Modes

In music, modes are a "displaced scale played from root to root of a chord." What
this means is that if you take the scale tone 7th chords of say C major and play the
C major scale with each scale tone chord beginning with the root note of each scale
tone chord, you will be playing the various modes of the scale of C major. he table
below illustrates the modes which e!ist in the various keys.
Chord Displacement Mode
I "ajor # $ # Ionian
II "inor % $ % &orian
III "inor ' $ ' (hrygian
I) "ajor * $ * +ydian
) &ominant , $ , "i!olydian
)I "inor - $ - .eolian
)II /alf &iminished 7 $ 7 +ocrian
0sing this information we construct the following table which shows the various
modes in the scale of C "ajor.
Chord Scale Displacement Mode
C "ajor 7th C "ajor C $ C Ionian
& "inor 7th C "ajor & $ & &orian
1 "inor 7th C "ajor 1 $ 1 (hrygian
2 "ajor 7th C "ajor 2 $ 2 +ydian
3 &ominant 7th C "ajor 3 $ 3 "i!olydian
. "inor 7th C "ajor . $ . .eolian
4 /alf &iminished 7th C "ajor 4 $ 4 +ocrian
With this information you can see that a good e!ercise would be to play the scale
tone 7th chords in your left hand while playing the corresponding modes in the right.
5f course, you will as always do this with all #% major scales and the scale tone
chords which go with these scales. +earning these modes for the piano, along with
the major scales and arpeggios, are very important in improvising on the piano. .s
you continue to practice you will see 6hopefully7 how combining these elements will
improve your skill as not only a piano player...but as a student of music.
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