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What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work?

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Estimated reading time 3 minutes

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Introduction to “What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work?”

“What is a parallel mode and how does it work? And how does a parallel mode differ from a relative mode?” Many musicians find the concept of modes confusing. I can help! Read more to answer the question, “What is a parallel mode and how does it work?”

How do you define the term mode?

  1. You can think of it as a specialized scale.
  2. Modes consist of patterns of intervals used for building scales and chords, and each mode has a distinctive arrangement of half and whole steps.
  3. Modes constitute an important subgroup of scale theory and form a foundational part of both Western and non-Western music.

This post uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the article.

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - Spinet

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work?

Major and Minor Modes

Mobile users: for best results reading the examples, tilt your screen 90o to the right.

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“What is a parallel mode and how does it work?” To understand parallel modes, you also need to understand how relative modes work as well.

  • For example, let’s look at the relative major and minor modes.
  • If you have C major (C D E F G A B C), A natural minor will be the relative minor (A B C D E F G A).
  • The relative major and minor both have the same notes but begin and end on a different note.
  • The parallel minor of C major will be C natural minor (C D Eb F G Ab Bb C).
  • It has the same pattern of whole steps and half steps as A natural minor, but it starts on C rather than A.
  • Unlike A minor, C major has three flats, making the notes different from C major.
  • Therefore, you could describe the parallel minor as being like a major scale that has its 3rd, 6th, and 7th scale tones lowered.
  • Whether relative or parallel, the minor mode has the same pattern: W H W W H W W (where W = a whole step and H = a half step).

If you look at the keyboard graphic above. All whole steps have a key in between them, while all half steps have no key in between them regardless of whether the interval starts on a white or black key.

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - C Major Scale - The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale)

C Major Scale:

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - A Relative Minor Mode

A Relative Minor Mode:

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - C Parallel Minor Mode

C Parallel Minor Mode:

Other Modes

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - G Mixolydian Mode

G Mixolydian Mode:

What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work - G Major Scale - The G Major Scale (Including the G Major Chord Scale)

G Major Scale:

“What is a parallel mode and how does it work?” You have more modes than just major and minor, such as the mixolydian mode.

  • For example, G mixolydian mode could be thought of as being like a G major scale but with a lowered 7th.
  • G mixolydian has the notes G A B C D E F G vs G major which has G A B C D E F# G.
  • Because they start and end on the same note, but have slightly different note content, this makes them parallel modes.
  • The pattern of the notes changed because the intervals have changed.
  • G mixolydian can be relative to C major, giving both modes the same note content.
  • C major has C D E F G A B C, and G mixolydian has G A B C D E F G, only the order of the notes has changed.
  • In a sense, it doesn’t matter whether you explain a mode (such as mixolydian) in terms of parallel or relative.

Regardless of which way you look at it, mixolydian will always have the same pattern of whole and half steps: W W H W W H W.

Interval Patterns for the Modes:

  1. Ionian: W W H W W W H (same as the major scale)
  2. Dorian: W H W W W H W
  3. Phrygian: H W W W H W W
  4. Lydian: W W W H W W H
  5. Mixolydian: W W H W W H W
  6. Aeolian: W H W W H W W (same as the natural minor scale)
  7. Locrian: H W W H W W W
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Concluding Thoughts to “What is a Parallel Mode and How Does it Work?”

“What is a parallel mode and how does it work?” The parallel minor starts and ends on the same note as the major scale. However, it has a different pattern of whole steps and half steps from the major mode or from the other five remaining modes.

Also, this gives each mode a distinctive sound quality, which you can use to create fun, exotic sounding music. Have fun playing and writing!

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