"Anything with E and B... I could play..."
A Ionian", but it will sound like E Mixolydian
B Ionian", but it will sound like E Lydian
C Ionian", but it will sound like E Phyrgian
D Ionian", but it will sound like E Dorian
E Ionian", which will sound like E Ionian (duh)
G Ionian", but it will sound like E Aeolian
"Hey, I could play F# Mixolydian! That's got an E and B!"
Well, if you did that, you'd be playing E Lydian, due to the tonal center.
Get it? Since the tonal center is E, no matter what scale you play, it's tonic will be heard as E by the listener, so when playing over single chords or vamps, think about your tonal center and pick a mode with that tonic. If your tonal center is C, pick the best sounding C scale, be it C Locrian or C Lydian or C Aeolian, it's up to you. Let your ear be the guide, but don't think that playing B Locrian over a C Major progression will sound any different than playing C Ionian over the same progression.
"You must stab him in the heart with the Bone Saber of Zumacalis... well, you could stab him in the head or the lungs, too... and the saber, it probably doesn't have to be bone, just anything sharp lying around the house... you could poke him with a pillow and kill him."
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Universal Re-Monster
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Universal Re-Monster
