Natural Western Major Scale Modes

Ionian 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Dorian 1 2 -3 4 5 6 -7

Phrygian 1 -2 -3 4 5 +5 -7

Lydian 1 2 3 -5 5 6 7

Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 -7

Aeolian 1 2 -3 4 5 +5 -7

Locrian 1 -2 -3 4 -5 +5 -7

Pure Modal Scales 

An Akousunesis pure modal is a natural modal scales with applied operations, altering the scale in a small way. The beauty of this is you only ever need to remember what you altered as knowing all the modes within any key signature will become a basic fundamental skill. The scale has the following definition.

[ mode ] [ Operations]

A natural modal scales is where you begin to visualise any scale on the piano. You don't need to remember harmonic interval numbers, you only need to know how to play a major scale on the piano. Using clever visualisation on the piano, the modes are easy to play quickly. 

Once you know how to play all your modes, any scale may be created using the following modal alteration;

b - flat, 

# - sharp, 

A - add, 

R - remove.

For consistency and playability, the Akousunesis Method only ever describes harmonic intervals as:

1 -2 2 -3 3 4 -5 5 +5 6 -7 7

Natural Modes: You don't need to remember these numbers, modes are located visually. 

• Ionian     1 2  3 4 5 6 7

• Dorian     1 2 -3 4 5 6 -7

• Phrygian   1 -2 -3 4 5 +5 -7

• Lydian     1 2 3 -5 5 6 7

• Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 -7

• Aeolian    1 2 -3 4 5 +5 -7

• Locrian    1 -2 -3 4 -5 +5 -7

Keyed Modal Scale

A keyed modal scale is a modal scale with a default root note prefix, placing the scale withing a key signature.

[Default root note] [ mode] [ Operations] 

Ian Ring Scale Finder

Do you know any interesting scales?

Unsure the name of a scale? Try this interesting tool I found on the internet. Warning, binary ahead as there are (2^12)/2 scale combinations. By clicking the link, you'll enter a level of nerdiness unseen in musical circles. A scales popular name is never the best way to learn how to play scales, because it isn't descriptive enough for you to play the scale, it relies on memorisation. For example, a scale having a popular name as Altered Dorian might give you a clue, you take a Dorian and alter it somehow, but how? An Altered Dorian is a Dorian #4, which is a much better way to name the scale, it tells you what to do. Ian's Ring application is a good tool, but don't get frightened because there are 2048 different combinations of scales all with crazy names. If you know all your modes, you can describe any scale as a known mode with a descriptive alteration. 

Ian Ring Scale Finder 

We're able to use the Ian Ring Scale Finder to find interesting scales having popular names. I'll describe these here as pure modal scales for easier playability. I'll use modal grouping, finding the mode with the least amount of operations to describe the scale. As I extract more scales, I'll endeavour to place them in useful groupings.

• Some scales have multiple names describing the same scale having the same harmonic formula. 

• Some scales are modes of other scales, example, the Scottish Pentatonic is the first inversion of the Minor Pentatonic scale having different harmonic formulas. 

• Some popular named scales have modal equivalence, EQ meaning they may be described as referenced as another of the seven modes. Modal equivalent scales have the same harmonic formula. When represent as a pure modal scale, any scale may have modal equivalence reference from any of the seven western modes.

As an example, visualise the Minor Pentatonic scale on the keyboard in the key of C, root note A, Aeolian R2 R+5. Invert the root note A to the high A position, one octave higher. Now re-visualise all the notes, still in the key of C, but in the Ionian mode, you get the Ionian R3 R7. The Scottish Pentatonic is best described as Ionian R3 R7, it also has a modal equivalence of Aeolian R-3 #+5 R-7, however this has more operations to visualise on the piano, so Ionian is the best visualisation for this scale.

By examining the following scales, you can see how a pure modal scale is easier to remember and work out the scale than the popular name and harmonic formula. It is also easier to compare the pure modal scales. It is also easier to compare pure modal scale, look at the Locrian Bebop compared to the Bebop Locrian, the difference is the b4, giving it a major third character.

EQ means equivalent 

The follow method shows you how to convert a harmonic interval formula into a pure modal scale. 

List of pure modal scales

Represented in the table is the popular scale name, the Akousunesis pure modal scale representation and  the harmonic interval formula.

Pure and keyed modal scales are explained in my book under the Scales and Modes chapter. A pure modal scale is key independent, a keyed modal scale has the default diatonic chord associated with the mode placing it within a key signature. 

Note: A pure modal scale has operations [mode][operations], start with a known mode, the operations are small adjustments from an already know mode.