Seven Modes Deep Dive
Modes are music's color filters—same notes, different starting points, totally different moods.
Mode Brightness Spectrum
From brightest to darkest: Lydian is the most dreamy-bright, Locrian the most unstable-dark.
Seven Modes
Ionian (Major)
Degree 1Interval formula
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
Whole/half-step pattern
W-W-H-W-W-W-H
Ionian is major, the default setting of Western music. Play the white keys from C and you get C Ionian. It sounds bright, positive, and stable—foundation of most pop songs.
Characteristic tone:No special color tones—just the standard major sound
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3-4, 2-4, 2-4
Practice over:Cmaj7, Fmaj7, any major chord
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Dorian
Degree 2Interval formula
1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7
Whole/half-step pattern
W-H-W-W-W-H-W
Dorian is a favorite in jazz and funk. It's minor, but the major 6 (6 instead of b6) gives it a "sad but not hopeless" feel. Miles Davis's "So What" is entirely D Dorian.
Characteristic tone:The major 6th is the signature color tone
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3, 2-4, 1-2-4
Practice over:Dm7, Am7, any minor-7 chord
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Phrygian
Degree 3Interval formula
1-b2-b3-4-5-b6-b7
Whole/half-step pattern
H-W-W-W-H-W-W
Phrygian's signature is the b2—only a semitone above the root, creating strong tension. It's a secret weapon in flamenco and metal; Metallica uses it a lot.
Characteristic tone:The b2 is the defining color tone
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 1-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3, 1-4, 1-2-4
Practice over:Em, Am, Spanish-style progressions
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Lydian
Degree 4Interval formula
1-2-3-#4-5-6-7
Whole/half-step pattern
W-W-W-H-W-W-H
Lydian is just one sharp above major (#4), but it changes everything. It feels like walking on clouds. Film scores use it for fantasy vibes, and Steve Vai is a Lydian master.
Characteristic tone:The #4 creates the floating color
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3, 1-3-4, 2-4, 2-4
Practice over:Cmaj7, Gmaj7, any maj7 chord
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Mixolydian
Degree 5Interval formula
1-2-3-4-5-6-b7
Whole/half-step pattern
W-W-H-W-W-H-W
Mixolydian is major with a lowered 7. That b7 makes it looser and more bluesy. Almost every rock solo uses Mixolydian. "Sweet Home Alabama" is a classic example.
Characteristic tone:The b7 creates the blues/rock color
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3-4, 2-4, 1-2-4
Practice over:A7, E7, any dominant 7 chord
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Aeolian (Natural Minor)
Degree 6Interval formula
1-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7
Whole/half-step pattern
W-H-W-W-H-W-W
Aeolian is the natural minor, the relative minor of major (starting on the 6th degree). It's the default "sad" flavor used in countless songs.
Characteristic tone:b3, b6, and b7 define the full minor color
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3, 1-4, 1-2-4
Practice over:Am, Em, any minor chord
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Locrian
Degree 7Interval formula
1-b2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7
Whole/half-step pattern
H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Locrian is the strangest mode—its fifth is diminished (b5), so it lacks basic stability. Very few songs are entirely Locrian, but it shows up in metal and jazz for extreme tension.
Characteristic tone:The b5 creates maximum instability
Fretboard pattern (start on 6th-string root)
Start from the 6th-string root: 1-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, 1-3, 1-4, 1-2-4
Practice over:Bø7, diminished progressions
Notable songs ▶ ▶ = playable
Learning tips
Start with major
Get comfortable with Ionian (major), then learn its "variants"—each mode is major with one altered note.
Remember the color tone
Each mode has a signature tone that makes it unique: Dorian = 6, Lydian = #4, Mixolydian = b7.
Compare with the same root
Play all seven modes on the same root to hear their different colors.
Practice over matching chords
Each mode has chords that best reveal it—practice over those chords to truly hear the flavor.
Quick reference
| Mode | Degree | Characteristic | Mood | Fits chords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | 1 | 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 | bright | Cmaj7 |
| Dorian | 2 | 1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7 | moody but hopeful | Dm7 |
| Phrygian | 3 | 1-b2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 | exotic | Em |
| Lydian | 4 | 1-2-3-#4-5-6-7 | dreamy | Cmaj7 |
| Mixolydian | 5 | 1-2-3-4-5-6-b7 | bluesy | A7 |
| Aeolian | 6 | 1-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 | sad | Am |
| Locrian | 7 | 1-b2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7 | unstable | Bø7 |
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