Greybeard's Chord Construction - Modes

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The following tables demonstrate what happens when you take a particular key (here I have shown A and C) and simply move the major triad (I, iii and V) along, retaining the original intervals.

The triad has its root at the new position in the sequence (next degree) and the remainder by moving two degrees along the original sequence to create the iii and a further two degrees to create the V.

No matter what key you start in, there is always the same sequence of maj, min, min, maj, maj, min, dim.

To try and keep the illustration as simple as possible, I have not shown two octaves, but cycled round to the start of the sequence - e.g. the V of E major in the first table would normally occupy the ninth degree (i.e. the ii of the next octave).

Key
Root
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A major
I
x
x
x
iii
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
B minor
x
x
I
x
x
iii
x
x
x
V
x
x
C# minor
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
iii
x
x
x
V
D major
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
x
iii
x
x
E major
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
x
iii
F# minor
iii
x
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
G# diminished
x
x
iii
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
x
I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key
Root
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
C
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C major
I
x
x
x
iii
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
D minor
x
x
I
x
x
iii
x
x
x
V
x
x
E minor
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
iii
x
x
x
V
F major
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
x
iii
x
x
G major
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
x
iii
A minor
iii
x
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
I
x
x
B diminished
x
x
iii
x
x
V
x
x
x
x
x
I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The interesting thing about this sequence is that, if you fill out the triads to complete scales, the result is what is known as the MODES of a scale
and each mode has it's own name:

Key
Root
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
  
C
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
 Modes
C major
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
x
V
x
vi
x
vii
                         Ionian
D minor
x
I
x
ii
iii
x
IV
x
V
x
vi
vii
                       Dorian
E minor      
x
I
ii
x
iii
x
IV
x
V
vi
x
vii
                   Phrygian
F major        
I
x
ii
x
iii
x
IV
V
x
vi
x
vii
               Lydian
G major              
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
x
V
x
vi
vii
             Mixolydian
A minor
                  
I
x
ii
iii
x
IV
x
V
vi
x
vii
         Aeolian
B diminished                      
I
ii
x
iii
x
IV
V
x
vi
x
vii
     Locrian