The video above is all about the seven modes of the major scale. It is the continuation of the video lesson: The Major Scale. There are some easy guitar tab videos such as the easy Super Mario Bros Tab or Easy Fur Elise Tab in the Guitar Tabs area. Here is the monologue for the video seen above:
Check out part one of this two part video: The Major Scale. There are some easy guitar tab videos such as the easy Super Mario Bros Tab or Easy Fur Elise Tab in the Guitar Tabs area.There are 7 modes I want to show you. One mode for each of the 7 notes that are in the Major Scale. A mode is basically a scale. For instance the C major scale starts with a C note, this is also known as the Ionian Mode of the C Major scale.You may hear it referred to as 'C Ionian'.
C Ionian (C D E F G A B)
E------------------------------------------10-12-13-
B---------------------------------10-12-13----------
G-------------------------9-10-12-------------------
D-----------------9-10-12---------------------------
A---------8-10-12-----------------------------------
E-8-10-12-------------------------------------------
But If you were to play all the notes in the C Major scale starting with the D note you would be playing the Dorian Mode or D Dorian:
D Dorian (D E F G A B C)
E----------------------------------------------12-13-15-
B-------------------------------------12-13-15----------
G----------------------------10-12-14-------------------
D-------------------10-12-14----------------------------
A----------10-12-14-------------------------------------
E-10-12-13----------------------------------------------If you start on E it's known as the Phrygian mode:
E Phrygian (E F G A B C D)
E----------------------------------------------13-15-17-
B-------------------------------------13-15-17----------
G----------------------------12-14-16-------------------
D-------------------12-14-15----------------------------
A----------12-14-15-------------------------------------
E-12-13-15----------------------------------------------
F would be Lydian:
F Lydian (F G A B C D E)
E-------------------------------3-5-7-
B-------------------------3-5-6-------
G-------------------2-4-5-------------
D-------------2-3-5-------------------
A-------2-3-5-------------------------
E-1-3-5-------------------------------
Starting on G would make it the Mixolydian mode:
G Mixolydian (G A B C D E F)
E-------------------------------5-7-8-
B-------------------------5-6-8-------
G-------------------4-5-7-------------
D-------------3-5-7-------------------
A-------3-5-7-------------------------
E-3-5-7-------------------------------
A is known as the Aeolian mode:
A Aeolian (A B C D E F G)
E-------------------------------7-8-10-
B-------------------------6-8-10-------
G-------------------5-7-9--------------
D-------------5-7-9--------------------
A-------5-7-8--------------------------
E-5-7-8--------------------------------
And the 7th mode is known as the Locrian mode and if we want to play all the notes in the C major scale using the locrian mode we start on B:
B Locrian (B C D E F G A)
E-------------------------------------8-10-12-
B-----------------------------8-10-12---------
G----------------------7-9-10-----------------
D---------------7-9-10------------------------
A--------7-8-10-------------------------------
E-7-8-10--------------------------------------You don't have to learn all of the modes I've shown you but the more you know the easier it is to move around the fretboard. If you learn just one of the modes I've shown you it should probably be the Ionian mode since this mode starts on the first note of the major scale. Whenever I'm trying to figure out a song on the radio, or when I'm rocking out with my homies, I usually start with the Ionian pattern and try to figure out what scale or key the song is in. I use this Ionian pattern to figure out the key:
Click the image to see a larger image.
Suggestions:
One way to improve your understanding of the guitar is to say the notes as you are playing the scale. Knowing where the notes are and how they relate to each other is important if you are going to grow as a musician. If you are going to practice this scale you should alternate by picking with a down stroke and then an up stroke, this is known as alternate picking and can make you much faster as apposed to just using down strokes. you should also practice going down the scale as well as up:
E------------------------------------------10-12-13-12-10------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------10-12-13----------------13-12-10---------------------------------
G-------------------------9-10-12----------------------------------12-10-9-------------------------
D-----------------9-10-12--------------------------------------------------12-10-9-----------------
A---------8-10-12------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-8---------
E-8-10-12----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-8-
If you are interested in soloing or writing your own riffs here are a couple exercises you might like:
1) Try playing every other note in the scale like this:
C Major with Note Skipping
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------10----12-10-13-
B---------------------------------------------------------10----12-10-13-12----13----------
G-----------------------------------------9----10-9-12-10----12----------------------------
D-------------------------9----10-9-12-10---12---------------------------------------------
A---------8----10-8-12-10---12-------------------------------------------------------------
E-8-12-10---12-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-10-12----10---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------13----12-13-10-12----10---------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------12----10-12-9-10----9-----------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------12---10-12-9-10----9-------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------12---10-12-8-10----8---------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------12---10-12-8-
2) Try plucking each string just once and hammering-on to the next 2 notes while ascending the scale and pulling off while descending like so:
Hammer-Ons Ascending
E------------------------------------------10h12h13--
B---------------------------------10h12h13-----------
G-------------------------9h10h12--------------------
D-----------------9h10h12----------------------------
A---------8h10h12------------------------------------
E-8h10h12--------------------------------------------
Pull-offs Descending
E-13p12p10-------------------------------------------
B----------13p12p10----------------------------------
G-------------------12p10p9--------------------------
D---------------------------12p10p9------------------
A-----------------------------------12p10p8----------
E-------------------------------------------12p10p8--(This would be a little easier on an electric guitar)
3) Another exercise you might like is to try playing every note 2 or 3 times before moving to the next note:
Double Notes Ascending
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10-10-12-12-13-13-
B-----------------------------------------------------------------10-10-12-12-13-13-------------------
G-------------------------------------------------9-9-10-10-12-12-------------------------------------
D---------------------------------9-9-10-10-12-12-----------------------------------------------------
A-----------------8-8-10-10-12-12---------------------------------------------------------------------
E-8-8-10-10-12-12-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Double Notes Descending
E--12-12-10-10----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------13-13-12-12-10-10----------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------------12-12-10-10-9-9------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------12-12-10-10-9-9--------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------12-12-10-10-8-8----------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-12-10-10-8-8------
4) You could also combine different patterns like this:
Doubles Skipping
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------9-9-------10-10-
A------------------8-8-------10-10-8-8-12-12-10-10-----12-12-------
E--8-8-12-12-10-10-----12-12---------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------10-10-------12-12-
G------------------9-9-------10-10-9-9-12-12-10-10-------12-12-------
D--9-9-12-12-10-10-----12-12-----------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------10-10-------12-12-10-10-13-13-10-10-12-12-------
B--10-10-13-13-12-12-------13-13-------------------------------13-13-
G--------------------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--10-10-------------------------------------------------------------
B--------12-12-13-13-10-10-12-12-------10-10-------------------------
G--------------------------------12-12-------10-10-12-12-9-9-10-10---
D--------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------9-9-------------------------------------------------------
D--12-12-----10-10-12-12-9-9-10-10-------9-9-----------------------
A----------------------------------12-12-----10-10-12-12-8-8-10-10-
E------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------
A--------8-8--------------------------
E--12-12-----10-10-12-12-8-8----------
These are just ideas, you could also make up your own patterns to practice. Try incorporating slides or bends. If you practice these patterns enough they can become a natural part of your playing and you can work them into solos with ease. If you are feeling ambitious you can try these patterns with the different modes as well. If you want to improve your speed or timing you can try practicing with a metronome. Start off slow and try to be as accurate as you can rather than fast. Click here for my Free Online Metronome.
