The modes and other scales on the guitar neck and the piano
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian: the seven guitar modes from any root, on the guitar neck and on a piano, with correctly spelled notes, their intervals and the chord built on each degree.
Besides the modes there are 19 more scales: harmonic and melodic minor, the pentatonics, blues, whole tone, diminished and 12 Indian ragas. They all play with one click and run in your browser.
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What the modes are
A mode is the major scale played from another note. With the notes of C major, start on D and you get Dorian; on E, Phrygian; on F, Lydian; on G, Mixolydian; on A, Aeolian (the natural minor), and on B, Locrian.
Each mode has one note that sets it apart from the major or the natural minor scale (Locrian has two): Dorian is minor with a major sixth, Phrygian is minor with a minor second, Lydian is major with an augmented fourth, Mixolydian is major with a minor seventh, and Locrian is minor with a minor second and a diminished fifth. Here are their formulas in whole (W) and half (H) steps:
- Ionian (major): W-W-H-W-W-W-H
- Dorian: W-H-W-W-W-H-W
- Phrygian: H-W-W-W-H-W-W
- Lydian: W-W-W-H-W-W-H
- Mixolydian: W-W-H-W-W-H-W
- Aeolian (natural minor): W-H-W-W-H-W-W
- Locrian: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
The chords of each mode
For the 7-note scales, “Chords on each degree” builds the triad on each degree and writes it as a Roman numeral (uppercase for major, lowercase for minor, ° for diminished and + for augmented) and as a chord symbol in the root you pick. Click a chord to hear it and, if it has a chord page, to open it.
That is where the color of each mode comes from: Dorian has a major IV (G major in D Dorian) and Mixolydian a ♭VII (F major in G Mixolydian). Aeolian is written the usual way for minor keys (III, VI, VII); measured from the major scale, those chords are ♭III, ♭VI and ♭VII. These are the chords of the seven modes:
- Ionian: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°
- Dorian: i, ii, ♭III, IV, v, vi°, ♭VII
- Phrygian: i, ♭II, ♭III, iv, v°, ♭VI, ♭vii
- Lydian: I, II, iii, ♯iv°, V, vi, vii
- Mixolydian: I, ii, iii°, IV, v, vi, ♭VII
- Aeolian: i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII
- Locrian: i°, ♭II, ♭iii, iv, ♭V, ♭VI, ♭vii
More scales: minor, pentatonic, blues and ragas
- Harmonic and melodic minor: harmonic minor raises the seventh of the natural minor; melodic minor, in its ascending form, raises the sixth as well.
- Pentatonic and blues: the major and minor pentatonic, with 5 notes, and the blues scale, with 6: the minor pentatonic plus the diminished fifth.
- Whole tone and diminished: the whole-tone scale, with 6 notes a whole step apart, and the whole-half diminished scale, with 8 notes.
- Indian ragas: 12 ragas of North Indian classical music, with their traditional time of day, their ascent and descent (aroha and avaroha) in sargam and the Western scale with the same notes, when there is one.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 7 modes?
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. They come from playing the major scale from each of its seven degrees: with the notes of C major, C to C is Ionian, D to D is Dorian, and so on up to Locrian, B to B.
What is the difference between Dorian and the minor scale?
Only the sixth: Dorian has a major sixth and the natural minor (Aeolian) a minor one. D Dorian has B, while D natural minor has B♭.
How do I find the modes of a key?
Play its major scale starting on each degree. The chords in a key page shows the 7 modes of every key next to its chords, and from here you can jump to the key each mode comes from.
Is the Locrian scale the diminished scale?
No. Locrian has 7 notes (on B: B, C, D, E, F, G and A) and the diminished scale has 8, alternating whole and half steps.
Are the notes spelled with sharps or flats?
With whatever the scale needs: each degree uses a different letter, so F major has B♭, not A♯.
Which instruments are the scales shown on?
On a guitar neck in standard tuning, from the open strings to the 12th fret, and on a two-octave piano. “Play the scale” plays the scale from the root up to its octave.
Where can I look up a scale by name for bass or piano?
In the Full Partituras scale finder, for guitar, bass and piano.