Modal Harmony and Characteristics

Mode	Common Chord Progressions	Characteristic Intervals	Melodic Characteristics
Ionian (Major)	I - IV - V I - vi - IV - V ii - V - I Stable, strong resolution	Major 3rd Perfect 5th Major 7th	Tonic (1) and fifth (5) are strong resolution points Major third creates stability Seventh leads strongly to tonic
Dorian	i - IV i - VII^b i - IV - VII^b Minor with bright sixth	3^b (Minor 3rd) 6 (Major 6th) 7^b (Minor 7th)	Natural 6 distinguishes from natural minor Often emphasizes the major sixth Common in folk and jazz
Phrygian	i - II^b i - v - II^b i - vii - II^b Spanish/Flamenco character	2^b (Minor 2nd) 3^b (Minor 3rd) 7^b (Minor 7th)	Flat second creates distinct Spanish flavor Often uses half-step motion Dark and intense character
Lydian	I - II I - vii° I - II - vii° Bright and floating	3 (Major 3rd) 4^# (Augmented 4th) 7 (Major 7th)	4^# creates floating quality Bright and ethereal sound Common in film scores
Mixolydian	I - VII^b - IV I - VII^b I - v - VII^b Rock/Blues dominant feel	3 (Major 3rd) 5 (Perfect 5th) 7^b (Minor 7th)	Dominant seventh feel without resolution Common in rock and Celtic music Blues-rock character
Aeolian (Natural Minor)	i - VI^b - VII^b i - iv - v i - III^b - VI^b - VII^b Natural minor progressions	3^b (Minor 3rd) 6^b (Minor 6th) 7^b (Minor 7th)	Natural minor scale Most common minor mode Melancholic character
Locrian	i° - II^b i° - V^b i° - vii - II^b Unstable, diminished	2^b (Minor 2nd) 5^b (Diminished 5th) 7^b (Minor 7th)	Most unstable of all modes Diminished fifth creates tension Rare in traditional music

Note: Roman numerals indicate chord functions within each mode. Uppercase (I, II, etc.) represents major chords, lowercase (i, ii, etc.) represents minor chords, and ° represents diminished chords. Accidentals (^b for flat, ^# for sharp) modify the chord quality.