INTRODUCTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE

Understanding and playing in the modes is a topic that I field a massive amount of questions. There is a general consensus in the guitar community that the modes are this real beast to understand, and they are out of the reach of most guitar players. That is not true and I suggest to you that you can be playing in the modes very quickly if you put all that negative talk and negative stigmas about the modes aside. YOU CAN DO IT and I will get you there. I teach the modes to students every day and get guitarists playing in them in an extremely fast manner. In fact you will amaze yourself how fast you will be able to play in the modes with just a little understanding of how they work and then practice at applying them. The way I teach them you have to know your major scales. We will get at all seven modes through the major scales. I teach six major scales and that will get you the whole neck – then we just play variations of those scales and you will be playing in the modes. Please see my other lessons for learning all your major scales and linking them together. You don’t have to learn a whole new set of six scales for Dorian, then six more scale shapes for Phrygian, then six more different scales for Lydian – I feel that is redundant and totally unnecessary. With the system I teach, once you learn the six major scales, you know all the modes of the major scale – because you will be using those same six major scales to play all the modes. So many teachers and methods make learning the modes so much more difficult and confusing than it has to be. That is why there is such a negative stigma about the modes. Well, I am here to tell you that will a little explanation and then application – you can do it – and you can do it fairly quickly. It will take some time to master and get used to, but every can guitar player can play in the modes if he sets the goal to tackle them.

Before we can examine each mode of the major scale we need to overview the modes in general so you can have a clear understanding of their structure and sequence. This is crucial to understanding them and making them work in your playing so don’t skim through these explanations. As stated in previous lessons, music theory is compared back to the major scale. The major scale is the standard that all is compared to, you have to have one scale to compare everything else to, or it will be chaos!. The major scale is a seven-note scale that everyone has heard before – doe, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, doe. For each of the seven individual notes of the major scale there is a different mode associated with it. So there are seven modes in every major key and these modes always appear in the same order. You want to memorize the order of the modes. Utilizing the modes gives the guitarist the ability to generate an interval structure that is different than that of the major scale and therefore produces a unique sound quality. So each mode has its own “mood”, or sound quality due to the different interval structure of each mode. Simply defined, a mode means that we start and stop on a note other than the root of the parent major scale – basically think of the modes as a variation or inversion of the major scale. I am going to teach you the modes through learning all your major scales. If you know all the major scales up and down the neck in the six positions I teach – then you know the modes – it just becomes a matter of how to apply them to your playing. So just think of the modes as variations of the major scale.

The major scale is also called the Ionian mode and the Aeolian mode is also called natural minor or pure minor. You may have heard these terms utilized before. The table below illustrates the order for the seven modes. This sequence of the modes is ALWAYS the same. No matter what key you are in the modes always follow the order listed below. Dorian is always the second mode of the major scale, Phrygian is always the third mode of the major scale, etc., etc., – the sequence is always the same, no matter what key you are in – so memorize it cold.

1^st mode – Ionian (same as the Major scale)

2^nd mode – Dorian (same as Aeolian but with a raised 6^th)

3^rd mode – Phrygian (same as Aeolian but with a b2nd)

4^th mode – Lydian (same as Ionian but with a #4^th)

<5^th mode – Mixolydian (same as Ionian but with a b7th)

6^th mode – Aeolian (same as the Natural Minor or Pure Minor scale)

7^th mode – Locrian (very dissonant, same as Phrygian but with a b5th)

For simplicity sake let’s examine the key of C major which has no sharps or flats. Looking at the modal sequence above, Dorian is the 2^nd mode of the major scale. In the key of C major if you start the scale on the 2^nd degree or 2^nd note of that C major scale, you will start on the D note. Then continue with the next seven notes of the major scale till the D octave and you have the D Dorian mode – you are playing that C major scale from the D to the D. The D Dorian mode is the second mode of the C major scale and utilizes all the exact same notes in C major scale but starting from the second degree, the D note. So you can play all the C major scales but start and emphasize the D notes, not the C notes. In D Dorian you want to establish the tonal center as D, so by emphasizing the D notes in a C major scale we arrive at a new scale sound that sounds different than C major because our ear hears the resolution to D – so it sounds more minor because the Dorian mode has a b3rd and b7th. Dorian is considered more of a minor mode, although you can use it in some major applications and I will teach you that in coming lessons. As you can see from the illustration below C major and D Dorian are constructed from exactly the same notes. Just take a C major scale and start and end on the D note.

Scale degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C major scale C D E F G A B C D

2^nd mode – D Dorian D E F G A B C D

Continuing in the key of C major let’s examine the 3^rd mode of the major scale, Phrygian. Same construction as with Dorian we just start the mode on the 3^rd degree of the C major scale, the E note. So as you can see from the illustration below C major, D Dorian, and E Phrygian all are constructed from the same notes. C major = D Dorian = E Phrygian. The notes in each mode are the same but its all about EMPHASIS – which notes are you starting and emphasizing give you the different moods of the modes. Remember when you start or emphasize a major scale on any other of the notes except the root – you are playing in a mode. If you start and emphasize the 2^nd note you are playing in Dorian mode. If you start and emphasize the 5^th note you are playing in Mixolydian mode. If you start and emphasize the sixth note you are playing in Aeolian or the relative minor.

