Reference
Select a note to give context to the tables below.
Theory tables to keep beside your instrument: the modes that share a key signature, the notes of each mode in any key, and the notes that make up each chord. Nothing here needs an account.
Modal Scales
Modal specific scales where the selected note is the root of the scale.
| Mode | Key signature | Notes | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
GMajormaj | GABCDEF♯ | ||
GDoriandor | GAB♭CDEF | ||
GPhrygianphr | GA♭B♭CDE♭F | ||
GLydianlyd | GABC♯DEF♯ | ||
GMixolydianmix | GABCDEF | ||
GMinormin | GAB♭CDE♭F | ||
GLocrianloc | GA♭B♭CD♭E♭F |
Chord Notes
Common chords corresponding to the selected key.
| Chords | Notes | Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
GMajormajM | GBD | ||
GMinormmin | GB♭D | ||
G7th7dom7 | GBDF | ||
GMajor 7thmaj7M7 | GBDF♯ | ||
GMinor 7thm7min7 | GB♭DF | ||
G6th6 | GBDE | ||
GMinor 6thm6 | GB♭DE | ||
G9th9dom9 | GBDFA | ||
GAdd 9add9 | GBDA | ||
GSuspended 2ndsus2 | GAD | ||
GSuspended 4thsus4sus | GCD | ||
G7th Suspended 4th7sus4 | GCDF | ||
GDiminisheddim° | GB♭D♭ | ||
GDiminished 7thdim7°7 | GB♭D♭F♭ | ||
GHalf-Diminishedm7♭5ø | GB♭D♭F | ||
GAugmentedaug+ | GBD♯ | ||
GPower Chord5 | GD | ||
Common questions
What is a mode?
A mode is a scale built on one note of a major scale using that scale's notes. Starting the G major scale on A gives A Dorian; starting it on D gives D Mixolydian. Each mode has its own character, from the bright Lydian to the dark Locrian, and shares its key signature with the major key it comes from. The Modal Scales table shows each mode's key signature in the chosen key.
How do I read the degrees?
Choose Degrees at the top to see each scale and chord as Roman numerals in place of notes. They count the notes of the major scale from the tonic: I, II, III and so on. A flat or sharp in front shows where a mode or chord departs from the major scale, so ♭III is a minor third and ♯IV an augmented fourth. IX is the ninth, the second an octave up.
Why is a key sometimes spelled differently?
A black key has a sharp name and a flat name, A♭ and G♯. The key picker names each by its more usual key, and a scale or chord is spelled from whichever name reads most simply, so the minor scale on that key is shown as C♯ minor while the major scale is D♭ major.
How do I hear a scale or chord?
Press the play button after a scale or chord's notes to play it in the chosen key, or on C while Degrees is chosen. A scale is played one note at a time from its key up to the octave, two notes a second, and a chord as one strum, both starting in the octave the open strings of Song Chart Maker sound in. They use your Play settings from Song Chart Maker, saved on this device or in your account: the reverb and volume for both, and the speed, strum and pause for the chord.
How do I use a mode on the other pages?
Write the mode's suffix after the tonic. In Transpose ABC, K:Ador is A Dorian, and the tune keeps its mode when transposed. In Song Chart Maker and the chord library, Ador asks for a shape that sounds the A Dorian scale. Each chord's name here opens the chord library at that chord in the chosen key.