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The Aeolian Mode on Guitar

Melancholic, natural minor

At a Glance

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

Degree: VI of the major scale — play a major scale starting from its 6th note and you are playing Aeolian.

Character: Melancholic, natural minor

Heard in: Rock, pop, classical, metal

Examples: Stairway to Heaven, Hotel California, Sultans of Swing

Aeolian in All 12 Keys

Each page shows the full fretboard, the five CAGED shapes, the diatonic 7th chords and the pentatonic subset. The parent major scale is listed beside each key — that is the scale you are really playing, just starting somewhere else.

C AeolianD♯ major C♯ AeolianE major D AeolianF major D♯ AeolianF♯ major E AeolianG major F AeolianA♭ major F♯ AeolianA major G AeolianA♯ major G♯ AeolianB major A AeolianC major A♯ AeolianC♯ major B AeolianD major

The Other Six Modes

All seven modes share the same seven notes when they share a parent scale. What changes is which note feels like home.

IonianI DorianII PhrygianIII LydianIV MixolydianV LocrianVII

Keep Going

How the modes workGUIDE The CAGED systemGUIDE Analyze a chord progressionTOOL Guitar Mode Finder for iPhoneAPP