Modes by ear
Recognise Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixolydian by their characteristic degree.
Four colours
The old modes are scales that resemble major or minor but have one "unusual" degree. That degree gives each mode its colour.
- Minor-sounding: Dorian and Phrygian.
- Major-sounding: Lydian and Mixolydian.
The Dorian mode from D4
The Phrygian mode from E4
The Lydian mode from F4
The Mixolydian mode from G4
Practice: Minor modes
Practice: Major modes
The characteristic degree
First decide whether the mode is major or minor, by the third degree. Then look for the characteristic degree.
Mode Like Difference Colour
Dorian minor raised 6th a bright minor, jazz and folk Phrygian minor lowered 2nd dark, "Spanish" Lydian major raised 4th floating, fairy-tale Mixolydian major lowered 7th plain, "rock"
Phrygian gives itself away at once: its second note is only a semitone above the first. Lydian shows on the fourth note: it is a tritone above the tonic.