# Modes of the major scale

A tutorial on the seven modes — what each one sounds like, which note gives it its color, and a button to drill it — plus a roulette that picks a scale for you.

## Seven modes on one page

[Piano modes: an ear-first video course](https://pianokitty.com/tutorials/modes) covers the seven modes of the major scale, from Ionian to Locrian. For each one it gives the parent scale (major or minor), the one note that makes it different, its mood, and songs that use it. A short phrase helps with the order: *I Don’t Play Lydian Mode After Lunch*.

Next to each mode is a link that opens it as an exercise, starting on C.

![The table of the seven modes: order, name, parent scale, character note, mood and example songs.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/modes/table.webp)

## From brightest to darkest

A second table sorts the modes by brightness: Lydian, with its raised fourth, at the bright end, and Locrian, with its diminished tonic, at the dark end. Each step down changes one note, so the table also shows how the modes connect.

![The brightness table: Lydian at the top, then Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, and Locrian at the bottom, with the altered note for each.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/modes/brightness.webp)

## Hear it, then play it

Every mode is drawn on a keyboard, starting on C, with the tonic and the character note marked. **Play** plays the scale; **Practice this scale** opens it as an exercise. The page ends with four ready-made drills: Dorian as triads, Mixolydian as seventh chords, Lydian with degree numbers, and Phrygian by ear. For more depth, it also links a set of video lessons.

![The Dorian mode on a keyboard from C, with the tonic and the raised sixth marked, and Play and Practice this scale buttons.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/modes/demo.webp)

## Scale roulette

If you cannot decide which scale to practice, let the [scale roulette](https://pianokitty.com/random) choose. The wheel holds the twelve major keys in circle-of-fifths order. Hold **Start** — the longer you hold, the faster it spins — and when it stops, one click opens that scale as an exercise. The button in the middle switches the black keys between sharps and flats.

![The scale roulette after a spin: the wheel of twelve keys with one highlighted, and a link to play that scale.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/modes/roulette.webp)

## Play a mode

- Try it: [The modes tutorial](https://pianokitty.com/tutorials/modes): All seven modes, with drills.
- Try it: [Dorian from C](https://pianokitty.com/app?subject=scales&key=C&mode=dorian&voicing=singleNotes&seq=inOrder): Minor with a raised sixth, note by note.
- Try it: [Lydian from C](https://pianokitty.com/app?subject=scales&key=C&mode=lydian&voicing=singleNotes&seq=inOrder): Major with a raised fourth.
- Try it: [Scale roulette](https://pianokitty.com/random): Let the wheel pick a key.

Related: [Scales, and the chords inside them](https://pianokitty.com/features/scale-practice.md), [Chord progressions](https://pianokitty.com/features/progressions.md), [Chord names, numerals or functions](https://pianokitty.com/features/question-label.md)

Source: https://pianokitty.com/features/modes