Seven naturally occuring scales

Here’s the story about the major scale as the point of reference of a key, as it is taught in music institutes. It’s basically useless for jazz singers, but you’ll get a better understanding of what other musicians are talking about.

Modes

There are seven ‘naturally occuring’ scales: the major scale notes, starting the sequence on each of those notes. They are known as ‘modes’: the seven different ‘perspectives’ of the major scale. And there are seven ‘naturally forming’ chords as well.

In C major the naturally occuring scales and chords are*:

*scales in numbers, in note names, their official Latin names, Roman numbers, chords in numbers, in chord symbols, in Roman numbers

1,2,3,4,5,6,∆ > c,d,e,f,g,a,b : Ionian mode = I – 1,3,5,∆ – Cmaj7 – I∆

2,3,4,5,6,∆,1 > d,e,f,g,a,b,c : Dorian mode = II – 2,4,6,1 – Dm7 – IIm7

3,4,5,6,∆,1,2 > e,f,g,a,b,c,d : Phrygian mode = III – 3,5,∆,2 – Em7 – IIIm7

4,5,6,∆,1,2,3 > f,g,a,b,c,d,e : Lydian mode = IV – 4,6,1,3 – F∆ – IV∆

5,6,∆,1,2,3,4 > g,a,b,c,d,e,f : Mixolydian mode = V – 5,∆,2,4 – G7 – V7

6,∆,1,2,3,4,5 > a,b,c,d,e,f,g : Aeolian mode = VI – 6,1,3,5 – Am7 – VIm7

∆,1,2,3,4,5,6 > b,c,d,e,f,g,a : Locrian mode = VII – 7,2,4,6 – Bm7b5 – VIIm7b5

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