Minor Major Modes

The three minor major modes — aeolian, dorian, phrygian

The minor major modes — aeolian, dorian, and phrygian — are the three major modes that contain the minor triad and the minor pentatonic. "Major" at the outer level refers to the 7-note mode family; "minor" at the inner level refers to the dark, minor-3rd quality these three share.

They differ only in their 2nd and 6th degrees: aeolian is the default natural minor, dorian raises the 6th for a bittersweet jazzy feel, and phrygian flattens the 2nd for a dark, exotic tension.

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