Modes

A mode is any inversion of a scale or the scale itself. Here is a list which includes a C-Major scale and all of its inversions in successive order.

  1. CDEFGAB
  2. DEFGABC
  3. EFGABCD
  4. FGABCDE
  5. GABCDEF
  6. ABCDEFG
  7. BCDEFGA

Number one is the C-Major scale and if you look carefully you will notice that 2 through 7 also contain all the notes of a C-Major scale but each one is inverted by taking the first note of each and moving it up a octave to the end of the scale which by default now puts the note that was second into the first position which, inverts the  scale. Because there are seven notes in a Major scale, it can be inverted six times which, with the original major scale gives you seven versions. Each of these versions is called a mode. Each mode will have the same key signature as the original “parent” scale and the parent scale ( in this case C-Major) will be the first mode as shown in the list above.

Virtually any scale can be inverted into its own various modes and each mode of a scale normally has a name although with some lesser used scales and modes the modes are often simply called mode 1, mode 2 and so on.

Here are all the names of the modes of the C-Major scale.

  1. C-C = Ionian
  2. D-D = Dorian
  3. E-E = Phrygian
  4. F-F = Lydian
  5. G-G = Mixolydian
  6. A-A = Aeolian
  7. B-B = Locrian

As we learned in the last lesson, the 6th mode of a major scale is its relative minor scale Every Major scale has a relative minor which is all the notes of that Major scale counting from the 6th note instead of the first. It is also called the pure or natural minor because all of its notes fall naturally into its relative Major scale. The step pattern of the natural minor scale from any note is:

whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole

It can also be described as a major scale with a flat 3rd, flat 6th and flat 7th.

  There are several other types of commonly used  minor scales but those cannot be related to a Major scale without the consideration of sharps or flats. A natural note or scale is a note or scale used within a key without having that note or any note of the scale sharped or flatted to make it fit its use.

We will go much further into modes when we get to the sections on guitar and piano as it will be more practical in the context of actually playing an instrument.

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