Greek modes explain: from Ihonic to Fairy
The modes are seven scales that come from the bigger scale, each with its own centre and its own color. Learn how to recognize them by their characteristic note and how to practice them.
The Greek modes are seven scales that result from playing the bigger scale starting at each of its grades: Ionics (I), dylic (II), cold (III), tidium (IV), mixolydium (V), wind (VI) loco (VII) A dórico re goes from re to re and sol mixolodio from Sol to Sol.
They share his mother's note, but they change his tonal centre and his character with him. That's why what defines a way isn't "what note you start with," but what note his ear hears as a house.
To sum up
- Ionic is the largest and least natural wind scale and the other five are variations of them.
- Each mode has a characteristic note: the 6th highest in the dórico, the 2nd lowest in the cold, the 4th increased in the lidium and the 7th minor in the mixolodia.
- Compared from the same tonic, from the most brilliant to the darkest: lidium, Ihonic, mixolydium, dórico, wind, cold, locrio.
- A way only sounds as if harmony confirms its centre: it's practice on a embroidery or a base.
- Doric and mixolydium are most useful to start with and the locrio is barely used as a centre.
What are the ways and where his name come from
If instead of starting with Do with Ree and ending with Ree, the notes are the same, but the order of tones and semitones changes: now it's T-S-T-T-T-T-T-S-T. That new formula is the Doric Mode. Do the same from every note and get the seven modes.
The names come from peoples and regions of the old Greek world and its neighbours from Asia Minor, but the system we use today looks little like Greek music: it became inherited from the forms of medieval music and was reorganized much later. To put it into practice, it's enough to know that every name corresponds to a degree of the bigger scale.
The seven ways, one by one
| Mode | Grade | On white keys | Formula | characteristic note | Character and uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionic | I | Do a Do | T-T-S-T-T-T-S | That's the bigger scale. | Brilliant and stable, most of the music in greater tone |
| Doric | II | Ree a Ree | T-S-T-T-T-S-T | 6th largest | Minor but light; funk, modal jazz, Celtic music |
| Frigio | III | Me to Me | S-T-T-T-S-T-T | 2nd minor | Dark, with a "Spanish" flavour, with flamenco and metal |
| Lidio | IV | Fa to Fa | T-T-T-S-T-T-S | 4th increased | Flow, with a dream and with sound bands |
| Mixolidio | V | Sun to Sun | T-T-S-T-T-S-T | 7th minor | Retiring and relaxed with rock, blues and Celtic music |
| Wind | VI | A A A | T-S-T-T-S-T-T | That's the natural minor. | Melancholy and pop and rock with minor tone |
| Locrio | VII | That's right. | S-T-T-S-T-T-T | 5ª decreased (and second minor) | Unstable and barely used as a centre |
If the tone and semitone formula isn't familiar with you, check first [bigger and smaller scales]](/blog/escalas-mayores-y-menores-explicadas): The ways are the natural continuation of that topic.
The way we hear them really: all from the same tone
Comparison of dórico re with My cold doesn't help a lot, because they change both the tonic and the mode. It's far more clear to build the seven on the same note. From Do, each way drops a single note with respect to the previous one:
| Mode about Do | Alteraciones | Mother scale | Tipo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do lidio | Fa♯ | G major | Major |
| Isonic Do | None | C major | Major |
| Do mixolodia | Si♭ | F major | Major |
| Do dórico | My, if | B♭ major | Minor |
| Wind | My, La, La, Si | E♭ major | Minor |
| Do cold | Reg), Mi), La), Si) | A♭ major | Minor |
| Do crazy | Reg), Mi), Sol), La), Si) | D♭ major | Disminuido |
To build any way, seek his mother scale: The dórico is the second degree of the bigger Sun, so have Fa)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ())))) ())))) ())))))))))))))))))))) ()) ()))) (((((((()))))) (()))) ()))))))))))) ((()) (((()) (((())))))))))))))))) ((((())))) ()))) (() ()))))))))))) ()))))) (((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((())) ((((()))))) ((((((((()))))) (((((()))))))) ()))) ()) (())))) (((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) (((((())))))) circle of quinta He's giving you those arms at a glance.
The most common error: to forget about the tonal centre
If you play from re to re about a song at do mayor, you're not playing in dórico: you're playing at do mayor starting at re. The ear keeps feeling do as a house. To make a way sound, harmony has to confirm its tone. These bases, all with white keys, achieve it:
| Mode | Reason for repeat | What to hear | Known example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reg dórico | Rem7 - Sun (i - IV) | The Natural If of the Sun Chord | "Hey how's it going," by Titus Puente, "Scarborough Fair" |
| My cold | Mim - Fa (i - ∞ II) | The Fa, half tone about the tonic | The sound of flamenco |
| Fa lidio | Fa - Sun / Fa (I - II with Fa bass) | The Natural If about Fa's low | Many film sound bands |
| Sunflower | Sun - Fa - Do (I - ∞ VII - IV) | The Natural Fa, the 7th minor | Sweet Home Alabama, Norwegian Wood |
| The wind | Lam - Fa - Sun (i - ∞ VI - ∞ VII) | The Fa, the 6th minor | A lot of rock and minor pop |
See that each base contains just the characteristic note of how. That's the idea: harmony makes it sound and you highlight it in melody. If you want to understand why these chords work as well, read what's musical harmony?.
How to practice step by step modes
- Compare to two: Do Isonic and soon Do mixolodius play. Do dórico and Do wind and do only change La.
- He's using an embroidery: let sound a serious Ree (the fourth string to the air by guitar or a note sustained with paedal at the piano) and play Reg dórico slowly, stopping at the Si. Sing it.
- Improvises on the basis of: Record it on your cell phone and play two or three minutes per mode, put the feature note in strong times.
- A song by way: listen to the examples from the table and try to find the characteristic note in the melody or chords.
- On guitar, think about the tone: He learns every way in a position attached to his tone and gave his name out loud. To memorize seven digitations without listening to his centre doesn't have much good.
A reasonable order: dórico y mixolodio first, because they are the most common in popular music, later tidio and frizo, and the locrio at the end, almost as curious. Electrical guitar or music theory A teacher can put you up to your level and correct if you're listening to the right center.
When to study them and how far to get
The ways actually surrender as you already manage the bigger scale, the less natural and the basic triades. If you are barely starting to improvise, pentatonic is a better first step: we tell you about [how to start improvising]](/blog/como-empezar-a-improvisar).
There are also harmonic and melodic minor scale forms, such as the dominant frying of flamenco or the dominant lidium of jazz. They are a separate issue and it's worth reaching them only when the seven modes of the bigger scale already sound at your ear, and not just at your fingers.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a scale and a way?
A scale is an ordered series of notes. A way to order those notes around a different centre. Do bigger and re dórico have the same notes, but they are different ways because their tone and character change.
Why are they called Greek modes?
Because their names come from peoples and regions that knew ancient Greeks, as the tiorias or Frigia and Lidia, in Asia Minor. The medieval theorists applied them to their own ways, and in the 16th century they added the Ihonic and wind. The current system, with seven forms of the bigger scale, was consolidated much later.
What way do I use about a minor chord?
Depends on the context. If the minor chord is the ii of a bigger tone, as Rem7 at Do, the natural mode is the dórico. If it's the tone of a minor song, it's usually wind. The cold appears as the harmony goes up half tone from the tone, as Mim-Fa.
Do I have to learn how to improvise?
No at first. With a pentatonic scale and good ear you can improvise a lot. The ways come after them, when you want more colors and understand why some notes sound better about some chords.