Which mode is similar to natural minor with a raised sixth?

• A. Ionian
• B. Dorian
• C. Phrygian
• D. Mixolydian

Answer: (B)

The idea is how changing one degree alters a mode’s character relative to natural minor. Natural minor (Aeolian) has the pattern 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. If you raise the sixth degree to a natural 6 while keeping the other notes the same, you get the Dorian mode, which follows 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. That single raise—from b6 to 6—gives Dorian its distinct brightness while still keeping the minor third and the lowered seventh. Other modes alter other degrees (Ionian is major, Phrygian lowers the second, Mixolydian lowers the seventh), so they don’t match the idea of a natural minor with only the sixth raised.