Most piano students learn about the major and minor scales, but did you know that there are many other kinds of scales? Today we are discussing musical modes which originated a very long time ago in ancient Greece. Today’s major and minor scales in Western music are derived from modes, just like the English language has borrowed prefixes and suffixes from Greek and Latin. In a way, modes in music are like the older cousins of today’s major and minor scales. Fun fact: the word “mode” comes from the Latin word for method, so the modes are simply another type of method or musical formula for picking which notes to play in a melody.
Want a quick reference guide on music modes? Download our FREE Piano Modes Quick Guide now. This guide is a colorful one-page reference that shows each mode in the key of C.
You can also download our more comprehensive Modes Packet (10 pages) which includes an explanation of how modes are constructed plus charts for all modes in every key signature.
What’s the easiest mode for a beginner to start with?
Students will have the easiest time with the Ionian and Aeolian modes. They are identical to the major and natural minor scales, which form the basis of modern Western music. On the piano, these are usually the first two scales that students learn: C major and A natural minor, which can be played using only white keys.
How many musical modes are there?
There are seven modes that a musician should be familiar with. These are named Ionian (also known as the major scale), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (also known as the natural minor scale), and Locrian.
You may be unfamiliar with these names and wondering where they come from. Each of these names came from people and places in Greek history, such as the Ionian, Dorian, and Aeolian groups of people. The name Locrian comes from the Greek region of Locris. Also, Phrygian and Lydian refer to the west Anatolian kingdoms of Phrygia and Lydia:
Are music modes major or minor?
The Ionian mode is also called the major scale and the Aeolian mode is also called the natural minor scale. The other modes are not really major or minor scales, but they are definitely related.
Each mode can be played using the white keys on a piano. For example:
- Ionian: C D E F G A B C
- Dorian: D E F G A B C D
- Phrygian: E F G A B C D E
- Lydian: F G A B C D E F
- Mixolydian: G A B C D E F G
- Aeolian: A B C D E F G A
- Locrian: B C D E F G A B
Can you play modes starting from any key, not just white keys?
Yes, by following the “interval formula” below, you can build any mode starting on any key, white or black. Modes have five whole steps and two half steps, and for each mode those half steps will come in different places.
Why do some modes sound happy and others sad?
Both Lydian and Mixolydian modes resemble the major scale, and produce chord progressions characteristic of a major key’s brightness. On the other hand, Dorian, Phrygian, and Locrian yield more somber harmonies because they more closely resemble the natural minor scale.
How do I remember all the modes?
Fortunately, the modes are all very similar to either the major or natural minor scales, and often differ only by one interval.
Modes similar to the Major Scale
Ionian should sound familiar because it’s also known as the major scale! The half steps in this mode are between pitches 3-4 and 7-1. To play this mode, use the white keys on the piano starting on C: C D E-F G A B-C. If you’d like to hear this mode, pick any song in a major key. Many Hoffman songs are excellent examples–in fact, Five Woodpeckers uses the first five notes of the major scale!
Lydian is the brightest sounding mode. To play this mode, take any major scale and raise the 4th note a half step. The half steps are between pitches 4-5 and 7-1. If you’re starting on C, the notes are C D E F♯-G A B-C. Another example of the Lydian mode can be played entirely on the white keys if you begin and end the scale on F. To hear this mode, I suggest listening to Alkan’s Étude Op. 35, No. 5, Allegro barbaro.
Mixolydian can be played by taking any major scale and lowering the 7th note a half step. So now the half steps are between 3-4 and 6-7. If you’re beginning with C, the notes will be C D E-F G A-B♭ C. You can also play a Mixolydian mode with only white keys by starting and ending on G. A popular musical example that was written in a Mixolydian mode is “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles.
Modes similar to the Natural Minor Scale
Aeolian is the same as the natural minor scale. The half steps are between 2-3 and 5-6. To play this on the piano, play the following notes: C D-E♭ F G-A♭ B♭ C. By starting and ending on A, you can use only white keys to play the aeolian mode. The Hoffman Academy song “Wild Horses” uses the Aeolian mode!
Dorian is a really interesting sounding mode. To play this mode, take the natural minor and raise the 6th note a half step, such as C D-E♭ F G A-B♭ C. The half steps are between 2-3 and 6-7. Also, play the dorian mode by playing all the white keys from D to D. Examples of the Dorian mode that you can listen to include “Scarborough Fair“ by Simon And Garfunkel.
Phrygian is the most somber sounding mode. Take the natural minor scale and lower the 2nd note a half step. You will notice that the half steps are between 1-2 and 5-6. To play this, play the following notes: C-D♭ E♭ F G-A♭ B♭ C. Or, you can play all the white keys from E to E. A musical example of the Phrygian mode is Cinq Mélodies Populaires Grecques: No. 2. Là-bas, vers l’église by Maurice Ravel.
Locrian is probably the strangest sounding music mode. To find the Locrian mode you only need to change two notes from the natural minor: lower the 2nd and 5th notes a half step. The half steps will be between 1-2 and 4-5. To play Locrian by beginning and ending on C, play the following notes: C-D♭ E♭ F-G♭ A♭ B♭ C. You can also play all the white keys from B to B. A great musical example of the Locrian mode is Benjamin Britten’s carol “In Freezing Winter Night.”
How do you identify a mode by ear?
The particular sound of each mode comes from the different pattern of whole steps and half steps in relation to the starting note. This is easy to hear when chords are built on each mode.
The Dorian mode will have a minor i chord but a bright major IV chord. Listen for this to distinguish Dorian from a minor key, whose iv chord will instead be a minor chord.
The lowered second note of the Phrygian mode is quite unmistakable. The chord built on this note is positioned only a half step above the tonic, and will often give music an iconic Spanish flavor.
Lydian is the brightest of the modes. Listen for the raised fourth note, which you’ll often hear in a II chord built on the Lydian mode.
Mixolydian sounds very similar to a major key, but listen for the lowered seventh note. This gives you either a major VII chord or a minor V chord, very different from what you hear in major keys.
Finally, the Locrian mode has a diminished fifth between DO and SO (the first and fifth notes). This means our i chord is neither major nor minor, but a diminished triad. Listen for the instability of the chords associated with this mode.
How do modes relate to chords?
Just as with major and minor scales, you can use the modes to build diatonic chords. A Dorian mode, for example, can have a chord built on every note. However, because each mode has a different sequence of whole steps and half steps, you’ll get a unique set of chords.
A minor scale produces a i and a iv chord that are both minor triads, giving a grim-sounding i-iv-i progression. But the Dorian mode’s IV chord is a major triad, making a more hopeful i-IV-i progression:
Examples of modes in music
Ionian:
- “Love Somebody“
- “The Infernal Gallop“ – Jacques Offenbach
Dorian:
- “Mad World” – Tears for Fears
- “Romanian Folk Dance No. 2“ – Béla Bartók
Phrygian:
- “London Calling“ – The Clash
- “Sonata in B minor“ – Franz Liszt
Lydian:
- Soundtrack to the film “Dark City” – Trevor Jones
Mixolydian:
- “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling“– The Righteous Brothers
Aeolian:
Locrian:
- “Juicebox“ – The Strokes
We hope you’ve had fun exploring musical modes! Get this free guide to quickly review modes in music on the piano! To learn more about different scales and how to play them, check out Hoffman Academy’s Minor Scales Fingering Guide and Hoffman Academy’s Major Scales Fingering Guide. For more piano resources, sign up for our Premium membership!