Modes PT II: Names, Character Notes, & Chords (Updated May 2026)

In my “Unsolved Music Mysteries” blog entry, I set out a basic framework for what modes are and how they are used in general terms. In this blog entry, I’ll deal with this topic in higher resolution.

Each mode/scale creates a series of intervals measured from the root to each secondary note.

The major scale is simply:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7…

that is Root, major 2nd, maj 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major 6th, major 7th.

All other modes are various alterations of that structure.

What Is A Characteristic Note?

In each of the 7 modes of the major scale, there will be one note that makes that scale unique.

A characteristic note is a note within a mode that differentiates it from the other modes with the same tonic chord.

IE: There are 3 modes with a I minor tonic chord:

• Dorian (1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7)
• Phrygian (1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7)
• Aeolian (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7)

Consider:

• Only Dorian has a natural 13
• Only Phrygian has a b2
• Aeolian has b6 and natural 2

There are 3 modes with a IMaj tonic Chord

• Ionian (1 2 3 4 5 6 7)
• Lydian (1 2 3 #4 5 6 7)
• Mixolydian (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7)

• Only Lydian has a #4.
• Only Mixolydian has a b7.
• Ionian has a natural 4 and 7 which separates it from Lydian and Mixolydian

What is a Characteristic Modal Chord:

A Characteristic Modal Chord is any chord within a mode that contains the characteristic note(s)

Characteristic Chords will have:

• three triads possibilities
• four 7th chord possibilities.

The characteristic note can be the

• root
• 3rd
• 5th
• 7th

What Is a Modal Interchange Chord?

Chords within a mode that contain the characteristic note are considered modal interchange chords.

Examples of Modal Interchange in the key of CMajor

• Introducing an Fmin chord introduces the note Ab. That’s scale degree b6 which is the characteristic note of Aeolian
• Introducing the chord DMaj introduces the note F#. That’s scale degree #4 which is the characteristic note of Lydian.
• Introducing an DbMaj7 introduces Db (scale degree b2) which is the characteristic note of C Phrygian

Here are the three parent scales (Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor) and all the secondary modes they create through inversion. Each mode in effect has a unique signature sound because of the unique interval spacings and tonic chord. Here they are:

Major Scale Modes

Name	Interval Structure	Tonic Chords	Characteristic Note
Ionian	1 2 3 4 5 6 7	maj, maj6, maj7	4
Dorian	1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7	min, min6, min7	6
Phrygian	1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7	min, min7. min7(#5)	b2
Lydian	1 2 3 #4 5 6 7	maj, maj6, maj7, maj7b5	#4
Mixolydian	1 2 3 4 5 6 b7	maj, maj6, dom7, 7sus4	b7
Aeolian	1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7	min, min7, min7#5, 7sus4	b6
Locrian	1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7	dim, min7b5	b5

Harmonic Minor Modes

Name	Interval Structure	Tonic Chord	Characteristic Notes
Harmonic Minor	1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7	min, min(maj7)	b6, 7
Locrian natural 6	1 b2 b3 4 b5 6 b7	dim, min7b5	b5, 6
Ionian #5	1 2 3 4 #5 6 7	aug, maj7#5	4, #5
Dorian #4	1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7	min, min6, min7, min7b5	#4, 6
Mixolydian b2 b6	1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7	maj, aug, dom7, dom7#5	b2, b6, b7
Lydian #9	1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7	maj, maj6, maj7, maj7b5, maj7b5, min6, min(maj7)	#2, #4
Double Diminished	1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 bb7	dim, dim7,	b5, bb7

Melodic Minor Modes

Name	Interval Structure	Tonic Chord	Characteristic Note
Melodic Minor	1 2 b3 4 5 6 7	min, min6, min(maj7)	6, 7
Dorian b2	1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7	min, min6, min7, dom7sus4	b2, 6
Lydian Augmented	1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7	aug, maj7b5, maj7#5	#4, #5
Lydian b7	1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7	maj, maj6, dom7, dom7b5	#4, b7
Mixolydian b6	1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7	maj, aug, dom7, dom7#5	b6, b7
Locrian natural 2	1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7	dim, min7b5	2, b5
Super Locrian (Altered)	1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7	dim, min7b5, dom7b5 dom7#5	b4, b5

To Learn more about how you can personalize the use of modes in your music, check out my 8 week course.