Modes · Ionian
The Ionian mode
Bright, settled, happy. Ionian is the major scale. Nothing is altered: it's the yardstick the other modes are measured against. Hear it over its own chords, in any key.
Jam: start the loop, then play the computer keys A S D F G H J K L: each one is the next note of the scale, so nothing you play is wrong. Or click the lit keys.Jam: start the loop and tap the lit keys. They’re all in the scale, so nothing you play is wrong.
The notes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C Ionian is C D E F G A B: C to C on the white keys, the notes of C major.
Every major scale, with its chords and fingering, is on the scales page; C Ionian is C major.
Where you hear it
Almost all the major-key music you know: Twinkle Twinkle, Ode to Joy, Happy Birthday. Musicians only call it Ionian when they're talking about modes.
Its neighbours
From brightest to darkest, the modes go Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian. Ionian sits between Lydian and Mixolydian. Compare them all from the same note on the modes page.
Ionian in every key
| Scale | Notes | Same notes as |
|---|---|---|
| C Ionian | C – D – E – F – G – A – B | C major |
| D♭ Ionian | D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C | D♭ major |
| D Ionian | D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ | D major |
| E♭ Ionian | E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D | E♭ major |
| E Ionian | E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ | E major |
| F Ionian | F – G – A – B♭ – C – D – E | F major |
| F♯ Ionian | F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ | F♯ major |
| G Ionian | G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯ | G major |
| A♭ Ionian | A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G | A♭ major |
| A Ionian | A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ | A major |
| B♭ Ionian | B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A | B♭ major |
| B Ionian | B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ | B major |
Exploring modes on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that drifts. Then it shows you how it should go.
Keep learning
Questions people ask
What are the notes of C Ionian?
C, D, E, F, G, A, B: the white keys from C to C, the notes of C major.
What is the formula for the Ionian mode?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Ionian is the major scale.
What does the Ionian mode sound like?
Bright, settled, happy. Every major scale, with its chords and fingering, is on the scales page; C Ionian is C major.
How do I find Ionian in any key?
Start the major scale on its 1st note. Or play the major scale from your root and change nothing: it's the major scale. The table on this page has all twelve.