The ionian mode, which has been by far the most commonly used mode for the past several centuries, is the first of the seven modes of the major scale. It is the same as the major scale and is merely another name for that scale. The ionian mode is often described as the sound produced by playing the white keys on the piano keyboard from one C to the next higher C; however, it can begin on any other note as well, in which case it includes one or more black keys.