolydian — major with a bluesy flat 7th. The dominant sound. Rock, blues, country, funk. "Sweet Home Alabama," "Norwegian Wood," most blues-rock soloing. Use over dominant 7th chords.
  • Aeolian (natural minor) — sad, serious, introspective. The standard minor sound in rock and classical. Everything from Beethoven to Metallica. Use over m7 chords in a minor key context.
  • Locrian — unstable, tense, hard to use melodically because the diminished 5th makes the tonic feel unresolved. Mostly used over half-diminished (m7♭5) chords in jazz. Some metal. Rarely the centre of gravity in a piece.

Thinking in Modes

There are two ways to think about modes. One is derivative — D Dorian is the C major scale starting on D. This is useful for understanding construction but not for playing. The other is parallel — D Dorian is a minor scale with a raised 6th compared to D natural minor. This is more useful for actually using modes: it tells you what's different and distinctive about the sound.

When you're soloing over a chord, the second approach works better. Over a Dm7 chord you're not thinking "C major starting on D" — you're thinking "minor sound with this particular colour."