How to use Scales & Modes in Music Productions

Modes are just different emotional "flavors" of a scale. Instead of thinking of them as separate, complicated things, I find it easiest to think of them as a spectrum from brightest to darkest. By changing just one or two notes from a standard major or minor scale, you can dramatically change the mood of a piece of music, which is an incredibly powerful tool for composing.

What Are Scales and Modes? #

• Scale: A set of musical notes ordered by pitch. The most common ones we all know are Major (which usually sounds happy) and Minor (which usually sounds sad).
• Modes: Modes are basically different types of scales. Major (which I also call Ionian) and Minor (which I call Aeolian) are just two of seven common modes. The other modes—Lydian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Phrygian, and Locrian—each have their own unique character because they have a slightly different pattern of notes.

The traditional way of learning modes (like "play all the white keys from D to D for Dorian") isn't very helpful for me as a composer.

Here is a Video i made about the Bitwig 6 Scale feature, showing all the Scales & Modes

A Better Way to Think About Modes: The Bright-to-Dark Spectrum #

I find it much more practical to understand modes this way:

1. Start with one root note (like C).
2. See all the modes as variations of that C scale.
3. Arrange them in order from brightest and happiest to darkest and weirdest.

Here is the "bright-to-dark" list I use, all starting on C:

1. Lydian (Brightest): This is a C Major scale, but you raise the 4th note (F becomes F#). It sounds magical, dreamy, and very bright. (Think the E.T. theme).
2. Ionian (Major): This is just your standard C Major scale (all white keys, C to C). It's your baseline "happy" sound.
3. Mixolydian: This is a C Major scale, but you lower the 7th note (B becomes Bb). It sounds happy but with a "cooler," bluesy, or rock-and-roll vibe.
4. Dorian: This is a C Minor scale, but you raise the 6th note (Ab becomes A). It sounds sad but also hopeful, or a bit "Nordic" or like folk music.
5. Aeolian (Natural Minor): This is your standard C Natural Minor scale. It's your baseline "sad" or "tragic" sound.
6. Phrygian: This is a C Minor scale, but you lower the 2nd note (D becomes Db). It sounds very dark, ominous, and often has a "Spanish" or "Middle Eastern" feel.
7. Locrian (Darkest/Weirdest): This is a C Minor scale with a lowered 2nd (Db) AND a lowered 5th (Gb). This scale sounds very unstable, "excessive," and tense. I sometimes call it the "agent of chaos" mode.

How I Use Modes: A Step-by-Step Example #

A great way to understand this is to take one melody and play it in different modes. I do this all the time to change the emotion of a theme.

Let's use Davy Jones' theme from Pirates of the Caribbean as an example.

• Step 1: The Original (Aeolian/Natural Minor)
  The theme is in a minor key, which sounds tragic and sad. This is our starting point.
• Step 2: Go Brighter (Dorian)
  To make it sound a bit more hopeful, I'd raise all the 6th notes (from Ab to A). The melody is identical, but the new notes give it a brighter, "Nordic" quality.
• Step 3: Go Even Brighter (Mixolydian)
  Now, I'd take that Dorian version and also raise the 3rd notes (from Eb to E). It suddenly sounds much more major, like a "happy ending" version of the theme.
• Step 4: Go Full Major (Ionian)
  Taking the Mixolydian version, I'd raise the 7th notes (from Bb to B). Now it's a standard major scale, and the theme sounds so bright it's almost like something from a "Jane Austen movie."
• Step 5: Go Darker (Phrygian)
  Going back to the original minor theme, I can make it darker. I'd lower all the 2nd notes (from D to Db). This makes the theme sound much more ominous.

This exercise shows why modes are so important: you can completely change the emotional meaning of a melody just by swapping which mode it's in. It's a key tool I use to show a character's journey.

Bonus Concept: Modal Interchange #

This is another trick I love, where you "borrow" a chord from a different mode.

• Example: Let's say I'm playing a song in C Major. The normal 4th chord is F Major. But, for a moment, I could "borrow" the 4th chord from C Minor, which is F Minor. You've heard this sound in countless songs. It's an easy way for me to add a quick splash of a different, more somber emotion.

All the Modes #

I've gathered all the scales I know and tried to explain why and when to use them. Each scale has its own unique qualities, creating a specific sound or vibe. Often, you want to evoke a certain feeling, so it helps to know what mood each scale brings. This is a bit of a summary to guide you, and with the update in Bitwig version 6, you can easily use these scales and go straight to the right vibe.

