How to Play Major-Scale Modes

Major scales are one of the foundations of Western music and feature prominently in almost every genre. Interestingly, the major scale didn't become really popular until the early 17th century, when Renaissance music gave way to the complex harmonies and interweaving melodies of the Baroque period. Before then, composers wrote music in different scales scales called modes. You can find each of these medieval modes in the major scale.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Picture a C-major scale. On the piano, you'd only touch white keys to play the scale, since it doesn't have any sharps or flats in its key signature.

2. Play a scale starting on D using only the notes found in the C-major scale. This is called the Dorian mode. Because there's only a one-note difference between the two, it sounds a lot like the D-minor scale.

3. Move up a whole tone to E and play another scale using only the white notes. This unique-sounding mode is called the Phrygian mode.

4. Hop up a semi-tone to F. Playing a scale starting here produces the Lydian mode.

5. Create the next mode by starting your scale on G and moving up the white notes. Called the Mixolydian mode, this scale sounds almost exactly like the G-Major scale, with the exception being an F-natural in place of the F-sharp.

6. Find the Aeolian mode by beginning your next scale on A. This is identical to the A-minor scale, so it should sound sort of gloomy.

7. Strike up the final mode by beginning a scale on B. This eerie collection of notes is called the Locrian mode. It wasn't used much in medieval music because of the tritone existing between B and F--old composers called it the "devil's chord".

Tips & Warnings

• The major scale is also known as the Ionian mode.