Modes of the Major Scale Explained [Published]

Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
edited March 2012 in Spurious Generalities
I made this thread on Zoklet ages ago, but thought it could be helpful to members of this forum as well.

I know a lot of guitarists have trouble coming to understand the modes of the major scale, I know it took me quite a while to come to grips with it so I thought I'd share some of my knowledge on the topic.

After I attempt to explain the mystery that is modes I'll leave the thread in the hands of musicians and music lovers alike to contribute their two cents on the matter,
feel free to use this thread to ask questions about modes or music theory in general. Here goes nothing:

There are 7 modes to the major scale, in order they are:

1.Ionian (the major scale)
2.Dorian (minor sounding mode, characteristic note is the maj 6th)
3.Phrygian (minor sounding mode, characteristic note is the flat 2nd)
4.Lydian (major sounding mode, characteristic note is the augmented 4th)
5.Mixylodian (major sounding mode, characteristic note is the flat 7th)
6.Aeolian (natural minor scale - flat 3rd, flat 6th, flat 7th)
7.Locrian (very unstable sounding mode, it's characteristic notes are the flat 2nd and flat 5th)

A cheesy mnemonic to help you remember the order is:
I Don't Particularly Like Modes A Lot

Let's take a look at the C major scale (ionian), the notes in this scale are CDEFGABC, if we play the C major scale and instead of focusing the tonality on C (the root note) we focus on the second note of the scale (D) then we have a completely different sounding scale - the D dorian scale - which looks like this: DEFGABCD, we are still playing the same notes of the C major scale but we are getting a completely different sound by concentrating on the D as the root note instead of the C. This is how modes are constructed, if we concentrate on the 3rd note of the C major scale (E) then we have an E phrygian scale - EFGABCDE - and so on... in this sense it's best to think of the modes as an anagram of the major scale (change the letters around and the word has a completely different meaning, in this case change the root note around and the sound/mood changes radically) A good analogy to describe how modes work can be found in conversation, by emphasizing certain words in a sentence the meaning behind the sentence is changed. The best example of this i can think of is found in an episode of Seinfeld 'The Mom And Pop Store':

ELAINE: Well, I talked to Tim Whatley...
JERRY: Yeah...
ELAINE: And I asked him, "Should Jerry bring anything?"
JERRY: So...?
ELAINE: Mmmm...and he said, "Why would Jerry bring anything?"
JERRY: Alright, but let me ask you this question.
ELAINE: What?
JERRY: Which word did he emphasize? Did he say, "Why would Jerry bring anything?" or, "Why would Jerry bring anything?" You emphasize "Jerry" or "bring."
ELAINE: I think he emphasized "would."

I know this sounds confusing, I just read through it and it looks like a bit of a mess, so i made some diagrams to make the learning process a whole lot easier:

modesofcmajorscale.jpg
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8735/modesofcmajorscale.jpg


cmajorscaleallmodes.png
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8935/cmajorscaleallmodes.png



Now putting modes into practice is a different beast altogether, it is a tool used by jazz guitarists mainly to colour their solos based on the chord progression. For example, in a typical jazz chord progression of II V I in the key of C major the chord progression would be Dm7 G7 Cmaj7.

Seeing as how the key of the progression is C major a guitarist could choose to simply play the C major scale (C Ionian Mode) over the entire progression, but if you decide to emphasis the D note instead of the C note whilst the Dm7 chord is playing and the G note while the G7 chord is playing and finally the C note while the Cmaj7 chord is playing, you would be playing the exact same C major scale throughout but you will be using three different modes of the same scale (D Dorian, G Mixolydian and C Ionian) over their respected chords in the progression.

This would mean that you have endless soloing moods to tap into, both major and minor by using the same scale. Here's a good video to showcase a guitarist using modes of the C major scale to create different moods.



Notice how Frank Gambale is playing the C major throughout the song, but by emphasizing different notes of the scale he creates different moods? The intro sounds almost triumphant, the chorus is very major sounding, and the solo is very minor and bluesy!

Anyway enough of me, happy playing!

