Modes
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The discussion of modes is initially a discussion about major scales. You've probably heard someone sing the sounds, "do, re, mi." What they are singing is a major scale. Here is a song from The Sound of Music called Do Re Mi:
Major scales have 7 different notes. The eighth note is the octave, the same note as the first, only higher. The notes are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (8 being the octave or 1 all over again).
Calculating a Major Scale
A Major scale is is predictably built with whole steps and half steps.
(Note: On a guitar, a half step is one fret away from any starting note, while a whole step is two frets away.
On a piano, a half step is the next closest piano key to the left or right of our starting note, while a whole step is two.)
Every degree in a Major scale is a whole step apart, except between 3-4 and 7-8, which are half steps.
Knowing this, you can sit down at a piano and pick out a major scale starting on any note. You can do the same on one string of a guitar.
Identifying Modes
If you play the major scale on its starting note, it is called the Ionian Mode. It is simply a major scale.
If you start a major scale on the second note and end on the second note, playing notes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, you'd be playing the 2nd mode, the Dorian Mode. Starting and ending on the third note, you would be in the third mode, the Phrygian, and so on.
Here are the names of the seven modes.
1. Ionian
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolean
7. Locrian
Each mode makes its own chord, either major or minor.
Notes 1, 3 and 5 of any scale make a basic 3-note chord, called a triad. Since modes are essentially scales, notes 1, 3 and 5 of any mode create predictable chord types.
In the key of C, the chords created on successive starting notes, or modes, are:
1 - I - Ionian (CDEFGABC) - Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or CEG)
2 - ii - Dorian (DEFGABCD) - Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or DFA)
3 -iii - Phrygian (EFGABCDE) Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or EGB)
4 - IV - Lydian (FGABCDEF) Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or FAC)
5 - V - Mixolydian (GABCDEFG) Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or GBD
6 - vi - Aeolean (ABCDEFGA) - Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or ACE)
7 - vii - Locrian - (BCDEFGAB) - Creates a diminished triad (1 b3 b5 or BDF)
(Why Roman Numerals? This has simply been the standard in traditional harmony for hundreds of years. A capital (upper case) numeral means major and a lower case numeral means minor.)
The Question of Major vs. Minor
The question you'll be asked about modes (or "scale steps" or "degrees of the scale") is:
"Which degrees of a major scale are major and which are minor?" In other words, "Which modes make major chords and which make minor chords?"
The answer is:
1st, 4th and 5th are Major
2nd, 3rd and 6th are minor
7th is diminished (a diminished triad, but a half-diminished tetrad)
Guessing the Chords in a Song
When you listen to a song, you'll hear a melody with chords accompanying it. The bass note of a chord (which is the bottom, lowest note of the chord) will often tell you the root of the chord, which is also the name of the chord.
(In other words: If you're in the key of C, that means that you're using a C Major scale. A chord with the I degree bass note would be a C major chord. A chord with a iii degree bass note would be an E minor.)
Consequently, if you know what degree of the major scale the bass note belongs to, most of the time you'll automatically know whether the chord is major or minor.
Modes Decoded: Another way of looking at them
After you listen, preferably on a piano, to the different modes, you'll see that:
1. The first mode is just a major scale
2. The second mode is a major scale with a b3 and a b7 (Or, it is a natural minor scale* with a major 6.)
3. The third mode is a major scale with a b2, a b3, a b6 and a b7 (Or, it is a natural minor scale with a b2.)
4. The fourth mode is a major scale with a #4
5. The fifth mode is a major scale with a b7
6. The sixth mode is a major scale with a b3, b6 and b7 (It is simply a natural minor scale.)*
7. The seventh mode is a major scale with a b2, b3 b5, b6 and a b7 (A natural minor scale with a b2 and b5.)
Calculating a Major Scale
A Major scale is is predictably built with whole steps and half steps.
(Note: On a guitar, a half step is one fret away from any starting note, while a whole step is two frets away.
On a piano, a half step is the next closest piano key to the left or right of our starting note, while a whole step is two.)
Every degree in a Major scale is a whole step apart, except between 3-4 and 7-8, which are half steps.
Knowing this, you can sit down at a piano and pick out a major scale starting on any note. You can do the same on one string of a guitar.
Identifying Modes
If you play the major scale on its starting note, it is called the Ionian Mode. It is simply a major scale.
If you start a major scale on the second note and end on the second note, playing notes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, you'd be playing the 2nd mode, the Dorian Mode. Starting and ending on the third note, you would be in the third mode, the Phrygian, and so on.
Here are the names of the seven modes.
1. Ionian
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolean
7. Locrian
Each mode makes its own chord, either major or minor.
Notes 1, 3 and 5 of any scale make a basic 3-note chord, called a triad. Since modes are essentially scales, notes 1, 3 and 5 of any mode create predictable chord types.
In the key of C, the chords created on successive starting notes, or modes, are:
1 - I - Ionian (CDEFGABC) - Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or CEG)
2 - ii - Dorian (DEFGABCD) - Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or DFA)
3 -iii - Phrygian (EFGABCDE) Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or EGB)
4 - IV - Lydian (FGABCDEF) Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or FAC)
5 - V - Mixolydian (GABCDEFG) Creates a Major chord (1 3 5 or GBD
6 - vi - Aeolean (ABCDEFGA) - Creates a minor chord (1 b3 5 or ACE)
7 - vii - Locrian - (BCDEFGAB) - Creates a diminished triad (1 b3 b5 or BDF)
(Why Roman Numerals? This has simply been the standard in traditional harmony for hundreds of years. A capital (upper case) numeral means major and a lower case numeral means minor.)
The Question of Major vs. Minor
The question you'll be asked about modes (or "scale steps" or "degrees of the scale") is:
"Which degrees of a major scale are major and which are minor?" In other words, "Which modes make major chords and which make minor chords?"
The answer is:
1st, 4th and 5th are Major
2nd, 3rd and 6th are minor
7th is diminished (a diminished triad, but a half-diminished tetrad)
Guessing the Chords in a Song
When you listen to a song, you'll hear a melody with chords accompanying it. The bass note of a chord (which is the bottom, lowest note of the chord) will often tell you the root of the chord, which is also the name of the chord.
(In other words: If you're in the key of C, that means that you're using a C Major scale. A chord with the I degree bass note would be a C major chord. A chord with a iii degree bass note would be an E minor.)
Consequently, if you know what degree of the major scale the bass note belongs to, most of the time you'll automatically know whether the chord is major or minor.
Modes Decoded: Another way of looking at them
After you listen, preferably on a piano, to the different modes, you'll see that:
1. The first mode is just a major scale
2. The second mode is a major scale with a b3 and a b7 (Or, it is a natural minor scale* with a major 6.)
3. The third mode is a major scale with a b2, a b3, a b6 and a b7 (Or, it is a natural minor scale with a b2.)
4. The fourth mode is a major scale with a #4
5. The fifth mode is a major scale with a b7
6. The sixth mode is a major scale with a b3, b6 and b7 (It is simply a natural minor scale.)*
7. The seventh mode is a major scale with a b2, b3 b5, b6 and a b7 (A natural minor scale with a b2 and b5.)
* A natural minor scale is 1, maj2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, octave.
