Originally Posted by: axemaster911Come on guy's, were getting into apples verses oranges here. Scales are only different from modes because they do not have a primary root note untill the musician has selected a certain pitch for a focal point. Therefore a scale can have many different modes within it depending on the tonic.
My thread is intended to help players stay in key, and have better success playing along with other musicians.
In my opinion some of the above comments can cause more confusion, than help further an interest in theroy. There is a vast ocean of aspects to music theroy, but you have to learn to dog paddle before you can do the back stroke. :p

First thing to clear up any confusion. The word is THEORY and it is spelled T-h e-o-r-y. Secondly oranges and apples make a nice fruit salad as long as their not rotten. If they are fresh and tasty, mix them up, if you get my drift.
The fact is that many songwriters change keys or sometimes use what we call in the industry as borrowed notes. When helping other players to have better success, it's best to share the OJ Theory; just because it doesn't fit and trust me, that glove would have fit if it were tweaked a little bit, doesn't mean you have to throw it out or set it free. All you have to do is lead it back to the cell where it belongs and there are many ways to do that. (This is called theory).
Now let's look at the difference between scales ( say the Major scale) and modes ( let's use the Phrygian mode as an example).
The Major scale intervals are 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or w-w-h-w-w-w-h.
The Phrygian mode intervals are 1,b2,b3,4,5,b6,b7 or h-w-w-w-h-w-w.
Looks like we may have to add strawberries to the fruit salad and I'll bet they are going to taste great with a little sugar on top (sometimes strawberries can be a little tart). If I were a Postman, I would see two different addresses to deliver to, even though they might be in the same building so to speak.
As a musician you become the delivery boy and maybe the Majors neighbor is hot!!!!!! So borrow some sugar!!!!!! To post something for someone to advance with, it needs to make sense. Dog paddling is for dogs and even dogs don't wish to be thrown out in the ocean. I live on the Pacific Coast and it's rough water as far as the eye can see. Learn theory by stepping over small puddles and it's dry land that you'll build your foundation upon.