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Modes Unboxed
Guitar
Modes - Unboxed!
Over the course of this guitar modes
series, we've been introduced to
the 7 modes of the major scale. For a more concise and step-by-step head start to learning modes, make sure you check out Master the Modes
for demonstrations, high quality jam tracks and an essential masterclass that will give you a new
perspective on learning and playing modes.
Expanding
out of the "boxed" mode patterns
Going
back to the individual mode lessons, you'll remember how each mode had
a root
note represented by 1,
and it's these root notes we can refer to when laying out the sequence
of modes as one large scale across the fretboard.
Let's map out the modes in these positions to get a clearer picture:
First, look at the interval sequence created by just the E string
root notes
of each mode. Notice anything familiar? Ok I'll tell you straight!
If you played just that
root note sequence from Phrygian, along the low E string,
you would be playing Phrygian.
If you played from Aeolian, you'd be playing Aeolian.
If you played from Ionian, you'd be playing... yep, Ionian.
In this example, Ionian lies on C,
so the sequence continues from that.
You can see from
above that the 7 modes can be lined up, in sequence, using those same
intervals/degrees of the major scale (which uses the same intervals as
the 1st mode, Ionian), allowing us to produce a large major scale in the key of C
(or C Ionian
if you're playing over a chord sequence from that same scale).
This
is what I meant when I said modes work together as part of a larger
scale/sequence. If you know which individual mode you're playing, it's
simply a case of knowing the intervals
between each mode to build a
larger pattern for the mode you've chosen.
Let's take a practical example:
Let's say you've chosen to play Dorian,
so first you need to
know the key of that backing chord. Let's stick with the above
positions
and say it's D minor. Therefore, D
Dorian could be compatible. So, you can simply play D Dorian
in its
"boxed" pattern (which we looked at in the individual
lesson)...
However, we could also play E
Phrygian,
because it's part of that same larger scale we looked at above. We know
from the intervals of the major scale/Ionian that the 3rd tone lies one
whole step from the 2nd tone,
therefore you can think in exactly the same terms
for positioning the related modes! The root of the
3rd mode,
Phrygian will lie one whole
step from the root of the 2nd mode, Dorian. See the correlation?
It's
just like laying out the intervals of whichever mode you've picked
across one string. The
notes of each mode will overlap with the previous/next, as you have
probably noticed, but those root note
marker points can help you map
the intervals out at
first. Eventually, you will remove this scaffolding.
Using this knowledge, we could also play A Aeolian
over the D minor chord, and we'd essentially still get the D Dorian
sound because, again, it's all part of the same larger sequence. Same
notes, just in different positions on the fretboard.
Try
the above diagram over the D
minor track below. It'll all sound like
Dorian, because Dorian's root in the sequence above lies on the note D,
corresponding to the D minor root note of D!
Click to hear/jam >
So that's your first task - know the intervals of the
major scale,
and automatically you will know the intervals of each mode's root note
in the same key!
Now,
if you did play A Aeolian over that D minor chord, you would get the D
Dorian sound but you probably won't be familiar with the pattern being
used in
that context. Therefore, all you've learned about where the key tones
of Dorian lie in its boxed pattern won't be the same
with Aeolian's
pattern. This is an entire course in itself (I highly recommend the Guitar
Scale Mastery Course for that).
For
now, just see that big picture - that the 7 modes use the same 7 notes
of Ionian, just in different positions on the fretboard. The more you
play around and experiment, the more your ear will be trained to
recognise the key tones of whatever mode you're playing, outside its
normal boxed position.
Identifying
the key and choosing your mode
One
of the simplest ways to identify where to start playing your
chosen mode, before expanding "out of the box", is to look at where the
backing chord could be positioned
on the fretboard.
For example, if you know the chord being played is D major
(which you should if you know the song you're soloing over!), then you
might know (from the barre chord lessons) that D major can be
positioned at fret 5 with an A string root. We can use our knowledge of
where chords
appear on the fretboard to apply the chosen mode in that same position,
playing
around the chord shape.
We can then branch out from that starting position, using the
knowledge from earlier in this lesson!
Let's take a look:
So
above we've picked out a D major chord position. From earlier in this
lesson,
we know that to expand out of that box we simply need to know the
interval sequence from that point.
D Ionian
> E Dorian > F# Phrygian > G Lydian > A
Mixolydian > etc.
With our knowledge of applying the major scale's intervals to the
sequence of modes, we could play A Mixolydian over D major and still
get that Ionian sound.
What's great about mastering this
knowledge is that A
Mixolydian, in this example, lies on the E string,
5th fret, directly below the A string root of D Ionian...
Because
A Mixolydian is part of the D major mode sequence, it will still have
that D
Ionian flavour, just in another position (see how what would be the 1
root note of Mixolydian is actually the 5
of D Ionian when used in the context of D Ionian/over D major). This
will give you more
options when moving around the fretboard.
So you can see how, as well as the interval sequence of modes
working horizontally across the low
E string (as we looked at previously), it also has
vertical relationships across the 2 main root note strings of E and A!
Tip: For a good
start, you really just
have to know the notes across those bottom 2 strings. The fretboard lessons will help with
this.
Anyway, that's the basic idea - know
the interval sequence of the modes (based on the intervals of the major
scale's degrees) and know
how the position of the root notes of the chords you're playing over
can correspond
with the root notes of the modes to make a clear starting point for
whichever mode you choose.
You can then use your
"out-of-the-box" knowledge to expand across the entire fretboard for a
single
mode, or, once your ears get sufficiently trained, merge seamlessly
into different modes when the chord changes. This is about getting into position
ready for when the chord changes. The course below will help you with
that next important step.
Unfortunately
there's only so much I can show you on this site, but I hope I've at
least given you a solid introduction to the world of modes! Thanks for
your time and patience!
Need more help? Use the fantastic Master the Modes
course to complete your understanding of modes, with specialised jam
tracks, demonstrations, an audio masterclass and ebook. Everything you
need to learn and experiment with modal theory.
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