More About Modes

Description

Okay, today Im gonna talk about the patterns of whole and half steps that all modes have, as well as formulas you can use to play a mode off a major scale.
Lets get started. Just like the scales I've talked about so far, modes all have a pattern of whole and half steps. If you took the notes in the major scale and compared them to a chromatic scale (something we did in another lesson) you'd see the pattern of whole and half steps. The same can be done for modes. But rather that take up a big page, I thought I'd give you the patterns. Try to memorize them. If you play them on your guitar you can observe the patterns they make on the fretboard. For the modes below; 1=a whole step and 1/2=a half step.

Ionian(major) 1-1-1/2-1-1-1-1/2
Dorian 1-1/2-1-1-1-1/2-1
Phrygian 1/2-1-1-1-1/2-1-1
Lydian 1-1-1-1/2-1-1-1/2
Mixolydian 1-1-1/2-1-1-1/2-1
Aeolian(natural minor) 1-1/2-1-1-1/2-1-1
Locrian 1/2-1-1-1/2-1-1-1

Now you can take this pattern and play any mode off any root note. These are called parallel modes. To get a really good idea of how the different modes sound, play all the modes off the same root note, C Donian, C Dorian, C Phrygian, etc.
All modes also have different variations of notes when compared to the major scale of the same key(except for ionian, of course). For example, if I compared C Major and C Lydian together I would notice that there is one different note.


C D E F G A B C
C D E F# G A B C

The fourth note of the Lydian scale is augmented, so, if I wanted to write an easy formula for the Lydian scale without worrying about the pattern of whole and half steps, I could symply write 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7, as opposed to the major scale, which would just be 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Each number represents a note in the scale, and the sharp fourth is the varyation that the Lydian scale has from the Major scale of the same key. Pretty simple, eh?
Below are all the patterns for the modes. Study them and learn them well. Your scales are very important, and using modes applys to soloing in Jazz, Metal and all sorts of other musical styles.

(#=sharp and b=flat)

Ionian-1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dorian-1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Phrygian-1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Lydian-1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Mixolydian-1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Aeolian-1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Locrian-1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7

There you have it. Its a lot to take in, but you'll get it. Any questions, give me a shout at [email protected]. Bye for now.