Scales and Modes Reference Material

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	The Major Scale and Its Modes

Here is a table showing the modes derived from a C Major scale. Each Major scale and its relative natural minor scale contains these nine modes. There's an explanation of scale formation and alternate scales further down the page.

A Major scale consists of whole-steps (W) and half-steps (H) in the following order: WWHWWWH. A natural minor scale can be formed by starting on the 6th degree of a Major or by combining: WHWWHWW.

Mode Name	Example (Derived From C Major Scale)	Name of Associated Seventh Chord	Chord Example
Ionian (Major Scale)	CDEFGABC	Major seventh	CEGB
Dorian	DEFGABCD	minor seventh	DFAC
Phrygian	EFGABCDE	minor seventh	EGBD
Lydian	FGABCDEF	Major seventh	FACE
Mixolydian	GABCDEFG	Dominant seventh	GBDF
Aeolian (Natural minor)	ABCDEFGA	minor seventh	ACEG
Locrian	BCDEFGAB	half-diminished	BDFA
Major Pentatonic	CDEGAC	Major seventh or Major sixth	CEGB or CEGA
minor Pentatonic	ACDEGA	minor seventh or Dominant (in blues)	ACEG or AC#EG

Key Signatures

Chord Types and Symbols

How to Transpose

	Below is a table showing the same nine modes using C as the tonic (the 'keynote' or first note of a scale). It's interesting that the same chord type can harmonize different modes, allowing a musician several scale choices.

Mode Name	Example (Using C as Tonic)	Name of Associated Seventh Chord	Chord Example
Ionian (Major Scale)	CDEFGABC	Major seventh	CEGB
Dorian	CDEbFGABbC	minor seventh	CEbGBb
Phrygian	CDbEbFGAbBbC	minor seventh	CEbGBb
Lydian	CDEF#GABC	Major seventh	CEGB
Mixolydian	CDEFGABbC	Dominant seventh	CEGBb
Aeolian (Natural minor)	CDEbFGAbBbC	minor seventh	CEbGBb
Locrian	CDbEbFGbAbBbC	half-diminished	CEbGbBb
Major Pentatonic	CDEGAC	Major seventh or Major sixth	CEGB or CEGA
minor Pentatonic	CEbFGBbC	minor seventh or Dominant (in blues)	CEbGBb or CEGBb

	Other Scales

Scales are usually formed by combining whole-steps and half-steps in an ascending or descending order. Occasionally a minor third (three half-steps) is used, as in the harmonic minor scale or the pentatonic modes.

The chromatic scale is composed entirely of half-steps; the whole tone scale uses only whole-steps. The diminished scale alternates whole-steps and half-steps. In most cases the chords associated with the scale are built using scale tones.

Scale Name	Example (Using C as Tonic)	Name of Associated Chord	Chord Example
C Natural minor (Aeolian Mode)	CDEbFGAbBbC	C minor seventh	CEbGBb
C Melodic minor acending (descending form is Natural minor)	CDEbFGABC	C minor sixth or C minor sharp seventh	CEbGA or CEbGB
C Harmonic Minor	CDEbFGAbBC	C minor triad or Cminor sharp seventh	CEbG or CEbGB
C Whole Tone	CDEF#G#A#C (WWWWWW)	Augmented triad	CEG#
C diminished I	CDEbFGbAbABC (WHWHWHWH)	diminished seventh	CEbGbA
C diminished II	CDbEbEGbGABbC (HWHWHWHW)	diminished seventh	CEbGbA
diminished Whole Tone or 'Altered'	CDbEbEGbAbBbC (HWHWWWW)	half-diminished seventh	CEbGbBb
Blues I	CEbFGbGBbC	minor seventh or Dominant	CEbGBb or CEGBb
Blues II	CEbEFGbGABbC	minor seventh or Dominant	CEbGBb or CEGBb
Chromatic ascending	CC#DD#EFF#GG#AA#BC	(depends on context)
Chromatic descending	CBBbAAbGGbFEEbDDbC	(depends on context)

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