PIANO​ ​MODES​ ​WORKSHEET 

MODE   NOTATION​ ​ON​ ​WHITE​ ​NOTES  NOTATION​ ​IN​ ​C 
Ionian 
 
Major​ ​Scale 

Dorian:  
 
Major​ ​Scale​ ​b3​ ​b7 

Phrygian:  
 
Major​ ​Scale​ ​b2​ ​b3​ ​b6​ ​b7 

Lydian: 

Major​ ​Scale​ ​#4  

Mixolydian:  

Major​ ​Scale​ ​b7 

Aeolian​ ​(Natural​ ​Minor)  

 
Major​ ​Scale​ ​b3​ ​b6​ ​b7 

Locrian 

Major​ ​Scale​ ​b2​ ​b3​ ​b5​ ​b6​ ​b7 

©​ ​TIM​ ​TOPHAM 2017   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​timtopham.com 

 

PIANO​ ​MODES​ ​WORKSHEET 

MODE   SONGS​ ​THAT​ ​USE​ ​IT  CHANGES​ ​FROM  CHANGES​ ​FROM  SOUND/MOOD  CHORD​ ​PROGRESSIONS 
MAJOR​ ​SCALE  NAT​ ​MIN​ ​SCALE  TO​ ​IMPROVISE​ ​OVER 

Ionian  This​ ​is​ ​just​ ​your​ ​regular No​ ​change,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the A​ ​normal​ ​major​ ​scale, Any​ ​diatonic​ ​chord​ ​progression.
major​ ​scale,​ ​so​ ​I’m​ ​sure major​ ​scale​ ​you​ ​know bright​ ​and​ ​happy. Eg.​ ​Pop​ ​progressions:​ ​C​ ​Am​ ​F​ ​G
you’ve​ ​got​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​pieces so​ ​well! or​ ​C​ ​G​ ​Am​ ​F​,​ ​etc.
which​ ​use​ ​this​ ​one!

Dorian  Mad​ ​World​,​ ​Billie​ ​Jean​​ ​by Raised​ ​6th. Can​ ​create​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of For​ ​D​ ​Dorian:​ ​Dm​ ​and​ ​G​.
Michael​ ​Jackson, ‘lift’​ ​in​ ​the​ ​music. Transpose​ ​to​ ​to​ ​other​ ​keys.
Scarborough​ ​Fair,​ ​Drunken Nautical​ ​themes.
Sailor!

Phrygian  Elements​ ​of​ ​Franz​ ​Liszt’s Flattened​ ​2nd. “Spanish”​ ​sound.​ ​Dark In​ ​E:​ ​Try​ ​5ths​ ​in​ ​LH​ ​on​ ​E,​ ​F,​ ​C,
Hungarian​ ​Rhapsody​ ​No.​ ​2 or​ ​exotic.​ ​Sometimes​ ​a G​​ ​etc.​ ​Explore​ ​variations​ ​with
little​ ​angular​ ​or​ ​angry. driving​ ​rhythms,​ ​eg.​ ​123,123,12
etc.

Lydian  The​ ​Simpsons​ ​theme​ ​song Raised​ ​4th. Uplifting,​ ​quirky​ ​sound. Major​ ​7​ ​chords.​ ​Eg.​ ​In​ ​F:​ ​FΔ7​ ​C
(Actually​ ​Lydian​ ​Dominant,
but​ ​oh​ ​well!)

Mixolydian  Hey​ ​Jude​ ​(chorus)​​ ​by​ ​The Flattened​ ​7th Pop​ ​sounds.​ ​Bright​ ​but In​ ​G:​ ​Try​ ​G​ ​F​ ​Em​ ​F
Beatles.​ ​Star​ ​Trek​ ​TV a​ ​little​ ​edgy.
Theme.

Aeolian  All​ ​Along​ ​the​ ​Watchtower​​ ​by No​ ​change​ ​-​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the Minor​ ​sounding,​ ​dark In​ ​A:​ ​Any​ ​white-note​ ​diatonic
Bob​ ​Dylan Natural​ ​Minor​ ​Scale. and​ ​sad. chords.​ ​Descending​ ​bass
Teach​ ​this​ ​first! movement​ ​works​ ​well.​ ​Eg.​ ​in​ ​A:
Am​ ​C/G​ ​FΔ7​ ​Em

Locrian  It​ ​features​ ​in​ ​passages​ ​of Flattened​ ​2nd​ ​and​ ​5th. Sounds​ ​discordant​ ​and Diminished​ ​chords​ ​and/or​ ​m7b5
Rachmaninov’s​ ​B​ ​Minor unresolved. chords.​ ​Eg.​ ​In​ ​B:​ ​Bm7b5
Prelude​ ​Op.​ ​32​ ​No.​ ​10​.​ ​More (Bdim7).​ ​Could​ ​alternate​ ​with
likely​ ​found​ ​in​ ​jazz. Am7?

©​ ​TIM​ ​TOPHAM 2017   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​timtopham.com