The seven music modes
The modes are the seven scales you get by playing the major scale starting from each of its notes. On the white keys, C to C is Ionian (major), D to D is Dorian, E to E is Phrygian, F to F is Lydian, G to G is Mixolydian, A to A is Aeolian (natural minor) and B to B is Locrian. Tap a mode to hear it.
Same notes, different home
All seven white-key modes use the same seven notes. What changes is the note the music treats as home. Play C to C over a C chord and the notes sound major. Play the same white keys from D to D over a Dm chord and the half steps land in different places relative to home, so the mood becomes minor with a lift. That shift is the whole idea of modes.
Because each white-key mode borrows the notes of C major, C major is called the parent scale. D Dorian is the 2nd mode of C major, G Mixolydian the 5th, and so on. To find the notes of any mode, find its parent major. A Dorian is the 2nd mode of G major, so it uses the notes of G major starting from A: A B C D E F♯ G.
The seven modes one by one
| Mode | White keys | Degree of major | Formula | Home chord | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | C to C | 1st | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | C | |
| Dorian | D to D | 2nd | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 | Dm | |
| Phrygian | E to E | 3rd | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | Em | |
| Lydian | F to F | 4th | 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 | F | |
| Mixolydian | G to G | 5th | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 | G | |
| Aeolian | A to A | 6th | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 | Am | |
| Locrian | B to B | 7th | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 | Bdim |
Ionian
Ionian is the reference: this is the major scale. Step pattern: W W H W W W H. It is the brightest of the common modes after Lydian, and the default for most Western melodies. Open C major scale.
Dorian
Dorian is a minor scale with a raised 6th. Its character note is the 6 (B in D Dorian), the one note that separates it from natural minor. Step pattern: W H W W W H W. It keeps the minor 3rd but brightens the 6th, which gives it a soulful, slightly jazzy color. Funk grooves and folk tunes use it a lot. Open D Dorian mode.
Phrygian
Phrygian is a minor scale with a lowered 2nd. Its character note is the ♭2 (F in E Phrygian), the one note that separates it from natural minor. Step pattern: H W W W H W W. The half step right above home gives it a tense, Spanish or flamenco sound, and it shows up in metal riffs. Open E Phrygian mode.
Lydian
Lydian is a major scale with a raised 4th. Its character note is the ♯4 (B in F Lydian), the one note that separates it from the major scale. Step pattern: W W W H W W H. The raised 4th floats above the major chord, so it sounds dreamy and unresolved. Film composers reach for it for wonder and flight. Open F Lydian mode.
Mixolydian
Mixolydian is a major scale with a lowered 7th. Its character note is the ♭7 (F in G Mixolydian), the one note that separates it from the major scale. Step pattern: W W H W W H W. The lowered 7th takes the edge off the pull back to home, giving a laid-back, bluesy major sound heard in rock and folk. Open G Mixolydian mode.
Aeolian
Aeolian is the natural minor scale. Step pattern: W H W W H W W. It is the plain minor scale: sad, serious or dramatic depending on tempo and playing. Open A natural minor scale.
Locrian
Locrian is a minor scale with a lowered 2nd and a lowered 5th. Its character note is the ♭5 (F in B Locrian), the one note that separates it from Phrygian. Step pattern: H W W H W W W. Its home chord is diminished, so it never settles. It is the least used of the seven. Open B Locrian mode.
Hear the modes from the same note
The white-key version shows how the modes relate. To hear their moods side by side, play them all from the same root. Here is every mode starting on C, with the major key it borrows its notes from. Listen for the note that changes.
| Mode on C | Notes | Borrows the notes of | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Ionian | C D E F G A B | C major | |
| C Dorian | C D E♭ F G A B♭ | B♭ major | |
| C Phrygian | C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | A♭ major | |
| C Lydian | C D E F♯ G A B | G major | |
| C Mixolydian | C D E F G A B♭ | F major | |
| C Aeolian | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ | E♭ major | |
| C Locrian | C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ | D♭ major |
Ordered from brightest to darkest, the modes are Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian and Locrian. Each step down that list lowers one more note. That order is a handy way to pick a mode for a mood.
How to use a mode
A mode only sounds like itself when the home note is clear. The usual way is a drone or a short vamp: hold the root in the bass, or loop the home chord with one other chord from the parent key that contains the character note. For D Dorian, loop Dm and G. For G Mixolydian, loop G and F. Then improvise with the mode's notes and let the character note ring.
All 84 mode pages
Seven modes in twelve keys. Ionian links to the major scale pages and Aeolian to the natural minor pages, since they are the same scales.
Related: all scales · keys · circle of fifths · intervals · music theory basics
Questions about modes
What are the 7 modes in music?
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. They are the seven scales you get by playing the major scale from each of its notes in turn. On the white keys they start on C, D, E, F, G, A, B.
What is the difference between a mode and a scale?
A mode is a kind of scale. The word usually means one of the seven scales that share the notes of a major scale but have a different home note. Ionian is the major scale and Aeolian is the natural minor scale; the other five are named mainly as modes.
Which mode sounds the happiest?
Lydian is the brightest, followed by Ionian (major) and Mixolydian. From brightest to darkest: Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian.
How do I make a song sound Dorian?
Stay on a minor home chord and let the raised 6th be heard. In D Dorian, loop Dm to G: the G chord holds B, the note that separates Dorian from natural minor.
Why is Locrian rarely used?
Its home chord is diminished (Bdim on the white keys), so it never sounds settled. Composers use it for short tense passages, and jazz players use it over half-diminished chords.
Do I need to learn modes as a beginner?
Not first. Learn the major and minor scales and the chords in a key, then modes are a short step: the same notes over a different home chord. Dorian and Mixolydian are the two most useful to start with.
Every mode on this page is spelled and played by the site's theory engine. Updated September 2026.