Added to CMS by Trx100

Comments

  • StaplesStaples Regular
    edited July 2010
    wow, wonderfully explained.. I just bought the slonimsky thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns and jesus christ I will learn it but to most it would be better suited as a door stop

    great info.. thx

    staples
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Thanks for the reply, I'm happy that someone got something out of this!
  • zingalongzingalong Regular
    edited July 2010
    The next step is how and when to apply them. I have understood the very basic concept of modes (which you've done a great job at explaining BTW) for a while but I have never really used them.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    zingalong wrote: »
    The next step is how and when to apply them. I have understood the very basic concept of modes (which you've done a great job at explaining BTW) for a while but I have never really used them.

    Thanks for the feedback, It's very appreciated! Yes I agree that understanding modes is one thing, but to actually use them in a practical manner is entirely different and is an absolute bitch of a thing to do!

    To use modes effectively you need to have a foundation in a few areas, firstly you need to have a strong understanding of chord theory, you also have to know the major scale like the back of your hand: across the entire fingerboard, you have to know the notes on each of the 6 strings, not just the e strings, and finally you need to have a solid understanding of octaves so you know where each of the notes roots lie on the fretboard..

    These things are all required if you want to incorporate modes fluently into your playing without having to use a scale chart to help you. However it's comforting to know that even though there are 7 modes in a major scale, you only really have to memorise one of those scales to know the rest of them. A good place to start is to practice incorporating the major and its relative minor scale into your playing (The Ionian and Aeolian modes), or if pentaonic scales are more your thing, the major pentatonic and its relative minor pentatonic scale. If you have a grip on that then you already have a basic understanding of modes!
  • proudclod9proudclod9 Regular
    edited December 2010
    I painted my guitar, the whole steps, the colors of the rainbow to learn...except now, I've got a weird aversion to half steps.
  • edited December 2010
    I really should learn some of this. My guitar playing is fairly limited due to the lack of theory I actually know.

    Also, I'm giving this a guide prefix so it can be CMS'd.
  • xyzxyz New Arrival
    edited March 2011
    Also highly characteristic to each mode is the placement of the tri-tone (TT) within each mode.
    In major the tri-tone falls between the 7th and 4th scale degrees. So in C major that would be B and F. The root of the mode will be labeled RT.
    *This is all for C major
    Dorian: 6 and 3
    RT: D
    TT: B - F
    Phrygian: 5 and 2
    RT: E
    TT: B - F
    Lydian: 1 and 4
    RT: F
    TT: F - B
    Mixolydian: 7 - 3
    RT: G
    TT: F - B
    Aeolian: 6 - 2
    RT: A
    TT: F - B
    Locrian: 1 - 5
    RT: B
    TT: B - F

    Please ask me if you have any questions regarding music theory in general.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited August 2011
    I have started writing more guides on guitar lessons/music theory and have uploaded them to my site at http://endofthegame.net/music/. I will update it at least once a week, so be sure to subscribe and check it out as often as you can. If there is a guide that I would like some discussion on I will post it in this thread as well. The above guide on modes has also been updated, check it out here. Cheers!
  • edited August 2011
    That's badass. Thanks for updating your guide, this is something I've recently started getting into a bit more of. I found some really great video tutorials on Youtube of learning the modes of the major scale and they really helped, but I'm going to have a read through your guide again and see what I can learn. If anyone is interested, check out these videos which I just mentioned. They are extremely helpful!
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited August 2011
    Word. You can also download Frank Gambale's instructional DVD on guitar modes here http://www.zshare.net/download/94115235250f6ba1/ It's the mother of all mode resources!
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited September 2011
    I just uploaded a small collection of modal backing tracks which are invaluable tools to help you practice your scales. Download the zip file containing all the tracks here: http://www.zshare.net/download/94293902cda915be/
  • edited September 2011
    ^ THANK YOU! Man, I've been looking for something like this, so thank you so very much. *Plays some scales* :D
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited September 2011
    Haha, don't mention it! I'll upload some more when I can. By the way, what sort of music do you play?
  • edited September 2011
    Can you upload it on another site? I think my ISP has banned zshare :mad:

