Introduction
Scales have two components:
- the notes that they’re comprised of; and
- their tonal centre or root note.
The tonal centre is the note that feels completely resolved and at rest. If you keep all the notes of the scale the same but you change the tonal centre, you create a new scale or ‘mode’.
So, a mode is a scale created by establishing a new root note within a pre-existing scale. Thus, a mode of the Major Scale is just the Major Scale but starting and ending on a different note within that scale.
Modes of the Major Scale
Below are all the modes created from the C Major Scale:
| Chord | Mode | Scale Notes & Degrees | Sheet Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C Ionian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |  |
| C D E F G A B | |||
| ii | D Dorian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 |  |
| D E F G A B C | |||
| iii | E Phrygian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 |  |
| E F G A B C D | |||
| IV | F Lydian | 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 |  |
| F G A B C D E | |||
| V | G Mixolydian | 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 |  |
| G A B C D E F | |||
| vi | A Aeolian | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 |  |
| A B C D E F G | |||
| vii | B Locrian | 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 |  |
| B C D E F G A |
As you can see, the notes that comprise all these modes are exactly the same. The only difference is the note you start and end on (i.e. each mode has a different root note). Modes can be created from any pre-existing scale, including melodic minor, harmonic minor, pentatonic, or any other. We will cover these in future lessons.
Fingering for Modes of the Major Scale
So, firstly and obviously, you should just use whatever fingering is most comfortable for you. This is Jazz, after all, not Classical. You just gotta do what works. Thelonious Monk had ‘dreadful’ (read unconventional) technique but was still a great pianist.
Secondly and nevertheless, below are some suggested fingerings for every all the modes in each of the 12 Major scales.
| Fingering for Modes of the Major Scale | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| C Major C Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | F Major F Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B♭ Lydian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 C Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | B♭ Major B♭ Ionian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 C Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E♭ Lydian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 F Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | E♭ Major E♭ Ionian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 F Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A♭ Lydian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 B♭ Mixolydian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 C Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 |
| A♭ Major A♭ Ionian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 B♭ Dorian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 C Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D♭ Lydian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 E♭ Mixolydian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 F Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | D♭ Major D♭ Ionian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 E♭ Dorian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 F Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 G♭ Lydian R.H. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 A♭ Mixolydian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 B♭ Aeolian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 C Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | G♭ Major G♭ Ionian R.H. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 A♭ Dorian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 B♭ Phrygian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 C♭ Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 D♭ Mixolydian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 E♭ Aeolian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 F Locrian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 | B Major B Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 C# Dorian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 D# Phrygian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 E Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F# Mixolydian R.H. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 G# Aeolian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 A# Locrian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 |
| E Major E Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F# Dorian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 G# Phrygian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 A Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 C# Aeolian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 D# Locrian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 | A Major A Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 C# Phrygian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 D Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F# Aeolian R.H. 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 G# Locrian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 | D Major D Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F# Phrygian R.H. 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 L.H. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 G Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 C# Locrian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2 | G Major G Ionian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 A Dorian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 B Phrygian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 C Lydian R.H. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 D Mixolydian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 E Aeolian R.H. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 L.H. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 F# Locrian R.H. 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 L.H. 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 |
Why Modes?
Modes are just a different way of thinking about Scales and Keys. They allow us to allocate an individual scale to every single chord in a progression. While this may not feel intuitive or logical at first, thinking in terms of ‘modes’ rather than ‘keys’ will prove useful later on.
| Chords Progression | Am | Dm | G | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | A Aeolian | D Dorian | G Mixolydian | C Ionian |
| Key/Effective Scale | C Major | |||
The same scale starting and ending on a different note, sounds different. Notice that C Ionian (C Major) and A Aeolian (A Natural Minor) have the same notes, but playing them will produce a very different sound. Similarly, C Major Pentatonic Scale and A Minor Pentatonic Scale have the exact same notes, but sound very different when you play them.
(Incidentally, because a scale and a mode are relative to each other, the two terms are used synonymously).