Modes Help.

Hi. I posted some lessons on the major scale and the modes. I have some questions reguarding the modes, because I still dont quite understand everything about them. Now everyone always plays and teaches the major scale in the key of C (Ionian), and teaches the the modes starting from D (Dorian). I am wondering exactly "why" everyone always plays the major scale in C, and all of the modes in the certain key reguarding to the major scale degree that the mode starts on. Example, a C Ionian (The major scale) scale is CDEFGABC, and a D Dorian is DEFGABCD if you play the Major scale Ionian in the key of C. I was studying some tabs of a few different guitarists, and it seems that they always play the major scale and modes like this: C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (minor scale), B Locrian. Why do people always play these modes, and theach these modes in these certain keys? Why couldnt they play the major scale in a different key, and the modes in a different key pertaining to which key they are playing the major scale in? Example: I'll use the A major scale: A Ionian, B Dorian, C# Phrygian, D Lydian, E Mixolydian, F# Aeolian (The Minor Scale), G# Locrian. Why do they have the rule of always playing the major scale in C and the modes pertaining to the C Major Scale? I hope someone can help me out. I have been wondering this for a while now.

Also, the major scale can be played both in the keys of C and G, and it wont have any sharps in it, and also the modes from C and G. People may use the C major scale and the G major scale in songs, but why do they stay away from using for example ABDEF as a major scale and not have any sharps in it?

Cmajor is probably used because it doesn't have any accidentals (sharps/flats) - just my guess. FYI - Gmajor has an F# in it (GABCDEF#) - I suspect you're referring to the pentatonic scale, a subset of the major scale.

C Major, A Minor, C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phyrgian, etc. are usually the first scales taught because they have no flats or sharps. This works especially well for piano students since one can say, "It's all the white keys on the piano" rather than confusing a beginning student by saying Bb, or something like that. I dislike the whole appraoch of teaching C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phyrgian, etc. I will explain at the bottom of my post how I like to teach modes.

As to your reference for tabs of other guitarists, and they always playing in C Major, that's just a stroke of luck that all the tabs you looked at were in C Major. I've only seen like 2 songs ever in C Major (although I've seen a million in A Minor). I do see a lot of songs in G Major, and many, many, many more in E Minor. The reason for this is that the diatonic chords for these keys are just easier to play than those of other keys. If you play a song in G Major, you could play the I, ii, IV, V, and vi chords without playing a bar-chord (G Major, A Minor, C Major, D Major, and E Minor, respectively). If you were playing in Eb Major, however, you'd have to use bar chords to play most of the diatonic chords.

People write songs within the scope of their ability, and therefore, the vast majority of songs will not be modal (since few people understand modes) and will be in a simplistic key (because surprisingly, not too many people thoroughly comprehend bar chords either).

**Modes, as Taught by TheDirt (if I were to teach)**
Rather than looking at relative modes, I would like to teach parallel modes. Teaching C Ionian, followed by D Dorian, then E Phyrgian, F Lydian, etc. the student will not understand very well. If you play a background piece with a tonal center of C, and chords following C Ionian, the student might play D Dorian and say, "I'm using D Dorian, but it sounds the same as C Ionian..." Well, that's because they are the same!! The way I would teach it is as follows. I'd teach the step pattern for the modes, then get the student to apply (write down on paper) all the modes to C. They would end up with C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phyrgian, C Lydian, C Mixolydian, C Aeolian, and C Locrian. Then I'd have the student play C Ionian over a C Ionian progression, C Dorian over a C Dorian progression, etc. This way, the student would see that it's not using different modes from one key that makes the sound different, but the step patterns in the modes that defines the mode. Playing different modes with one tonal center really brings out the sound of the modes, I think. Well, that's all well and good, but I don't teach (but I am available if anyone wants me to write lessons for their web site, like a guest column of sorts, hint hint). Oh well.
**End Rant**

I like to use both appraoches. Using the parrallel modes so they can hear what each mode sounds like, and using the diatonic modes so they can learn the notes up and down the fretboard.

I like using fomulas e.i. dorian b3,b7...phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7...lydian #4...mixolydian b7...aeolian b3,b6,b7...locrian b2,b3,b5,b6,b7....learn them both as paterns and notes and realitive degrees of a mojor scale in all keys. A mode is simply a method(mode) of travell from place to place on the frets, each has a different feel or "ride" through the pathways.
Besides the fact that C-major is a good doorway into theory because of the absense of accidentals, this key also scientifically correalates mathmatically to organs of the body, planets, pi..phi greek geometry, the atom, etc. It's a good "default" setting for a guitarist to refer back too, for all musical realationships.

[Edited by nechako on 06-13-2002 at 12:50 PM]

Hey, nechako, I don't quite understand what you mean when you say that the C Major scale scientifically correlates to organs and planets and such. Could you explain?

>>>>vibrations,....D-groin....E-navel.....F-solar plexes...G-heart...A-throat(thyroid,adams apple)...B-perenial gland between eyes,forehead(third eye)....C-crown of head(the thousand petalled lotus). If someone is way out of tune with themselves and the world, a di-ease results...people will say "that guy is way out of tune from reality". Everybody varies a bit on the exact "tunning" as to what "key" they are in. Notice that angry or sad people always play the same sad scales, there bodies are a-tunned to that state of being. Try this sit cross legged in a comfortable arm chair and press the guitar against your sternum, now run through all the nates of the scale C-major and notice subtely what part of your boby "vibrate" or "notice" (note...is). I alway feel a slight tickle in my heart when I play the F note in my heart. This technigue I have used for years to ease my synmtoms of illnessess e.i. depression addiction. It works great with sitar.

That's really cool! Who'd have thought that the C Major scale causes sympathetic vibration of body parts! I've never noticed vibration when I myself have played, but I have heard music (really loud) where some notes vibrated like my ribcage. I had attributed it to the music being really loud, but I realize that only some notes did it...

You're basically pointing out that humans, just like pieces of wood, are in themselves, resontaors – that is, our bodies vibrate to different frequencies. However, C major is not the base scale for this, everyone resonates at different frequencies, plenty of which are not even in Western scale frequencies (like at 445 rather than 440 for instance).

a jewish musician in a WW2 camp was allowed to live if he -played music for the general on request, the general was a severe alcoholic and depressed. The musician deciced to take revenge upon this nazi by playing sad music making his condition worse( a harmonic minor perhaps) the music was so overpoweringly depressing one day that the general stood up put his gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Music can heal or hurt.

Maybe that's what Britney is doing right now...

Briteny makes me smile.

Yeah . . . but I bet it doesn't have much to do with her music.

Briteny's appearance has everything to do with her music, although I own none of her music I can appreciate it for what it is. Some of her "rockier" stuff is interesting,...she is so cute wouldn't you just like to pinch her cheeks?

She's good if you mute the TV... otherwise, her music makes me want to rip off my ears. Most (but not all) pop music makes me want to wretch... Sometimes, I try to listen to the background music to the songs, which usually isn't that bad (except in some cases, like Jessica Simpson songs), and I try to tune out the singing, which IMO, isn't all that good. Hell, I'd really like to improvise over some of the backing tracks to some pop songs... maybe I'll go buy a cassette.

hey I said I appreciate it, but that doesn't mean I want to own it. Lets not go that far.

Dweezil and Ahmet are totally awesome, they find totally lame songs, and meke them hip by bringing out the rock out of it (did you hear their Stayin' alive cover?)

sorry guys too many years in the ashram here, I suppose I've been sucked into the fact that I want to "give" Briteny my locrian lead solo, if ya catch my drift.

That's the one.