How to Use Modes to Write More Interesting Electronic Melodies

What Are Modes?

Modes are variations of the major scale, each with its own flavour and emotional character. They’re one of the quickest ways to give your melodies a distinct personality while keeping your harmonic foundation consistent.

When I first discovered modes, I didn’t have a clue what the teacher was going on about. I understood there were scales, but as soon as modes were introduced my head hurt. Now, after years of actually working with them, they’re pretty straightforward – and genuinely one of the best things you can learn for expanding your melodic vocabulary.

Modes sound complicated on paper, but in practice they’re a way of choosing a different “centre of gravity” in the same set of notes.

The Seven Modes Using C Major

One of the easiest ways to understand modes is to take the C major scale (C D E F G A B) and change your starting note while keeping the same set of notes.

This is the easiest way to hear modes – same notes, different root. What changes is the interval pattern relative to the note you treat as home.

Mode	Starting Note	Notes	Mood
Ionian (Major)	C	C D E F G A B	Bright, stable, familiar, “resolved”
Dorian	D	D E F G A B C	Minor but optimistic, smooth, soulful, forward-moving
Phrygian	E	E F G A B C D	Dark, tense, exotic, ritualistic
Lydian	F	F G A B C D E	Dreamy, weightless, floating, slightly unreal
Mixolydian	G	G A B C D E F	Major but gritty, groove-led, open, slightly rebellious
Aeolian (Natural Minor)	A	A B C D E F G	Melancholic, emotional, introspective, cinematic
Locrian	B	B C D E F G A	Unstable, anxious, dissonant, “on the edge”

Quick Tip: Explore the modes on your synth by staying in the white keys but changing the note you treat as “home/root”. The emotional change is immediate, even though the notes are identical.

How the modes behave in electronic music

Ionian (Major)

Feels like: clean, open, “finished”

Best for: bright hooks, pop-leaning leads, uplifting chords

Signature notes: major 7 (in C Ionian: B)

Use it when: you want something to feel clear and resolved, not edgy.

Dorian

Feels like: minor, but confident and moving forward

Best for: deep house basslines, soulful synth stabs, rolling hypnotic grooves

Signature note: natural 6 (in D Dorian: B)

Use it when: you want minor mood without sounding sad or heavy.

Phrygian

Feels like: tense, dark, ritualistic, slightly “forbidden”

Best for: techno leads, dark arps, aggressive riffs, cinematic tension

Signature note: flat 2 (in E Phrygian: F)

Use it when: you want instant pressure with minimal notes.

Lydian

Feels like: bright, floating, futuristic, “above the ground”

Best for: ambient pads, shimmering chords, dreamy melodic motifs

Signature note: raised 4 (in F Lydian: B)

Use it when: you want major, but not predictable.

Mixolydian

Feels like: major, but looser / funkier / less polite

Best for: groove-led house, electro, disco-ish riffs, bouncy basslines

Signature note: flat 7 (in G Mixolydian: F)

Use it when: you want major energy but with attitude and movement.

Aeolian (Natural Minor)

Feels like: emotional, cinematic, reflective

Best for: melodic techno, trance breakdowns, moody chord progressions

Signature note: flat 6 (in A Aeolian: F)

Use it when: you want that classic minor mood that “just works.”

Locrian

Feels like: unstable, nervous, unresolved

Best for: experimental intros, eerie sound design beds, tension moments

Signature note: flat 5 (in B Locrian: F)

Use it when: you want something that feels like it shouldn’t be home.

Signature notes are the “flavour” notes of each mode.

The root is still home, but the signature note is the defining note that makes the mode sound like itself. Think of it like seasoning – you don’t need loads of it, but even a small amount changes the feel straight away. If you bring the signature note in now and then, the mode becomes obvious. If you avoid it completely, the melody can start to drift back into plain major or minor.

Why Modes Work in Electronic Music

• Expanded emotional range – Go beyond the “happy vs sad” of major and minor.

  
  

• Cultural and stylistic flavour – Certain modes evoke Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or jazz influences.

  
  

• Instant melodic identity – A Phrygian hook or Lydian pad can define an entire track’s character.

Examples in Electronic Music

• Dorian: “minor bassline, but with a hopeful lift”

  
  

• Lydian: “pads that feel like they’re hovering above the chords”

  
  

• Phrygian: “one-note hypnosis with the signature note doing the damage”

Producer Tips

1. Start with the mode’s signature note – bring it in early so the mood is clear straight away.

   
   

2. Combine with modal interchange – Borrow chords from other modes for variation.

   
   

3. Test with different timbres – The same mode feels different on a pluck, pad, or lead synth.

Mini exercise (2 minutes)

1. Pick a root note (E works well)

2. Play a 4-note loop using only E–F–G–A

3. Let the bass stay on E

4. Notice how that F (b2) creates instant tension

Modes by Genre (Quick Cheat Sheet)

• House / Deep House: Dorian, Mixolydian

• Techno / Melodic Techno: Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian

• Trance / Progressive: Aeolian, Ionian, Dorian

• Drum & Bass:  Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian

• Ambient / Downtempo:  Dorian, Ionian, Lydian

• Electro / Breaks:  Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian

• Psytrance / Dark Prog:  Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian

• Experimental / IDM: Locrian, Lydian, Phrygian

These are the modes that come up over and over in electronic music, but it’s really down to taste and the mood you’re aiming for.

Final Thought

Modes are a powerful way to expand your melodic toolkit. By stepping outside the default major/minor mindset, you can explore new textures, emotions, and identities – all without losing your track’s core direction.