Music Modes Chart

It’s a virtual instrument that allows you to see, hear and play the seven musical mode contained within major scale. It is played via keys on screen (or if you prefer something more hands-on than you can use the keys of your computer keyboard). The interface is intended to assist you in learning how each of the modes sound in various keys.

Simply press the relevant letter on your computer keyboard (or click on the key if it’s a piano) and you’re in business. The lower row of letters are assigned to the white keys, while the row directly above is for black ones. Hold down Shift at the same time as pressing the letter and you’ll play the sharps/flats attached to the given key. This gives you enough power to plays single notes, simple melodies and scales.

How to Use This Tool

As you can see from the widget above, it shows you what note are in the selected scale. Notes that fall within the key of the mode will illuminate orange while the root note is highlighted in red. The highlighted section spans two octaves. There is plenty of space for trying out various patterns and immediately seeing how the scale is built.

The controls at the top allows you to select the scale type and then select the root note of that scale. This shifts everything in the widget up or down an octave so that all the scales are based around selected root note. Select another scale type (e.g. Dorian, Ionian etc.), and it updates the highlighted keys on the piano and information box beneath it to show you the sounds of the same notes in other modes.

The readout section below the keyboard display the name of the chosen scale at that point and writes out the notes of it. It also presents the semitone ‘step’ pattern for that scale, the number of semi-tones from one note to the next. If your chosen scale is seven notes long, the widget produce triadic chords that belong to currently selected mode. You can click on them to play a brief harmony that shows the position of the chord within the key.

As you push the Play Scale button it cycles through an octave of that chosen mode in sequence. The button runs through one octave by sequencing up and back down, lighting each key as it sounds. This is great if you want to get an idea of what a particular mode sounds like, but do not wish to play it yourself. It is a quick way to sample a mode before attempting to play it yourself.

At the bottom right of the piano there’s volume control which can absorbs the master output level of notes. You can use this if you’re sharing your screen or have your system volume cranked up. It lets you change the volume of the notes produced by dragging the slider. If you find yourself confused about how to use the widget, the help panel acts as a handy reference point and the How to play button toggles it on and off.

Try switching between major and natural minor scales to hear the difference in mood. Try playing the chords through from each scale using the diatonic chord buttons. The fullscreen button will open out the widget on your monitor, giving you extra room for the display if required. The controls can be navigated by using the Tab key and activated by pressing either Space bar or Enter key.

Start by picking a familiar root note like C or G, then cycle through the modes to hear their unique flavors. Play some easy melodies on computer keyboard map and have fun with it. Once you feel more confident, don’t be afraid to change keys so you can hear how the patterns work in different ranges. You should of enjoyed exploring the visual and sound possibilities that this tool offers you.