Which mode begins on the seventh degree of the major scale with half steps between 1-2 and 4-5?

Which mode begins on the seventh degree of the major scale with half steps between 1-2 and 4-5?

• A. Dorian mode
• B. Lydian mode
• C. Phrygian mode
• D. Locrian mode

Answer: (D)

This question hinges on identifying the mode that starts on the seventh degree of the major scale and has semitone steps between the first and second degrees and between the fourth and fifth degrees. That mode is Locrian. If you take the C major scale and start on the seventh degree, you get B Locrian: B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B. The half steps appear between B-C and E-F, exactly the pattern described. The other modes don’t begin on the seventh degree or don’t exhibit this specific pair of half-step intervals, so Locrian is the correct choice.

This question hinges on identifying the mode that starts on the seventh degree of the major scale and has semitone steps between the first and second degrees and between the fourth and fifth degrees. That mode is Locrian. If you take the C major scale and start on the seventh degree, you get B Locrian: B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B. The half steps appear between B-C and E-F, exactly the pattern described. The other modes don’t begin on the seventh degree or don’t exhibit this specific pair of half-step intervals, so Locrian is the correct choice.