Greybeard's Mode Construction Chart

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Key
Root
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
x
xx
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
xx
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
xx
x
A
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
A#/Bb
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
B
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
C
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
C#/Db
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
D
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
D#/Eb
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
E
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
F
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
F#/Gb
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
G
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
G#/Ab
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
 
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Root
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
x
vii
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
xx
V
x
vi
Modes                          
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Ionian
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
x
V
x
vi
x
vii
I
x
 
x
           
Dorian  
x
I
x
ii
iii
x
IV
x
V
x
vi
vii
  
I
x
           
Phrygian      
x
I
ii
x
iii
x
IV
x
V
vi
x
vii
  
I
          
Lydian          
I
x
ii
x
iii
x
IV
V
x
vi
x
vii
I
        
Mixolydian            
x
I
x
ii
x
iii
IV
x
V
x
vi
vii
  
I
x
x
Aeolian                
x
I
x
ii
iii
x
IV
x
V
vi
x
vii
  
I
Locrian
I
                  
x
I
ii
x
iii
x
IV
V
x
vi
x
vii

Another way of looking at it is as major and minor keys and the variations on those keys:

Major

Minor
Ionian
-----
 Aeolian
-----
Lydian
IV #
Dorian
vi #
Mixolydian
vii b
Phrygian
ii b

So Dorian is made up of the notes from the Ionian scale and is just a relative minor scale just with a sharpened vi, Lydian is a major scale, with a sharpened IV, etc..

As Locrian is so little used, compared to the rest, and is such an exception to any rule, I've left it out of this table.

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© Graham Merry 2004