Scale degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

C major scale C D E F G A B C D E

2^nd mode – D Dorian D E F G A B C D E

3^rd mode – E Phrygian E F G A B C D E

Below are the seven modes listed in the key of C major. Keep following the same construction as illustrated above to get the note sequence for each mode. Notice in each mode below there are no sharps or flats, which is consistent with the key of C major. The Dorian mode begins on the 2^nd degree of the C major scale, the D note. The Phrygian mode begins on the 3^rd degree of the C major scale, the E note. The rest of the modes follow this same formula. Utilize this same formula to examine the modes in all keys and we can start learning how to apply these modes to your playing and using them in your lead playing and improvisation.

C major C D E F G A B C

D Dorian D E F G A B C D

E Phrygian E F G A B C D E

F Lydian F G A B C D E F

G Mixolydian G A B C D E F G

A Aeolian A B C D E F G A

B Locrian B C D E F G A B

The “5 KNOWS” or “5Ks” for guitarists

In my opinion there are certain principles that every guitar player should consider tackling. Some are harder than others, and some take quite a bit of work to get proficient. However, in the end you will be glad you took the extra time to learn the principles outlined below as they will make you a better guitarist and a better musician. There are no real shortcuts here, it will be more work, and quite difficult at first, but in the end you will be a better musician if you take the time to nail these down. Go slowly at first and don’t overwhelm yourself – these are processes that take time. Set some goals…maybe learn a principle over a period of a few months or so. Set those musical goals…and go out and achieve them, and have fun in the process. I believe the following five principles are essential for the guitarist looking to move up to the next level. I call them the five Ks or five knows. Take stock in your playing and see if you are deficient in one or more of these areas and then really work hard on getting up to speed and getting these concepts down cold – you wont be sorry that you did as you will be a much better guitar player and musician.

1. Know the notes on the neck – there is just no way around this one. Guitar players want to strive to learn the notes on the neck cold. The problem with tablature and just learning shapes is that you don’t learn the notes that make up the chords, or the scales. You are just learning finger position, fret numbers, and shapes. You will always be a better musician and be able to better speak the language of music if you take the extra time to learn the notes that make up each chord, scale, and the notes on the fretboard. This will also allow you to grab a needed note quickly at any time. Try not to become too dependent on tablature. Tablature only tells you what fret number to play, it does not tell you the note that you are playing. Tablature is a fun way to learn songs if you don’t read music so certainly use it, but not exclusively. Along with tablature learn the notes on the neck and what notes and what intervals make up each chord. Knowing the notes on the neck is a huge undertaking, so make it a process which you learn them over a period of time. Don’t overwhelm yourself and try to get them all down in a week. Try to learn one string at a time. Then go to the next string. Utilize octaves to make the learning process a bit easier. Refer to the handout illustrating the notes on the fretboard and the 12-note scale. Take your time and you will have the whole neck down before you know it!

2. Know a large catalogue of chords – As a musician having a big vocabulary of chords is very important. Unless you want to be stuck playing A, D, and E all day long! Being able to play a lot of different chords proficiently is a difficult task, but so worthwhile. Knowing a good number of chords will open many doors and allow you to embellish and decorate your playing with all kinds of new musical melodies and rhythms, as well as an endless stream of song writing possibilities. Why play a stock, sterile, every day Am chord when you can play a much more interesting and harmonically rich Am7 chord, or Am9 chord. Embellishing chords is a great way to spark new ideas and new songs, and put life into some old songs. Add a rich sounding suspended fourth chord to the stock major chord….why not! Having a lot of chordal options when playing rhythm makes it fun and exciting not only for the guitarist but also more fun and interesting for the listener.

3. Know how to play solid rhythm – Knowing a large chord vocabulary is the first step. Next is being able to play solid rhythm with good timing when utilizing the chords. Music is more than just notes and chords, it is also about rhythm and meter. In most band scenarios as a guitarist you will be playing rhythm 80% of the time. So the misinformed guitarist who thinks they can just concentrate on soloing and improvisation are in for a huge surprise first time they start playing with a band or jamming with someone else. Your lead playing will pretty much only ever be as good as your rhythm playing. Know how to strum well in many patterns using quarter, 8^thth notes as well as being able to switch chords in time and on the fly and eventually comp chords. Be able to make your own strum patterns and be able to arpegiate chords in time. Know how to embellish chords and how to add suspensions, and add chords as well as being able to embellish your strumming with chucking on both open and bar chords. It will add so much interest and richness to your playing. Know how to play good rhythm with good meter, its invaluable.

4. Know and analyze the chords you are playing over – For lead playing and improvisation the chords that you are playing over will provide the roadmap to what you can play solo wise. Just knowing the key signature of the song is not enough on its own. You want to know exactly what chords are in the progression and then analyze them to determine what scales, modes, and landing notes to utilize. In many instances you need to look at if there is a IV chord or V chord in a progression and are the chords major or minor. You need to know which notes make up the chords that you are playing over so you can use their respective chord tones as strong landing or emphasis notes. You will need to know the chords and their structure to fully understand and apply which mode you want to solo with. You want to lock in with the rest of the band and to do this you cant be in your own little world playing random notes but rather you need to understand and musically analyze the chords and the progressions that you are playing over.

5. Know the major scales cold – This is invaluable for the lead guitar player. Knowing your major scales will help give you the tools to quite a bit of lead playing and improvisation. Knowing when to utilize the scales and over which keys and chord changes is just as important as knowing the scales themselves. Knowing all the scales ever created will do you absolutely no good unless you know how to utilize them and when to apply them into your playing. Knowing the major scales up and down the neck in all keys will be the springboard to knowing the modes, relative major and minor, and many other important concepts. So learn those major scales in all keys!

*And as I always say, and will keep saying and repeating, one of the most important things that you can do to help move forward is to DEVELOP YOUR EAR!