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Tomus

Mode reference

Ionian mode

The major scale under its modal name · C Ionian = C – D – E – F – G – A – B

Ionian is the first mode of the major scale. It is the major scale under its modal name.

The reference point. Everything else is described as a departure from it.

C Ionian

  1. C1
    tone
  2. D2
    tone
  3. E3
    semi
  4. F4
    tone
  5. G5
    tone
  6. A6
    tone
  7. B7
    semi
  8. C8
C Ionian, with the step between each pair of degrees. T is a tone, S a semitone.
CDEFGABC
C Ionian ascending, with each accidental written on its note.
CDEFGABC
C Ionian on the keyboard, from C up to C. The tonic is the darker key.

Every degree

DegreeNoteInterval from the tonicSemitones
1CUnison0
2DMajor second2
3EMajor third4
4FPerfect fourth5
5GPerfect fifth7
6AMajor sixth9
7BMajor seventh11

Hear what makes it Ionian

Ionian is the reference the other major-sounding modes are measured against. Play it, then switch mode to hear each one move a note away from it.

Ionian on every root

Each row is the same step pattern started somewhere new. The last column is the major scale that contains the same notes — useful when you want to find the mode by thinking in a key you already know.

TonicNotesSame notes as
CC – D – E – F – G – A – BC major
D♭D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – CD♭ major
DD – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯D major
E♭E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – DE♭ major
EE – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯E major
FF – G – A – B♭ – C – D – EF major
F♯F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯F♯ major
GG – A – B – C – D – E – F♯G major
A♭A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – GA♭ major
AA – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯A major
B♭B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – AB♭ major
BB – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯B major

Hearing it rather than spelling it

A mode is only a mode while the music keeps treating its tonic as home. C Ionian is C major itself, so it has no alteration to listen for — it is the scale the other major modes are heard against.

Keep going

Nearby modes

All seven modes

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