Mode chord explorer

Explore the notes and diatonic chords in Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Pick a tonic, see the spelled scale, and compare the chord palette that falls out of that mode.

Choose a mode center

Results update instantly. Use the button only if you want a shareable URL.

What this page is for

Most mode pages stop at a note list. That is not enough once the real question becomes what chords are inside the mode, which tone creates the modal color, and which parent major scale contains the same notes.

This explorer is built for practical queries like notes in E Phrygian, chords in A Mixolydian, or what makes C Lydian different from C major.

D Dorian

Notes: D - E - F - G - A - B - C

Scale formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

Minor with a natural 6. Parent major: C Ionian.

Color and function

Characteristic tone: 6

Common vamp: i-IV

Lower the 3rd and 7th, but keep the natural 6. The minor 3rd gives it a minor center, while the natural 6 stops it collapsing into natural minor.

Quick reading

Minor-type mode.

If you already know C major, you already know the note collection. The real question is which degree feels like home and which color tone you emphasize.

Diatonic chord palette

Degree	Roman	Root	Triad	Seventh chord
1	i	D	Dm	Dm7
2	ii	E	Em	Em7
b3	bIII	F	F	Fmaj7
4	IV	G	G	G7
5	v	A	Am	Am7
6	vi°	B	Bdim	Bm7b5
b7	bVII	C	C	Cmaj7

Triads and seventh chords are built only from the notes inside the selected mode.

How to use it

Start from a tonic and pick the mode that matches the sound you want.
Use the parent major to connect the mode to a key signature you already know.
Use the color tone and chord table to build riffs, vamps, or modal harmony drills.

Important limit

This page sticks to the seven diatonic modes. It does not cover harmonic minor, melodic minor, altered scales, or chord-scale practice beyond the base note collection.

Read the launch note for this explorer.