Modes give you different ways to organize familiar scale notes and create different sounds in melodies, improvisation, and chord progressions.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the seven modes of the Major scale, compare their formulas and characteristic notes, and see how each mode can be used melodically and harmonically.

What are modes in music?

A mode is a type of scale with its own interval formula and sound. The seven modes in this lesson can all be derived from the Major scale by treating a different scale degree as the new root.

For example, C Major and D Dorian contain the same notes, but D sounds like the tonal center in D Dorian. You can also compare modes from the same root, such as C Ionian, C Dorian, and C Lydian, to hear more clearly how their formulas differ.

*The moods listed for each mode are my opinion. I suggest playing and listening to each one so you can draw your own conclusions.

As you work through the modes, first notice whether the 3rd is Major or minor:

• Major-type sounds: Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian
• Minor-type sounds: Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian
• Locrian: minor 3rd with a b5

The mood descriptions below are one way to describe each sound. For practice, pay closest attention to the characteristic note that distinguishes one mode from another.

Ionian mode

The 1st mode is called Ionian and has the scale notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 1st degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: Bright, cheerful, familiar 😁

Here is an example of the C Ionian scale which is just the C Major scale starting on the 1st degree.

The audio examples will repeat the scale over a chord so you can get a better grasp of the sound of each mode.

You can also build chords to create progressions from each mode, which we’ll look at later in this lesson.

Dorian mode

The 2nd mode is called Dorian and has the scale notes 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, and b7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 2nd degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: pensive, curious 🤔
• Characteristic note: natural 6th

You can think of the Dorian scale as a minor scale with a natural 6th degree.

Here is an example of the C Dorian scale which is built by starting on the second degree of the Bb Major scale.

See this other lesson to learn the 5 Dorian scale shapes on guitar.

Phrygian mode

The 3rd mode is called Phrygian and has the scale notes 1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, and b7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 3rd degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: tense, dark, mysterious 😳
• Characteristic note: flat 2

You can think of the Phrygian scale as a natural minor scale with a flat 2nd degree.

Here is an example of the C Phrygian scale, which is built by starting on the third degree of the Ab Major scale.

See this lesson to learn the 5 Phrygian scale shapes on guitar.

Lydian mode

The 4th mode is called Lydian and has the scale notes 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, and 7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 4th degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: bright, hopeful 🙂
• Characteristic note: sharp 4

You can think of the Lydian scale as a Major scale with a sharp 4th degree.

Here is an example of the C Lydian scale which is built by starting on the fourth degree of the G Major scale.

See this lesson to learn the 5 Lydian scale shapes on guitar.

My Music Composition Notebook is designed to help you capture your musical ideas, featuring printable sheet music tailored for different instruments.

It also includes easy-to-follow guides and references to help you understand essential music concepts and symbols, such as note names on the staff, time and key signatures, note values, and the circle of fifths.

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Mixolydian mode

The 5th mode is called Mixolydian and has the scale notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and b7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 5th degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: laid back, smooth 😎
• Characteristic note: flat 7

You can think of the Mixolydian as a Major scale with a flat 7th degree.

Here is an example of the C Mixolydian scale which is built by starting on the 5th degree of the F Major scale.

See this other lesson to learn the 5 Mixolydian scale shapes on guitar.

Compare these three modes from C:

• C Ionian: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• C Lydian: 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7
• C Mixolydian: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7

Play each over a C-based chord or backing track where the notes fit. Listen specifically to the natural 4, #4, 7, and b7 and how they change the sound.

Aeolian mode

The 6th mode is called Aeolian and has the scale notes 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, and b7.  (Commonly known as the natural minor scale). This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 6th degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: melancholic, mournful, contemplative 🥺
• Characteristic note: flat 6

Here is an example of the C Aeolian scale which is built by starting on the 6th degree of the Eb Major scale.

See this lesson which covers the 5 Aeolian scale shapes.

Now compare these three minor-type modes from C:

• C Dorian: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7
• C Phrygian: 1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7
• C Aeolian: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7

Listen especially to the natural 6 in Dorian, the b2 in Phrygian, and the b6 in Aeolian.

Locrian mode

The 7th mode is called Locrian and has the scale notes 1, b2, b3, 4, b5, b6, and b7. This is the sound you get when you play the notes starting on the 7th degree of the Major scale.

• Mood / emotion: unstable, uncertain 😐
• Characteristic notes: flat 2, flat 5

You can think of the Locrian scale as having all flat scale degrees except the 4th note. This is similar to the Phrygian scale except the Phrygian has a natural 5th degree and the Locrian has a flat 5th degree.

Here is an example of the C Locrian scale which is built by starting on the 7th degree of the Db Major scale.

See this other lesson to learn the 5 Locrian scale shapes on guitar.

Locrian is especially useful to compare with a minor 7 b5 chord because its formula contains 1, b3, b5, and b7. For example, C Locrian contains the chord tones of C minor 7 b5.

Major scale modes chart

Use the chart below as a reference for comparing the seven formulas. Focus first on recognizing the characteristic notes rather than memorizing every formula at once.

You’ll often hear musicians say both “D Dorian mode” and “D Dorian scale.” In practice, both usually refer to the same set of notes and sound.

Modes can also affect harmony. When you build chords from a mode, its characteristic notes appear inside certain chords and help bring out the modal sound.

Composing with modes: Related chords

We looked at how to create scale notes for each mode related to the Major scale. However, we can even build related chords based on the notes of each mode! This is done by looking at the chord qualities that are formed from intervals of a third. For example, in a C Major scale, the notes C, E, and G make a C Major chord; D, F and A make a D minor chord, and so on…

To quickly recap, the triads and 7th chords in a Major scale are:

1. Major chord or Major 7
2. Minor chord or minor 7
3. Minor chord or minor 7
4. Major chord or Major 7
5. Major chord or Dominant 7
6. Minor chord or minor 7
7. Diminished chord or minor 7 b5

You can learn all the related chords of Major and minor scales here.

When creating chord progressions from modes, the same order of chord qualities gets shifted to different starting points. Here’s a chart that shows you the related triad chords for each mode.

Related triad chords for each mode

Maj = Major
min = minor
dim = diminished

Choose either Dorian, Lydian, or Mixolydian. Find its characteristic note, then look through the related chords and identify one chord that contains that note. Create a simple two-chord progression and listen for how that chord helps bring out the modal sound.

To find the related chords, you can think of the notes of the mode (or scale degrees), and then simply attach the chord qualities from the chart above.

For example, the related triad chords for the G Lydian mode would be G Major, A Major, B minor, C# diminished, D Major, E minor, and F# min.

Related 7th chords for each mode

The same idea can be expanded to four-note 7th chords. Use the table below when you want richer voicings while keeping the same modal harmony.

(7) = Dominant 7

An example of the related 7th chords for the G Dorian mode would be G minor 7, A minor 7, Bb Major 7, C 7, D minor 7, E minor 7 b5, and F Major 7.

Choose one mode and play it over a chord or simple backing track that fits the sound. Create a short phrase that deliberately includes the mode’s characteristic note, then play another phrase that avoids that note. Compare how clearly the modal sound comes through.

Wrapping Up

The seven modes of the Major scale use different interval formulas to create different melodic and harmonic sounds.

A useful way to learn them is to compare modes from the same root and listen for their characteristic notes, such as the natural 6 in Dorian, #4 in Lydian, or b7 in Mixolydian.

From there, you can use those notes in melodies and chord progressions to make the sound of a particular mode clearer.

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