Early Greek music used scales which were named after Ancient Greek subgroups (Ionians, Dorians, Aeolians), one small region in central Greece (Locris), and certain neighboring (non-Greek) peoples from Asia Minor (Lydia, Phrygia).

The names of the Greek modes are the most commonly used names to describe the modal scales used in music today. These modes were:

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aolian, and Locrian

It was believed that each of these modes elicit specific emotions and behavior in listeners. The early Greeks even believed that the hearing of a specific mode altered the personality of a listener and made the listener fit or unfit for certain jobs.

In modern music, modes became a favorite of impressionistic and jazz musicians and most recently in contemporary music.