1. Diatonic Modes #

These are the 7 church modes. They all share the same pool of notes (like white keys on the piano, C to C), but shift where the “tonic” is. Ordering them from bright → dark:

1. Lydian (brightest)

   • Like Major, but with a raised 4.
   • Very dreamy, “floating”, often used in film music.
   • raised 4th

2. Ionian (Major)

   • Standard bright and stable scale.
   • Foundation of most pop, classical, EDM.
   • Ionian mode is often used as a basis for creating melodies and harmonies.

3. Mixolydian

   • Major-like, but with a flat 7.
   • Funk, blues, rock. Feels “looser” than Major.
   • Change from Major: lower 7.

4. Dorian

   • Minor-like, but with a raised 6.
   • Funk, house, jazz – minor feel but not too dark.
   • Change from Natural Minor: raise 6.

5. Aeolian (Natural Minor)

   • The “default” minor scale.
   • Darker and emotional, widely used across genres.

6. Phrygian

   • Very dark, Spanish/metal flavor, flat 2 gives it tension.
   • Change from Natural Minor: lower 2.

7. Locrian (darkest, unstable)

   • Minor with flat 2 and flat 5.
   • Rare outside experimental/jazz, no stable tonic.
   • Change from Phrygian: lower 5.

2. Extended Minor/Major Scales #

These are derived from modifying Major/Minor to get new colors.

• Harmonic Minor

  • Natural Minor but raise 7.
  • Creates a strong pull to tonic, used in classical, trance leads, dramatic EDM.

• Harmonic Major

  • Major but lower 6.
  • Rare, but has exotic/old-world sound.

• Melodic Minor (Jazz Minor)

  • Natural Minor but raise 6 and 7.
  • Used in jazz and modern harmony, gives smoother minor sound.

3. Pentatonics #

Pentatonic = “5-note scale”, very stable and safe. They avoid half-steps, so almost always sound good. Great for riffs, solos, hooks.

• Major Pentatonic

  • “Always works” scale. Pop, EDM, folk.
  • Derived from Major, remove 4 and 7.

• Minor Pentatonic

  • Same idea but minor flavor. Rock, hip-hop, blues leads.
  • Derived from Natural Minor, remove 2 and 6.

4. Blues Scales #

Like pentatonics, but add “blue notes” for grit and expression. The “wrong” notes are the point.

• Blues Major = Major Pentatonic + flat 3.
• Blues Minor = Minor Pentatonic + flat 5.

Why use: Expressive, raw, perfect for solos, vocal-like lines, bending notes. Central to rock, blues, hip-hop, and funk.

5. Symmetric / Exotic Scales #

These don’t follow the “bright → dark” logic, but are built from repeating patterns. Often used for tension, exotic sounds, transitions.

• Whole Tone

  • Built only from whole steps. No tonic, dreamy and floating.
  • Used in transitions, impressionist/classical, ambient.

• Diminished Whole-Half (WH)

  • Symmetric scale, used for tension (common in horror/film).
  • Alternates whole → half steps.

• Diminished Half-Whole (HW)

  • Similar, but starts with half step.
  • Often used over dominant chords in jazz fusion.

• Half-Diminished (Locrian #2)

  • Variant of Locrian (raise 2).
  • Fits minor 7b5 chords in jazz.

• Overtone Scale

  • Like Lydian Dominant (Major with raised 4 and flat 7).
  • Very bright, brassy, often in jazz/fusion.

• Double Harmonic Major

  • Major with flat 2 and flat 6.
  • Very Middle Eastern / Arabic flavor.

• Double Harmonic Minor

  • Minor with flat 2 and raised 7.
  • Similar exotic tension, useful for cinematic or psytrance.

6. Reduced / Chord-Based #

Not really “scales” in the melodic sense, but reduced note sets that emphasize chord tones. Good for minimal patterns or building harmonic grids.

• Major Triad: just root, major 3rd, 5th.
• Minor Triad: root, minor 3rd, 5th.

Why use: Keeps things simple, makes melodies more harmonic and consonant. Great in minimal techno, or when layering harmonies.

Recap (musical use): #

• Diatonic = core palette, each mode shifts color slightly.
• Extended = expands emotional range, more exotic harmony.
• Pentatonics = universal safe choice, riff-friendly.
• Blues = expressive, dirty, raw.
• Symmetric/Exotic = tension, cinematic, ethnic, or transitions.
• Chord-based = stripped down, for minimal or harmonic emphasis.