The Dorian and Phrygian modes
Build two minor-sounding modes from a given note and tell them from natural minor.
The Dorian mode
The Dorian mode is natural minor with a raised sixth degree. Its third is minor, so it sounds minor, but the high sixth makes it brighter and softer.
On the white keys Dorian starts on D. To build it from another note, take natural minor and raise the sixth: A Dorian is A minor with F♯.
D Dorian: the white keys from D
A Dorian: A minor with F♯
Practice: The difference from minor
Practice: Name the mode (1)
The Phrygian mode
The Phrygian mode is natural minor with a lowered second degree. There is a semitone between the first and second notes, and the mode sounds dark and stern, with a "Spanish" tinge.
On the white keys Phrygian starts on E. From another note: take natural minor and lower the second. A Phrygian is A minor with B♭.
E Phrygian: the white keys from E
A Phrygian: A minor with B♭
Compare with natural minor on the same tonic: Dorian has one degree higher (VI), Phrygian one lower (II). Nothing else changes.