Aeolian mode

The Aeolian mode is a musical scale also known as the natural minor scale. It features a specific pattern of whole and half steps that gives it a somber, melancholic sound. Starting on its sixth degree in a major scale, it creates a tonal flavor often associated with sadness or introspection. Its distinctive pattern is: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole steps. Many emotional or expressive melodies use the Aeolian mode to evoke a sense of depth, vulnerability, or poignancy in music.