User:Meesto/sandbox

Modern modes

Modern Western modes use the same set of notes as the major scale, in the same order, but starting from one of its seven degrees in turn as a tonic, and so present a different sequence of whole and half steps. With the interval sequence of the major scale being W–W–H–W–W–W–H, where "W" means a whole tone (whole step) and "H" means a semitone (half step), it is thus possible to generate the following modes:

Mode	Tonic relative to major scale	Interval sequence	Example
Ionian, AKA "Major"	I	W–W–H–W–W–W–H	C–D–E–F–G–A–B–C
Dorian	ii	W–H–W–W–W–H–W	D–E–F–G–A–B–C–D
Phrygian	iii	H–W–W–W–H–W–W	E–F–G–A–B–C–D–E
Lydian	IV	W–W–W–H–W–W–H	F–G–A–B–C–D–E–F
Mixolydian	V	W–W–H–W–W–H–W	G–A–B–C–D–E–F–G
Aeolian, AKA "Minor"	vi	W–H–W–W–H–W–W	A–B–C–D–E–F–G–A
Locrian	viiø	H–W–W–H–W–W–W	B–C–D–E–F–G–A–B

For the sake of simplicity, the examples shown above are formed by natural notes (also called "white notes", as they can be played using the white keys of a piano keyboard). However, any transposition of each of these scales is a valid example of the corresponding mode. In other words, transposition preserves mode.

Interval sequences for each of the modern modes, showing the relationship between the modes as a shifted grid of intervals.