Most Important Modes

In order to be able to theorize about modes, it is convenient to be able to name them. Below is a list of the most important modes and their definitions. Remember: in these definitions, the symbols represent intervals with respect to the starting note, which is always notated “1”.
 

Ionian	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Dorian	1	2	b3	4	5	6	b7
Phrygian	1	b2	b3	4	5	b6	b7
Lydian	1	2	3	#4	5	6	7
Mixolydian	1	2	3	4	5	6	b7
Aeolian	1	2	b3	4	5	b6	b7
Locrian	1	b2	b3	4	b5	b6	b7

Harmonic Minor	1	2	b3	4	5	b6	7
Altered Locrian	1	b2	b3	4	b5	6	b7
Altered Ionian	1	2	3	4	#5	6	7
Altered Dorian	1	2	b3	#4	5	6	b7
Altered Phrygian	1	b2	3	4	5	b6	b7
(Major Dominant Phrygian)
Altered Lydian	1	#2	3	#4	5	6	7
Altered Myxolyian	1	b2	b3	b4	b5	b6	bb7

Altered Phrygian

These tables may seem like an overwhelming amount to memorise.  In fact, it is rather easy.

The modes of Group I are the so-called “modes of the major scale”. By now you should realise that there is no such thing as the mode of a scale, but we nevertheless use this expression as a convenient shortcut to remember the definitions of the modes.  The Ionian mode is nothing else but the major scale.

You obtain the Dorian mode by “starting a major scale from its second degree”.  For example:

            D         E          F          G         A          B         C         D

is D Dorian and is a C major scale started from D (second degree of the C major scale) Similarly, the scale:

            A         B         C          D         E          F#       G         A

is A Dorian, and is a G major scale “started from the A”.

The double quotes are there to show that this is just short hand convention.  We will omit them from now on.

The modes of Group I are obtained as follows:

•      The Ionian mode is the same as the major scale itself

•      The Dorian mode is a major scale started from the second degree

•      The Phrygian mode is a major scale started from the third degree 

•      The Lydian mode is a major scale started from the fourth degree

•      The Mixolydian mode is a major scale started from the fifth degree

•      The Aeolian mode is a major scale started from the sixth degree

•      Finally, the Locrian mode is a major scale started from the seventh degree

Looking at the modes defined in Group I, you will notice that three of them are major (Ionian,

Lydian, Mixolydian) since their third is major, and four of them are minor (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, Locrian) since their third is minor.

The modes of Group II can all be related to the harmonic minor mode, in a way similar to what we did for the modes of Group I.  The first mode of Group II is the harmonic minor mode; the Altered

Locrian mode is derived from the harmonic minor mode by starting from the second degree.  The Altered Ionian mode is a harmonic minor mode started from the third degree, etc.

The modes of Group II are obtained as follows:

•      The Altered Locrian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the second degree

•      The Altered Ionian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the third degree

•      The Altered Dorian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the fourth degree

•      The Altered Phrygian mode (also known as Major Dominant Phrygian) is a harmonic minor scale started from the fifth degree

•      The Altered Lydian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the sixth degree

•      The Altered Mixolydian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the seventh degree

Finally, Group III contains the modes derived from the melodic minor scale; however, there is only one mode that is really worth mentioning: the Bartok mode, which is the fourth mode of the melodic minor scale.  This mode is named after the Hungarian composer Belà Bartok, and is one of the most popular modes in the East-European music.

Summary

Modes have been used in music long before the Western world started to favour harmony, and settled for the major and minor scales.  Most other popular musical systems in the world are still mostly modal.

Modes can be defined at will, and don’t have to be based on seven notes; this just happens to be the most useful set in Western music.

Although the modes are in fact defined completely independently from each other, it is convenient to related them to the major and minor scales:

The Ionian mode is the first mode of the major scale.

The Dorian mode is the second mode of the major scale.

The Phrygian mode is the third mode of the major scale.

The Lydian mode is the fourth mode of the major scale.

The Mixolydian mode is the fifth mode of the major scale.

The Aeolian mode is the sixth mode of the major scale (and equal to the natural minor mode).

The Locrian mode is the seventh mode of the major scale.

The Altered Locrian mode is the second mode of the harmonic minor scale.

The Altered Ionian mode is the third mode of the harmonic minor scale.

The Altered Dorian mode is the fourth mode of the harmonic minor scale. The Altered Phrygian mode is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale.

The Altered Lydian mode is the sixth mode of the harmonic minor scale.