The Studio Tools

Piano Modes Lab

The Piano Modes Lab lays out scales and modes on the keyboard so the shape and the sound connect: Dorian stops being a word and becomes a colour your ears recognise.

How to use it

  1. Pick a tonic and a scale or mode.
  2. Study the highlighted keys and the interval pattern that builds it.
  3. Play it on your own keyboard, ascending and descending, until the fingering settles.

Pro tips

  • Learn modes as flavours of one parent scale — play C major starting from D and you’re already playing D Dorian. The Lab makes that relationship visible.
  • Pair a mode with the matching chord from the Piano Chords pages (Dorian over m7, Mixolydian over 7) to hear why soloists choose what they choose.