7 Modes of the Major Scale: Notes & Formulas for Modal Scales
🤹♂️ An easy reference for the scales in the 7 modes of the major scale:
Ionian (major), Dorian,
Phrygian, Lydian,
Mixolydian,
Aeolian (minor) and Locrian.
You'll notice that they are organized by fifths, as with the
circle of fifths, to help visualize the
relationship between keys.
You might like this
chart that illustrates the mode relationships to the major scale.
Ionian Mode
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
The ionian mode is the same as the major scale. In other words, it's the major scale, unmodified.
| 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 |
Dorian Mode
1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7
minor sounding; Smooth/Jazzy
From the major scale, the dorian mode is created by flattening the 3rd and flattening the 7th. Or, just like the natural minor scale, but with a raised 6th scale degree.
| 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 |
Phrygian Mode
1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7
minor sounding; Eastern/Spanish/Latin
From the major scale, the phrygian mode is created by flattening the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th. Or, just like the natural minor scale, but with a flattening 2nd scale degree.
| 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 |
→ full Phrygian mode reference
Lydian Mode
1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - 7
major sounding; Dreamy/Ethereal
From the major scale, the lydian mode is created by raising the 4th scale degree.
| 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 |
Mixolydian Mode
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7
major sounding; Smooth/Bluesy
From the major scale, the mixolydian mode is created by flattening the 7th scale degree.
| 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 |
→ full Mixolydian mode reference
Aeolian Mode
1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7
minor sounding; Sad
The aeolian mode is the same as the natural minor scale. It's obtained from the major scale by flattening the 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees.
| 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♯ | |
| C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | |
| G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | |
| D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | |
| B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | |
| F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F |
Locrian Mode
1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - b5 - b6 - b7
diminished sounding; Unresolved/Strange
From the major scale, the locrian mode is created by flattening the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th scale degrees. Or, starting from the minor scale, the locrian is obtained by flattening the 2nd and 5th scale degrees.
| 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 |
Piano Samples
The piano samples used for this reference to the 7 modes of the major scale are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
