Modes of the Harmonica

For harmonica players, positions refer to the relationship between the key that the harmonica is tuned to and the key of the song that is being played. If you need an introduction to positions, click this link. Understanding the modes of the harmonica requires an awareness of how scales are constructed using intervals. To recap, here is the construction of a major scale:

1 – Root

2 – Major second

3 – Major third

4 – Perfect fourth

5 – Perfect fifth

6 – Major sixth

7 – Major seventh

Don’t pay too much attention to the names of the intervals themselves, the important part is that sharpening or flattening any note from this construction will result in a different scale. For example, flattening the third, sixth and seventh intervals/notes from any major scale will give the minor scale for that same key (C major would become C minor). The modes are simply scales created from different alterations of these intervals.

Constructing modes

There are formulas for alterations to the major scale which can create a different mode in the same key. These can be applied over chord changes which this lesson will not cover, however it’s worthwhile taking some time to understand how the major scale can be changed to create new scales:

• C Ionian (major) – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 – C D E F G A B
• C Dorian – 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 – C D D# F G A A#
• C Phrygian – 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 – C C# D# F G G# A#
• C Lydian – 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 – C D E F# G A B
• C Mixolydian – 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 – C D E F G A A#
• C Aeolian – 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 – C D D# F G G# A#
• C Locrian – 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 – C C# D# F F# G# A#

As a matter of fact, each interval within the major scale has a corresponding mode already. This can be found by moving up the scale following this order:

• C Ionian (major) – C D E F G A B
• D Dorian – D E F G A B C
• E Phrygian – E F G A B C D
• F Lydian – F G A B C D E
• G Mixolydian – G A B C D E F
• A Aeolian (minor) – A B C D E F G
• B Locrian – B C D E F G A

All that has changed for each of these scales is the starting point. D dorian can be played by starting from the second interval in C major, E phrygian can be played by starting from the third interval in C major and so on. If you think that these are all just the same notes – you’re correct. The significance is the pattern of identifying modes by moving any number of intervals away from another interval. For example following the major scale, mixolydian is always two intervals above phrygian, locrian is always three intervals above lydian.

Finding modes from positions

Now that the logic for finding modes from the major scale has been defined, you can apply it to harmonica positions. Recall the fact that on a C diatonic harmonica, playing in second position puts you in the key of G major. Applying the pattern for finding modes shows that not only are you playing in the key of G major, you are playing all of the following modes:

G Ionian (major), A Dorian, B Phrygian, C Lydian, D Mixolydian, E Aeolian, F# Locrian

This is because A (dorian) is the second interval of G major, B (phrygian) is the third interval of G major, all the way up to F# (locrian) which is the seventh interval of G major. Another example is playing in the third position (D major) on a C diatonic harmonica, in which you are playing the following modes:

D Ionian, E Dorian, F# Phrygian, G Lydian, A Mixolydian, B Aeolian, C# Locrian

Try out this tool I have created which shows all of the modes for any given harmonica key and position. Choose a key and a position from the dropdown menus and the list of modes will update: