Modes - Part 2 - Intermediate

The Seven Major Scale Modes - A Basic Introduction to Sounds, Chords & Formulas

Continuing from where we left off in Part 1 of this series on Modes, this tutorial will examine the moods we can create with each mode, how to begin to play the modes, and also the basic understanding of scale formulas.

Different Moods

In the last lesson, we discovered that modes are scales hidden within the Major scale. We also learnt that modes can simply be explained as moods. By selecting the appropriate notes within the major scale, we can create a mood (happy, sad, melancholy, sinister, etc.), which in turn will generate an emotional response from the listener. We were also introduced to the names of the seven major scale modes, in order of darkest to brightest sounding mood.

Here is a bit more detail regarding the moods (darkest to brightest) that these modes evoke;

Locrian = Dark/Sinister
Phrygian = Spanish/Exotic sounding
Aeolian = Sad/Melancholy
Dorian = Jazzy/Dark with a Bright Edge
Mixolydian = Bluesy/Soulful/Light & Shade
Ionian = Happy/Joyful
Lydian = Bright/Airy/Mysterious

Please note: Before you read on, do make sure that you have a complete grasp of the seven major scale shapes introduced last lesson, including knowledge of the C root notes in all shapes.

How do we play a mode?

To conjure up any of the seven modes, you will now need to start to thoroughly learn the names of the notes in each of the seven major scale positions. This will take time. Don't worry if this isn't completely mastered yet, as long as you are making the effort to do so (you can refer to last lesson's worksheets during this tutorial - study the middle column). Ok, so here is the simple explaination of how to create a mode.

The C major scale consists of seven notes, C D E F G A B C (the last C does not count as a new note, it is there to demonstrate where the scale ends and then begins again). To create a mode from within the C major scale, we can start on any one of the remaining six notes (D E F G A B) and play seven notes from the note chosen. For example, we could play from D to D (D E F G A B C D), or E to E (E F G A B C D E), etc.

The two TAB sheets below illustrate how we can play each mode in a very simple way. Each of the seven C major scale positions begins on one of the seven notes of the C major scale (either C, D, E, F, G, A, or B). By rooting (starting and focusing upon) each one of these notes, we create each of the modes.

Note: TAB is a convenient tool for playing music, but unfortunately an inferior way of understanding the theory presented here. This is why having an excellent knowledge of where the notes are on the fingerboard is so essential, and why I am again stressing that you need to know what notes you are playing when you use the C major scale (and any other). Sight reading (reading music) helps greatly (I'm not going to go on about the merits of music reading here - I'll leave that for another tutorial on another day!).

To get a true idea of the sound of each mode, playing each of the above scales over a backing track of some sort will help greatly. Of course, using any old chord progression (series of chord changes) is not nescessarily going to work. We need to know which chords work with each mode.

Now take a look at the following worksheet. The sheet contains two tables. The first table names each mode, it's root note (the note it is named after), and the notes contained within it. It also describes the basic chord (triad) that the mode can be played over.

TASK 1: Record seven individual backing tracks (on your computer, a tape recorder, even your mobile phone will do - we're not looking for Abbey Road production here!). Choose the chord in the table that relates to the mode you wish to practice. For example; D minor for D Dorian, E minor for E Phrygian, F Major for F Lydian, etc. Each backing track should last at least 4 minutes or more in length to give you time to play and experiment with the mode in question. Now play the selected mode over the backing. Pause on it's root note (the note it is named after) to get your ear acustomed to it's sound. Experiment and jam, but try to arrive back at the root note to resolve phrases (later we will look at more advanced ways of creating licks).

Task 2: The second table lists the notes of the major scale. It also lists the formula of the scale. The formula is simply a way of numbering the notes of scales, arpeggios and chords. Formulas use Arabic numerals, in the case of the major scale these are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The table also lists the basic triad (three note chord) and 7th chord (four note chord) that can be built from each of these notes. The chords are described by Roman Numerals (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii).

All of the chords can be used with any of the modes. The only rule is, you must center your chord progression around the root chord (see table 1). Emphasise (play more of) the root chord than any of the others. Start the chord pattern on the root chord. End on it too. Record a progression using a series of chords, starting on the root chord related to the mode you wish to play (i.e.; D minor for D Dorian, E minor for E Phrygian, F major for F Lydian, etc.). Now play the scale over the top of the progression as described in task 1.

Also, memorize the names of the chords and their related formula and roman numeric names. This will be essential for later lessons.

Right, that's it for now. Any questions, please do leave a comment and I will help clarify any confusion!

