The modes of the major scale are seven scales built from the same seven notes, each starting on a different degree: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. C major gives C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian and B Locrian.
What are the modes of the major scale?
The modes of the major scale are seven scales built from the same seven notes, each starting on a different degree. Take the C major scale, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and start it on D instead of C, and you get D, E, F, G, A, B, C, which is D Dorian. Start it on E and you get E Phrygian, on F you get F Lydian, on G you get G Mixolydian, on A you get A Aeolian, which is the natural minor scale, and on B you get B Locrian. The notes never change; only the starting point changes, and that changes everything about how the scale sounds. The modes matter because each one has a different character, even though they share the same notes. Ionian, the major scale itself, sounds bright and settled. Dorian sounds minor but with a lift, because its 6th is major. Phrygian sounds dark and exotic, because its 2nd is minor. Lydian sounds dreamy and floating, because its 4th is raised. Mixolydian sounds bluesy and relaxed, because its 7th is minor. Aeolian, the natural minor, sounds dark and sad. Locrian sounds tense and unstable, because its 5th is diminished. Learning the modes means learning seven colours from one set of notes.
How the modes are built
Each mode is the major scale rotated to a new starting point, which gives each mode a different interval pattern. Ionian is 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. Dorian is 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, which is the natural minor scale with a raised 6th. Phrygian is 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, the natural minor scale with a lowered 2nd. Lydian is 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, the major scale with a raised 4th. Mixolydian is 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, the major scale with a lowered 7th. Aeolian is 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, the natural minor scale. Locrian is 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, the natural minor scale with a lowered 2nd and 5th. The practical way to learn the modes is to compare each one with the major or minor scale on the same root, and to name the one or two notes that differ. Dorian is minor with a major 6th. Phrygian is minor with a minor 2nd. Lydian is major with an augmented 4th. Mixolydian is major with a minor 7th. Locrian is minor with a minor 2nd and a diminished 5th. That comparison is easier than memorising seven interval patterns, and it tells you what each mode sounds like: the notes that differ from major or minor are the notes that give the mode its character. The D dorian scale and the G mixolydian scale show two modes, and the scale finder builds any mode from any root.
Worked example — the modes of G major. The G major scale is G, A, B, C, D, E, F#. Start it on A and you get A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, which is A Dorian. Start it on B and you get B, C, D, E, F#, G, A, which is B Phrygian. Start it on C and you get C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, which is C Lydian. Start it on D and you get D, E, F#, G, A, B, C, which is D Mixolydian. Start it on E and you get E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, which is E Aeolian, the E natural minor scale. Start it on F# and you get F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, which is F# Locrian. Seven modes, one set of notes, and the key of G major is the home key they all belong to.
How to practise the modes
Practise the modes by comparing each one with major or minor on the same root, so you learn the character of each mode rather than a list of notes.
- Play the C major scale and then the D dorian scale, and listen for the same notes sounding minor because the starting point has moved.
- Play the modes of C major in order, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian, and name the character of each one as you play it.
- Compare Dorian with natural minor on the same root, and name the one note that differs: the 6th, which is major in Dorian and minor in natural minor.
- Play the G mixolydian scale over a G7 chord, and listen for the minor 7th, F, fitting the dominant chord perfectly.
- Use the scale finder to find the modes of any major scale, and check that they all contain the same seven notes.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the modes are different scales — The modes of a major scale contain exactly the same notes; only the starting point changes. If your Dorian scale has different notes from the major scale it comes from, one of them is wrong.
- Learning the modes as separate finger patterns — The modes are not seven different shapes to memorise: they are one set of notes with seven starting points. Learn the parent major scale first, and the modes follow from it.
- Using the wrong mode over a chord — Dorian fits a minor 7th chord, Mixolydian fits a dominant 7th chord, and Lydian fits a major 7th chord. Using the wrong mode over a chord will clash, so check the chord before you choose the mode.
Quick reference
This table lists the seven modes of the C major scale, with the starting degree, the notes and the character of each mode, so you can see the whole system in one place. The notes are identical in every row, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and only the starting point changes, which is why each mode sounds different even though it uses the same seven notes.
| Mode | Starts on | Notes (from C major) | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | 1st degree | C – D – E – F – G – A – B | Bright, settled, major |
| Dorian | 2nd degree | D – E – F – G – A – B – C | Minor with a lift |
| Phrygian | 3rd degree | E – F – G – A – B – C – D | Dark, exotic, Spanish |
| Lydian | 4th degree | F – G – A – B – C – D – E | Dreamy, floating, bright |
| Mixolydian | 5th degree | G – A – B – C – D – E – F | Bluesy, relaxed, major |
| Aeolian | 6th degree | A – B – C – D – E – F – G | Dark, sad, natural minor |
| Locrian | 7th degree | B – C – D – E – F – G – A | Tense, unstable, dark |
Work through the table by playing each mode on your instrument, starting from its first note and listening for the character in the last column. When you can hear the difference between Dorian and Aeolian, and between Lydian and Ionian, you understand the modes, and you can start using them to colour your playing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the modes of the major scale?
The seven scales built from the same seven notes, each starting on a different degree: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. C major gives C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian and B Locrian.
How many modes are there?
Seven, one for each degree of the major scale. The first mode, Ionian, is the major scale itself, and the sixth mode, Aeolian, is the natural minor scale, so the modes include the two most common scales in music.
What is the easiest way to learn the modes?
Compare each mode with the major or minor scale on the same root, and learn the one or two notes that differ. Dorian is minor with a major 6th, Lydian is major with a raised 4th, and Mixolydian is major with a minor 7th.
Do the modes have different notes?
No. The modes of a major scale contain exactly the same seven notes; only the starting point changes. That is why the modes are sometimes called rotations of the major scale, and why they are easier to learn than they first appear.
Which modes are used most in popular music?
Dorian and Mixolydian, because they fit the minor 7th and dominant 7th chords that appear constantly in rock, pop and jazz. Lydian appears in film music and dreamy pop, Phrygian in flamenco and metal, and Locrian rarely, because it is so unstable.