Modal Thinking, Modal Playing
I regularly receive emails from guitarists asking me to further explain something in one of my courses, in this case, my teachings on Modes contained in the Advanced level, Week 4, Lesson 1 of my new, completely, totally FREE ONLINE GUITAR COURSE:
This question comes from Shiro in California:
From: Shiro
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 4:07 PM
To: Lessons@12WeekGuitarCourse.com
Subject: RE: More Fun on Guitar! Week 4 Guitar Course Links Inside…
I believe there is a mistake in lesson 1, Tab for lesson (for advanced wk 4) The first mode is labled C to C: C Ionian Mode (C Major) but all of the other modes are identical. Please explain !!
Shiro,
Thanks for writing, and thanks for studying with me! I shipped your order on Saturday, by the way. You should have it today or tomorrow.
I just took another look at the tab for Advanced Week 4, Lesson 1 and don’t see any errors. Notice the brackets above the Tab, showing you how each one octave mode is actually a subset of the two octave major scale…
There are seven modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.
All seven of the modes can be found within the basic major scale. Each mode starts on a different note from within the major scale. That’s what those brackets are showing.
If you play a C major scale, and you start and end on C, you’re going to sound like you’re playing C Ionian (usually just called C major).
If you play all the same notes in that scale, except you skip the first C and begin on the second note of the scale, the D, and you continue up the C scale all the way until you hit the next D, you’re going to sound like you’re playing D Dorian. D Dorian includes all the same notes — the same key signature — as C Ionian.
If you then repeat the process, but begin on E and play and octave up to the next E, you’re going to sound like you’re playing in E Phrygian. E Phrygian and C Ionian include all the same notes, except to bring out the “Phrygian” sound, you focus on the E notes — try beginning and ending your melodic phrases on the E notes instead of the C.
You’d continue this thinking to find all the other modes as well.
So you might say:
C Ionian = D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, and B Locrian.
But don’t get hung up on all the theoretical mumbo-jumbo. If you learn your seven C major scale patterns inside and out, and then you use those seven patterns to improvise up and down the fretboard — but you do so focusing on the E notes, for example — then you’re going to sound like you’re playing E Phrygian — because you are.
If you solo up and down the fretboard using those same seven C major scale patterns, but you begin and end all your phrases on F, you’re going to sound like you’re playing in F Lydian — because you are.
Does that clarify a bit?
If you haven’t already done so, just make sure you learn all seven diatonic patterns until you can play them in your sleep. Understanding how to then use them to play in any of the seven modes will come to you over time.
Rock on!
Adam
Ps. Please tell some friends about the 12 Week Guitar Course!