Extra Task: The next mode lesson will be coming shortly, where we will be looking at individual modes and how to get the best out of them. Between now an then, study the C major scale positions and try to find pentatonic shapes within them. It's a bit like one of those wordsearch puzzles! Find A minor, D minor and E minor pentatonic (shapes 1 to 5). For those of you familiar with the major pentatonic, can you spot the C major pentatonic? What about F major and G major pentatonic too? (shapes 1 to 5 also). Can't wait to show you how to get some excellent and cool sounds using these shapes and scales! All will be revealed...


VIDEO/AUDIO TO FOLLOW SHORTLY

Modes - Part 1 (Major/Ionian) - Intermediate

The Major (Ionian) Scale - An Introduction to Modes

After the last epic post, here's a slightly shorter tutorial, and the first in a series to help you start to understand the Major scale and it's related modes.

Before we ask ourselves "what is a mode?", we must first discuss the major scale. Without knowledge of the major scale, learning about playing and using modes will be pretty pointless and difficult to understand. If you already have knowledge of the major scale, please still read on, as the discussion about modes which follows will make much more sense if you do.

The major scale can be regarded as the mother or parent scale from which the modes are created, and is a mode itself (Ionian is it's modal name). The major scale we are dealing with here is in the key of C. C major is a great scale to use when explaining modes as it contains no #s (sharps) or bs (flats), and is therefore easier to work with. The notes of C major are;

C D E F G A B C

If you have a little knowledge of the piano keyboard, these notes are all of the white keys (the black keys being #s and bs).

Below, I have posted four sheets containing all seven positions of the C major scale. There are seven scale positions because there are seven notes in the major scale. Each scale position starts on a different alphabetical note of the key (i.e.; C, D, E, etc.). A seven note scale is called a heptatonic scale (hept = 7, tonic = tone/note). We have already encountered pentatonic scales which contain five notes (pent = 5).

I have included optional fingering for several of the scale shapes. Other options are available, just use your imagination! I would suggest that you start with the seven main shapes though, for reasons which will become apparent in future lessons. I have also demonstrated how the scales look when connected together, spanning the entire guitar neck. The boxed notes are all of the C notes (the root note of the scale, i.e.; the note that the scale is named after). Memorize where these notes are in each position.

Practice all of the scales with strict alternate (down/up) picking. Then practice with hammers (ascending) and pull-offs (descending) to improve your technique and dexterity. Use a metronome to keep a log of your daily practice tempo and always put clarity ahead of speed. Patchy notes sound bad. It's always better to be slow and acurate than fast and inacurate.

Ok, so here are the scale positions...

That should keep you pretty busy for a while I hope! So now the modes...

What is a mode?

The simplest explaination of a mode is to think of it as a mood, i.e.; an emotion that you will create inside/evoke from someone when they hear you play. Music is all about emotion. Music can make you laugh, cry, feel melancholy or make you jump up and down like a lunatic! That's the power and beauty of music. It helps a musician relate her or his ideas to an audience.

For example, if you are perfoming a song that is a heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, you're going to want the music to sum up that feeling. You're not going to choose a really happy, cheery scale to do that for you. Likewise, if you're performing an upbeat, joyful pop-rock song, you're unlikely to want to use the meanest, most menacing scale to improvise with. Modes allow you to select the appropriate mood required for the song you are performing.

The major scale (or Ionian mode) is quite a cheerful scale. Play backwards from C to C and you will hear the sound of church wedding bells (hardly a dark and brooding sound!). But hidden away inside these seven notes, we can conjure up all sorts of moods and sounds, from the darkest to the brightest, depending upon how we select and play the notes of the major scale.

Because we will be selecting the appropriate notes in order to create these modes or moods, we need to get to know the names of the notes inside each scale position. These can be found in the middle column of the first three scale sheets (above). Learn the fingering first (left column) and then the note names. This will take some time but be persistent. It will happen. Refer to the sheets daily until the notes slowly sink in. Pause on the C notes (root notes) when you practice the scale shapes. The formula column (right column) will prove to be incredibly important as these lessons go on, but for now, don't worry about what this all means.

Well, that's all I'm going to say for now, but I will leave you with the mode names before I go. I'll start with the darkest and end with the brightest (think of a spectrum of colours). We will look at how to play these modes shortly, so try to get familiar with the names before the next lesson.

DARKEST

Locrian

Phrygian

Aeolian

Dorian

Mixolydian

Ionian

Lydian

BRIGHTEST

See you next lesson and happy practicing!