9.2 · The Modes

The bright modes

Put all seven modes on the same home note and you can hear exactly what each one changes. Three of them keep the bright major third: major's siblings, each a single note away from plain major.

The reference: C Ionian

Plain C major over a C drone: the reference for the other two.

the major scale itself · bright, settled: nearly every pop chorus.

Lydian: raise the 4

Raise the 4th a half step and the scale floats. Film scores lean on it.

♯4

major with a raised 4 · floating, filmic wonder: The Simpsons theme · dream sequences.

Mixolydian: lower the 7

Lower the 7th and the scale loses its urgent lean toward home. It sounds relaxed and loose: guitar rock lives here.

♭7

major with a flat 7 · sunny but never quite resolves: Sweet Home Alabama · Norwegian Wood.

Quiz

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Lydian is major with…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson. A perfect run sticks: a later miss never undoes it.The dark modes →