Ionian Mode: Interactive Piano & Guitar Reference with Chords

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🎨 A visual piano and guitar reference to the Ionian mode, which is the same as the major scale. The Ionian mode is the 1st mode of the major scale. The Ionian mode is simply the major scale, unaltered.

The reason why we have a mode like Ionian that is the same as the major scale, and hence two ways to name the same set of notes, is because modes came before scales.

This reference includes the notes and chords on the piano keyboard for each key of the Ionian mode.

Ionian mode formula:
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Ionian Mode: Reference Table

First, a reference table for the Ionian mode for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°	I
C	D	E	F	G	A	B	C
G	A	B	C	D	E	F♯	G
D	E	F♯	G	A	B	C♯	D
A	B	C♯	D	E	F♯	G♯	A
E	F♯	G♯	A	B	C♯	D♯	E
B	C♯	D♯	E	F♯	G♯	A♯	B
F♯	G♯	A♯	B	C♯	D♯	E♯	F♯
D♭	E♭	F	G♭	A♭	B♭	C	D♭
A♭	B♭	C	D♭	E♭	F	G	A♭
E♭	F	G	A♭	B♭	C	D	E♭
B♭	C	D	E♭	F	G	A	B♭
F	G	A	B♭	C	D	E	F

Ionian Mode on Guitar

Here you can visualize the different keys of the Ionian mode on the guitar fretboard. You can highlight the notes in each of the ionian scales using the CAGED or the Three Notes Per String (TNPS) systems.

Select a Key:

Scale:

Tuning:

show:

highlight:

box:

Ionian Mode on Piano

And now for each of the keys of the Ionian mode on the piano keyboard:

C Ionian

notes: C D E F G A B

relative key: A minor

chords in the key of C ionian

→ full C major scale piano reference

D♭ Ionian

notes: D_♭ E_♭ F G_♭ A_♭ B_♭ C

relative key: B_♭ minor

D_♭
E_♭
F
G_♭
A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭

chords in the key of D_♭ ionian

→ full D♭ major scale reference

D Ionian

notes: D E F^♯ G A B C^♯

relative key: B minor

D
E
F^♯
G
A
B
C^♯
D

chords in the key of D ionian

→ full D major scale piano reference

E♭ Ionian

notes: E_♭ F G A_♭ B_♭ C D

relative key: C minor

E_♭
F
G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D
E_♭

chords in the key of E_♭ ionian

→ full E flat major scale piano reference

E Ionian

notes: E F^♯ G^♯ A B C^♯ D^♯

relative key: C♯ minor

E
F^♯
G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D^♯
E

chords in the key of E ionian

→ full E major scale piano reference

F Ionian

notes: F G A B_♭ C D E

relative key: D minor

F
G
A
B_♭
C
D
E
F

chords in the key of F ionian

→ full F major scale piano reference

F♯ Ionian

notes: F^♯ G^♯ A^♯ B C^♯ D^♯ E^♯

relative key: D♯ minor

F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯
D^♯
E^♯
G_♭

chords in the key of F^♯ ionian

→ full F^♯ major scale reference

G Ionian

notes: G A B C D E F^♯

relative key: E minor

G
A
B
C
D
E
F^♯
G

chords in the key of G ionian

→ full G major scale piano reference

A♭ Ionian

notes: A_♭ B_♭ C D_♭ E_♭ F G

relative key: F minor

A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭
E_♭
F
G
A_♭

chords in the key of A_♭ ionian

→ full A flat major scale piano reference

A Ionian

notes: A B C^♯ D E F^♯ G^♯

relative key: F♯ minor

A
B
C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G^♯
A

chords in the key of A ionian

→ full A major scale piano reference

B♭ Ionian

notes: B_♭ C D E_♭ F G A

relative key: G minor

B_♭
C
D
E_♭
F
G
A
B_♭

chords in the key of B_♭ ionian

→ full B flat major scale piano reference

B Ionian

notes: B C^♯ D^♯ E F^♯ G^♯ A^♯

relative key: G♯ minor

B
C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B

chords in the key of B ionian

→ full B major scale reference

Piano Samples

The piano samples used for this Ionian mode reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

C D_♭ D E_♭ E F F^♯ G A_♭ A B_♭ B