Who this is for
Learners who can spell major and minor scales. Already fluent in modes? Test out on Day 7.
Best done after: Steps & the Major Scale, Minor Keys & Scales. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Modes are the seven scales you get by starting a major scale on each of its notes. Each has its own step pattern and mood: Dorian is cool and minor, Mixolydian is bluesy and major, Lydian floats.
Many people find modes confusing because they are taught as seven separate things. This program teaches them as small changes to a major or minor scale you already know, which makes them easier to spell, hear and use.
What you will be able to do
- What a mode is and where the names come from
- Dorian and Mixolydian, the two most useful
- Lydian
- Phrygian and Locrian
- Spelling any mode by comparing it with major or minor
- The chords that bring out each mode
The 7-day plan
- What is a mode?. Know where the seven modes come from.
- Mixolydian, Lydian and Dorian. Spell and hear three modes by the one note that changes.
- Five modes, bright to dark. Order the modes you know by brightness and spell each from the major or minor scale.
- Phrygian and Locrian. Spell and recognise the two darkest modes.
- Comparing the modes. Spell any mode by comparing it with major or minor.
- Chords that bring out a mode. Choose chords that make a mode sound like itself.
- Test day. Prove you can spell and name every mode.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Chord-Scale Theory: The 5-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mode?
A scale made by starting a major scale on a different note. D to D on the white keys is D Dorian; E to E is E Phrygian, and so on. Each has the same notes as a major scale but a different tonic and pattern.
What is the easiest way to remember the modes?
Compare each with the major or minor scale on the same root. Lydian is major with a raised 4th. Mixolydian is major with a lowered 7th. Dorian is minor with a raised 6th. Phrygian is minor with a lowered 2nd.
Which modes are major and which are minor?
Major-sounding (major 3rd): Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian. Minor-sounding (minor 3rd): Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, Locrian.
Do I need to know minor keys first?
It helps, because Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian are all minor-type scales. The Minor Keys program covers natural minor.