Which mode has half steps between 2-3 and 5-6 and begins on the sixth degree of the major scale?

Study for the Certificate of Merit (CM) Piano Theory Level 9 Exam with comprehensive materials. Explore flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and get ready to ace your test with our detailed explanations and hints.

Multiple Choice

Which mode has half steps between 2-3 and 5-6 and begins on the sixth degree of the major scale?

Explanation:
The idea is identifying a mode by its interval pattern, specifically where the half steps occur. When you start on the sixth degree of a major scale, you get the Aeolian mode, which is the natural minor. Its pattern of whole and half steps is W H W W H W W. That means the half steps are between the second and third degrees and between the fifth and sixth degrees. So the mode described matches Aeolian exactly. (For reference, other modes have different locations for their half steps, so they wouldn’t fit this pattern.)

The idea is identifying a mode by its interval pattern, specifically where the half steps occur. When you start on the sixth degree of a major scale, you get the Aeolian mode, which is the natural minor. Its pattern of whole and half steps is W H W W H W W. That means the half steps are between the second and third degrees and between the fifth and sixth degrees. So the mode described matches Aeolian exactly. (For reference, other modes have different locations for their half steps, so they wouldn’t fit this pattern.)

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