Relative
Modes
There are 7 different notes in a major scale. Therefore
you could arrange those 7 notes in 7 different ways.
So in addition to Major (Ionian) and Natural Minor (Aeolian),
there are 5 other modes.
Here are all of the relative modes derived from a C major
scale. Relative means that all of these modes contain
the same notes. Those notes are just in a different order,
and will be used in different ways in a modal context.
The numbers underneath the note names are the degrees of
the scale in relationship to the notes in a C major scale
(the parent scale of all of these modes ).
Relative
Modes of C Major
C
D E F G A B C - C Ionian
Mode (Major)
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 1
D
E F G A B C D -
D Dorian Mode
2
3 4 5 6 7 1 2
E
F G A B C D E - E Phrygian
Mode
3
4 5 6 7 1 2 3
F
G A B C D E F -
F Lydian Mode
4
5 6 7 1 2 3 4
G
A B C D E F G - G Mixolydian
Mode
5
6 7 1 2 3 4 5
A
B C D E F G A - A Aeolian
Mode (Minor)
6
7 1 2 3 4 5 6
B
C D E F G A B - B Locrian
Mode
Page 2, Review of the minor scale