How to learn modes?

How can I learn about modes? I know the major and minor scales. I guess its time to learn wtf modes are and how to use them? Are there any good informational rescources on the internet that a dumbass like me could learn them from?

Here are a couple of good sites for modes

http://guitarsecrets.com/c_major.htm

http://midnightdruggist.com/lessons/modes_and_lead_guitar.htm


That should get you in the right direction.

good links listed for the modes...

in short every scale has 7 basic modes... three are major three are minor and one is diminished the 1st 4th and 5th mode are major, the 2nd 3rd and 6th are minor and the 7th is a diminished.

the modes use the same note as the scale you are playing but start on a different note and give a different feel to what you are playing. easy example in the key of c.... c d e f g a b (the c ionian mode) is just the c major scale.
d e f g a b c (the d dorian mode ) uses the same notes of the scale
but you anchor your riffs around d instead of c. very different feel.
it is called the d dorian as it is the 2nd mode of the c major scale.

just a short example... but the links the above poster gave are good explanations.

Modes can also be used by staying in the first degree of the scale for example take the root note in the key of the C major scale we have: C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C this is a whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step (Ionion mode 1st mode)so C being the root note u have these intervales between each note :w-w-h-w-w-w-h. Now starting with C as ur root again(dorian mode 2nd mode) you take the intervals and instead of starting on the w-w-h-w-w-w-h u start on the second whole step (dorian mode) but still keeping C as ur root note!! so u would have w-h-w-w-w-h-w and the 3rd degree (phrygian mode)still staying on C u would have h-w-w-w-h-w-w and so on...each one of these would be used to give a different feel to ur scale or solo and are used over different chord voicings..... :o for example the 6th degree (Aiolion mode) would be C,D,E,F,G,(A)-B-C (A minor )which is the relative minor of C major so the steps would be ( starting from the root of C remember) w-h-w-w-h-w-w so this mode would give the minor scale of the C minor chord voicing :cool:

Originally Posted by: dsouthgood links listed for the modes...

in short every scale has 7 basic modes... three are major three are minor and one is diminished the 1st 4th and 5th mode are major, the 2nd 3rd and 6th are minor and the 7th is a diminished.

the modes use the same note as the scale you are playing but start on a different note and give a different feel to what you are playing. easy example in the key of c.... c d e f g a b (the c ionian mode) is just the c major scale.
d e f g a b c (the d dorian mode ) uses the same notes of the scale
but you anchor your riffs around d instead of c. very different feel.
it is called the d dorian as it is the 2nd mode of the c major scale.

just a short example... but the links the above poster gave are good explanations.

So is that to say you can play the d dorian mode in place of the c major scale over the exact same chord progression, it just gives it a different flovor??

Or check out the scales section of the lessons here at GT !

I have written a bunch of lessons / exercises covering this.