Jazz Scale - Modes of The Major Scale

Modes of The Major Scale

The number of scales available to improvising musicians continues to expand. As modern techniques and musical constructions appear, jazz players find the ones they can put into compositions or use as material for melodic exploration. Prominent examples are the seven modes of the diatonic major scale and added-note scales.

I Ionian mode C D E F G A B C (associated with C Major 7 chord)
ii Dorian mode C D E♭ F G A B♭ C (associated with C-6 or C-7 13 chord)
iii Phrygian mode C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C (associated with Csus4 ♭9)
IV Lydian mode C D E F♯ G A B C (associated with C Maj7 ♯11 chord)
V Mixolydian mode C D E F G A B♭ C (associated with C7 chord)
vi Aeolian mode C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C (associated with C-7 ♭13 chord)
viiø Locrian mode C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C (associated with C-7♭5 chord)

Compare each of the modes to the major scale for clues as to the subtle differences between them. Ionian is based on the 1st degree of the major scale, Dorian on the 2nd, Phrygian on the 3rd, etc.

C Ionian C D E F G A B C (associated with C Major 7 chord)
D Dorian D E F G A B C D (associated with D-6 or D-7 13 chord)
E Phrygian E F G A B C D E (associated with Esus4 ♭9 chord)
F Lydian F G A B C D E F (associated with F Maj7 ♯11 chord)
G Mixolydian G A B C D E F G (associated with G7 chord)
A Aeolian A B C D E F G A (associated with A-7 ♭13 chord)
B Locrian B C D E F G A B (associated with B-7♭5 chord)

Combinations of the characteristic details of these modes are also in common use. For example, the Lydian dominant uses the raised 4th degree of the Lydian with the flatted seventh of the Mixolydian, yielding C D E F♯ G A B♭ C. Chromatic alterations are also useful,as in the Lydian Augumented scale C D E F♯ G♯ A B C for use on the chord Cmaj7+5.

Read more about this topic:  Jazz Scale

Famous quotes containing the words modes of, modes, major and/or scale:

    The essence of belief is the establishment of a habit; and different beliefs are distinguished by the different modes of action to which they give rise.
    Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)

    Sight and all the other senses are only modes of touch.
    Samuel Butler (1835–1902)

    A dead martyr is just another corpse.
    Leo V. Gordon, U.S. screenwriter, and Arthur Hiller. Major Craig (Rock Hudson)

    I don’t pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being.
    Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)