Guitar modes has to be one of the more confusing topics when you’re first learning guitar (or even if you’ve been playing for years). What is a mode? Is it a scale? Something else?
In this lesson we’ll take a simplified look at the modes of the major scale and see if we can bring some clarity to the concept.
A mode is a scale. Where it gets confusing is a mode is a scale that’s derived from another scale, or “parent” scale (ie. major scale).
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A scale is just a sequence of notes. In the case of the major scale, we have 7 notes. If we start from the root of a given major scale, say C major, and play through each note we get a sound that is happy and bright.
But if you recall, every major scale has a related minor scale, the relative minor, which is derived from the 6th degree of the major scale. For C major that scale is A minor.
It contains all of the same notes as the C major scale, but if we listen to the A minor scale we can hear that it sounds more down, or sad.
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So what we have is the same notes played in a different order giving us a different sound or mood because the tonal center (point of resolve) has changed.
This is the essence of modes. By starting a scale on a different note, you create a different set of interval qualities which gives each scale (mode) its own unique sound. The tonal center has shifted away from the root of the scale to another note in the scale, essentially creating a new “root” note.
By doing this for each note in the major scale we can create seven unique scales, or modes, of the major scale.
Intro To Music Theory With Emphasis On Guitar: Modes And Scales
Let’s go through each and take a look at the qualities of the scale and how they sound. For the examples, we’ll stick to the C major scale and work through each of the modes.
A quick note on naming convention before jumping in. Specific scale modes are named by combining the root note upon which the mode is based along with the mode name. For instance, in the case of the dorian mode in C major, the mode is D Dorian since D (the 2nd note in C major) is the “root” note from which the scale begins and dorian is the second mode of the major scale.
Ionian is the first mode of the major scale and more commonly referred to as just the major scale. In this case, it’s the C major scale.
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The second mode of the major scale is dorian. If we start the C major scale from the 2nd degree, D becomes the root note and we get the D dorian mode. The interval qualities of the dorian mode are shown in the diagram and table below.
The third mode of the major scale is Phrygian. Working from the 3rd degree of the C major scale, we get E Phrygian.
The fifth mode of the major scale is Mixolydian. From the 5th degree of the C major scale we get the G mixolydian mode.
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The sixth mode of the major scale is Aeolian. This mode is more commonly referred to as the natural minor scale. From the 6th degree of the C major scale, we get the A Aeolian scale, or A natural minor scale.
The seventh and final mode of the major scale is Locrian. In the C major scale we get the B Locrian mode.
Just as the major scale and natural minor scale have major and minor scale qualities, so, too, do the other guitar modes. Therefore, each mode can be described as either a major or minor based on the quality of the 3rd of the scale.
Basics Of Guitar Modes
Just as the major scale has its own unique formula that can be used to create the major scale for any root note, modes have their own unique formula as well. If we apply that formula for any given root note, we can create each of the 7 modes for that root.
To fully grip how modes work in practice it’s good to hear some examples. The two songs that come to mind for me when thinking about modes are
The verse chord progression follows the common mixolydian progression of V – IV – I – V. The chord progression consists D major, C major, and G major, all from the key of G major.
Ionian Guitar Mode
While the chord progression utilizes the I – IV – V chords of G major, the progression clearly centers around the D chord, putting it in the D mixolydian mode.
, which consists of a similar V – IV – I chord progression, utilizing the A major, G major, and D major chords from the key of D major.
Again, despite being in the key of D major, the progression centers around the V chord, A major, giving us the A mixolydian mode.
Free Diagrams To Help You Play Each
Modes can be a confusing topic and it took me a little while before I had my “aha” moment. Hopefully this lesson helps pull back the layers of confusion and simplifies the concept. I think the key is just not overthinking it. It’s simply a way to identify and describe a shift in tonal center from the root note or chord to another note in a given scale.There are few topics in the world of guitar theory which seem to cause as much confusion as modes. I speak partly from personal experience here.
When I first wanted to move beyond playing the minor and major pentatonic and blues scales, I tried to teach myself the modes. For a long time, I had little success. And looking back, I am not surprised that this was the case.
The language used to explain the modes on your guitar is complicated. Not only this, but properly using and understanding the modes requires a little more theoretical knowledge.
Guitar Soloing: From Pentatonic Scales To Modes: Use Major & Minor Pentatonic Scales To Play Exciting Modal Solos (learn Guitar Theory And Technique)
You can get great results soloing and improvising with the minor pentatonic scale, even if you don’t really understand how it works. The same is not quite true of the modes. As such, if you are starting from scratch on the theory front, I would strongly recommend reading the following articles before continuing here:
I know that you want to get to grips with guitar modes as soon as possible. But please learn from my mistakes. Trying to learn the modes without understanding how they function is very challenging. And it will give you hit and miss results at best.
So even though it might feel like you are spending a lot of time working through the theory – it is worth it. You will be able to use the modes on your guitar much more effectively. In fact I would argue that this approach will actually save you time in the long run too.
Modes Of The Major Scale » Modal Theory » Strings Of Rage™
Assuming then that you are comfortable with the concepts outlined in the articles linked above, let’s turn our attention to the modes. In this article I will cover everything you need to get started using the modes on your guitar. This includes:
Before we look at the modes on your guitar, we need to return to the major scale. This is of fundamental importance, because as I will explain in much more detail throughout – the major scale is the ‘parent scale’ from which all of the modes are derived.
As such, if you want to play the modes on your guitar, you first need to be able to play the major scale all over your fretboard. Not only this, but you need to understand how the major scale is structured and which intervals appear in the scale.
Locrian Guitar Mode
The major scale is a heptatonic scale. This is because it is comprised of 7 notes per octave, (‘hepta’ meaning 7 in Greek). The scale ‘formula’ for the major scale is as follows:
Each of the numbers above represents anintervalthat appears in the scale. And in the major scale, all of the intervals are eithermajororperfect. In the key of A, the notes of the major scale are as follows:
Each of the numbers 1-7 corresponds to one of the notes above. A is 1, B is 2 and so on. This is what the A major scale looks like when played horizontally across the 6th string on your guitar:
The Phrygian Mode
When laid out visually in this way, you can see that the major scale is constructed in a series of alternating tones and semitones (or half steps and whole steps). Specifically, the spacings on the fretboard are as follows:
A lot of guitarists find it helpful to repeat this series of spaces when they first learn the scale. And it certainly can be a useful mechanism for remembering the pattern of notes, which has a different sound and feel to many of the scales with which you might be familiar.
As a reminder, here is what the 5 shapes of the A major scale look like when laid out on your fretboard:
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As I noted in more detail here, there are different fingerings that you can use to play these scales. However the fingerings
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