Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

Example 25.6 Aeolian mode ascending.

Locrian

This is the strangest sounding mode, and the least used, though you’ll

probably find it in some fusion and in jazz.

The locrian mode begins on the seventh degree of the Major scale, and is

B to B in the key of C.

Example 25.7 Locrian mode ascending.

Finding Modes in Other Keys

There are two ways to find a mode in another key. You can find a mode

within a certain key signature, or find a mode starting on a specific note.

To find a mode in a certain key is easiest. Just a couple steps.

1 Play the Major scale in the key you’ll be using. For an example, let’s

say you wanted to find the Dorian mode which uses the key of Ab. First

step is to play the Ab Major scale.

2 Depending on what mode you want, start on the appropriate note in the

Major scale, and play an octave in the key of the Major scale. For our

example, you want the Dorian mode, which begins on the second

degree of the Major scale. So you’d play from Bb to Bb using the key of

Ab. Or think of D Dorian as D Major with a flatted third and a flatted

seventh.

To find a mode beginning on a specific note, the process is a little

different but still pretty simple.

1 Depending on the mode you want, find out which major scale has that

note in the appropriate place. Let’s stick with Dorian for an example.