Modes of the Major Scale - Page 7

by Christopher Sung A Aeolian
An Aeolian scale is when you play from the 6th degree of the major scale to an octave above, so for A Aeolian, the notes are:

• A · B · C · D · E · F · G · A

Each mode has an associated chord that is comprised of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th degrees of the mode. For A Aeolian, this chord is an A Minor 7 and the notes it contains are:

• A Minor 7: A · C · E · G

In the example below, the following can be heard in order:

• The notes of the mode A Aeolian
• The notes of the characteristic chord: A Minor 7
• The characteristic chord itself: A Minor 7
• A sample solo line using the notes of the A Aeolian scale