The Scales

and Modes
of Music.

Music Scales and Modes…
When we’re first taught music we’re shown the major and minor scales.

Then we’re taught that there are two different minor scales.

And often that’s it.

Of course, that’s a massively generalised statement, and depending on your musical

background, how you were taught or self-taught, and even your listening tastes, you may
well have learned about many more scales and modes.

But hopefully this guide will have even more examples for you to play with!

I’ve grouped all of the scales and modes below into beginner, intermediate and advanced
categories. That does not mean that “advanced” composers shouldn’t use “beginner”
scales.

Not at all!

In fact, a huge majority of music is written in those beginner scales.

It’s just that the more advanced scales are a bit more difficult to use well, and also a little
less common. Really, you could view the categories as common, uncommon, and rare.

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The Scales and Modes
Each scale and mode is listed with its name(s), spelling, an example starting on C, and a
brief description of the mood it creates.

The spelling refers to how the scale / mode relates to the major scale.

For example:

Dorian 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 C D Eb F G A Bb

C Major would usually contain the notes:

CDEFGAB

As numbers, that’s:

1234567

The Dorian mode features a flattened 3rd and a flattened 7th:

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

So to transform C Major into C Dorian we flatten the 3rd and the 7th:

C D Eb F G A Bb

And the same can be applied to any major scale.

i.e. to change a B Major into B Dorian we flatten the 3rd and 7th of B Major:

B Major : B C# D# E F# G# A#

B Dorian : B C# D E F# G# A

These things are often hard to describe in writing, but that will help you to understand how
to use this guide to form each scale or mode listed.

The more scales and modes you know, the more variety of moods you’ll be able to create
with your music.

It’s like having a wider selection of paint colours for an artist - and paint is a good analogy
as the extended modes are basically blends of the primary scales.

Just like most paint colours stem from the three primary colours.

Okay, let’s get into the list, and have fun experimenting with the various sounds!

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“Beginner” Scales / Modes
The beginner scales include our basic major, minor, and pentatonic scales.

Name Spelling Example in C Description

Major / Ionian 1234567 CDEFGAB Happy / lively / calm

Natural Minor / Aeolian 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 C D Eb F G Ab Bb Sad / serious / pensive

Harmonic Minor 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 C D Eb F G Ab B As minor, with a more “classical”

sound, and more tension

Melodic Minor / Jazz Minor 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 C D Eb F G A B As minor, but with a brighter,

“happier” sound

Major Pentatonic 12356 CDEGA Happy / safe / secure

Minor Pentatonic 1 b3 4 5 b7 C Eb F G Bb Sad / secure / bluesy

Blues Scale 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 C Eb F F# G Bb Blues / Rock

“Intermediate” Scales / Modes

The intermediate scales / modes add the modes of the major scale to the mix. Most of the
major modes are still fairly simple to use, but open up a lot more variety for you!

Name Spelling Example in C Description

Bebop 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 7 C D E F G A Bb B As major but more blues / jazz. Good

for faster music.

Whole Tone 1 2 3 #4 #5 #6 C D E F# G# A# Bright / dreamlike / ethereal

Diminished 1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7 C D Eb F Gb Ab A B Dark / dreamlike

Lydian 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 C D E F# G A B Bright / dreamlike / jazzy

Major / Ionian 1234567 CDEFGAB Happy / lively / calm

Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 C D E F G A Bb Pop / rock / happy

Dorian 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 C D Eb F G A Bb Celtic / folk / melancholic / soulful /

unanswered

Natural Minor / Aeolian 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 C D Eb F G Ab Bb Sad / serious / pensive

Phrygian 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 C bD Eb F G Ab Bb Middle-eastern / flamenco / exotic

Locrian 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 C bD Eb F bG Ab Bb Dark / unsettling / unstable

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“Advanced” Scales / Modes

The advanced modes introduce the modes of the harmonic and melodic minors.

These are a bit more unusual, so a little more difficult to fit in to standard “western”
compositions, but can really add a unique flavour to your palette :)

Name Spelling Example in C Description

Locrian #6 1 b2 b3 4 b5 6 b7 C bD Eb F bG A Bb A “softer” locrian /

dreamlike

Ionian Augmented / Ionian #5 1 2 3 4 #5 6 7 C D E F #G A B A “darker” or “twisted”

Ionian

Romanian / Dorian #4 (or 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7 C D Eb #F G A Bb Brighter Dorian mode /

#11) / Misheberakh Klezmer / “Gypsy”

Phrygian Dominant / 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 C Db E F G Ab Bb Exotic / Mediterranean /

Mixolydian b9 b13 (or b2 b6) / Klezmer / “Gypsy”
Phrygian Major / Balkan /
Spanish Gypsy / Ahava Rabah

Lydian #2 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 7 C D Eb F# G A B Jazzy / “twisted dream”

Ultra Locrian / Super Locrian 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 bb7 C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bbb Very dark / twisted / horror
bb7

Dorian b2 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 C Db Eb F G A Bb Exotic / bright (for a minor

key)

Lydian Augmented 1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7 C D E F# G# A B Dreamlike but unstable

Lydian Dominant 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7 C D E F# G A Bb Dreamlike but bluesy /

“dreamy rock or pop”

Mixolydian b6 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7 C D E F G Ab Bb A “darker" mixolydian

Locrian #2 1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 C D Eb F bG Ab Bb Dark /Twisted / dreamlike

Super Locrian / Altered 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 C bD Eb F bG Ab Bb A "darker" locrian

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Conclusion
Well you have plenty of scales and modes to work with there! If you study music from
other countries too, you’ll find even more interesting scales and modes to work with -
including some that use microtones (that’s notes in between other notes).

I challenge you now to pick a scale or mode that you’ve never used before and compose
something! See what interesting patterns you can come up with.

But don’t stop here! Keep learning:

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