    I play anything really, tend to lean more towards the rock/metal side of things but rhythm is my specialty, playing a lot of chords. I'm trying to work on my soloing and lead though, hence learning my modes :)
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited September 2011
    Why would your ISP ban zshare? :S Have you got any suggestions for a good upload site? That's cool, modes are an asset to any guitarist as they can slip into almost any musical style. Rhythm is definitely the most important aspect of playing guitar in my opinion, so it's great that you place importance on it. If you already have a good grasp of chords you should practice playing the chords within each of the major scales, and construct chord progressions; this will really help with your ear training and also help you to remember what modes are contained within each major scale: I - maj7, II - m7, III - m7, IV - maj7, V - dom7, VI - m7, VII -m7b5

    What gear are you playing with by the way? I hope for your sake you have a nice tube amp!
  • edited September 2011
    My ISP sucks, they blocked a lot of file sharing sites due to some stupid agreement they have for internet censorship :facepalm: I think Rapidshare and Megaupload still work though - maybe you could try one of those? Either that or Dropbox it :) My amp is a Marshall MG 30DFX - it's small and still sounds great so that's good for me.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    Hey trx sorry for the late ass reply! I finally uploaded the backing tracks to another file hosting site (uploading.com), you can now download it here!
    http://uploading.com/files/8519d9ab/modal%2Bbacking%2Btracks.zip/
    I've also written a new guide, this one on the natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales. I'll post it up on this thread in a bit.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    This post we’re going to be discussing three minor scales: the Natural Minor scale (Aeolian mode), the Harmonic Minor Scale, and the Melodic Minor Scale.

    As you probably know already from my guide on the Modes of the Major Scale, the 6th mode of the major scale is always the natural minor scale, or the Aeolian mode. In the Key of C major, the Aeolian mode is A minor; therefore A minor is the relative minor of C major: every major chord has a relative minor. When you play an A Aeolian as part of the C major scale then they both share the same notes; for example, the pattern for the major scale is: (W = whole step – 2 frets), H = half step – 1 fret)

    W – W – H – W – W – W – H
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7

    Which in C would = C D E F G A B (then back to C again, but at a higher octave.)

    The A Aeolian scale (as part of the C major scale) uses the same notes, but the 1 (root) is now A, instead of C, so it looks like this: A B C D E F G

    The scale sounds minor, and if melody is all you’re interested in, it does the job. The problem is that when you harmonize the scale, the chords don’t pull you to the 1, but rather to the 3. In other words, your ears tune into the relative major tonality of the scale rather than the minor, so if you’re playing in A minor, it will at times sound like you are playing in C major. This is easy to see if we look at the A natural minor scale harmonized…

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

    The above cluster of notes are the chords that occur naturally in the A natural minor scale (Aeolian). They also happen to be the same chords as the key of C major. If you look at the chord built on G, you see it’s G7. That chord pulls your ear to CMaj7, not to the Amin7 which is the 1 chord. So, the natural minor scale was altered slightly for harmonic reasons; the 7th note of the scale was raised half a step, and the result is the harmonic minor scale -

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

    NOW, four of the chords are different. First of all, the G7 is now G#diminished, and doesn’t pull you to the C, while the C chord is now Caug – not a common sound your ear feels has resolution. Also, the Emin7 is now an E7, which pulls your ear to the 1 chord – the Amin.So basically the harmonic minor scale gives you chords that pull you to the tonic of the scale, as opposed to the natural minor scale which pulled you to the relative major (because the relative minor is built from the major). Seeing as this scale was constructed in order to harmonise the natural minor scale, it is no wonder that it has the name: harmonic minor scale.

    However, that scale sounds a little weird because the minor 3 between F and G# jars the ear a bit (and sounds like instant Ritchie Blackmore too…). So to smooth things out, they raised the 6th a half step too, making it F#. That has some impact on the chords, but retains the essential E7 to Amin pull, and smooths out the melodies. So, it’s called the Melodic minor.

    Now to truly understand the Aeolian scale, and also the Harmonic and Melodic Minor scales (both of which aren’t modes of the major scale) we need to look at it isolation, that is, away from it’s mother major scale. So let’s concentrate on the C Aeolian scale.

    From now I will be referring to it as the natural minor scale to avoid confusion with mode theory.

    The formula for the natural minor scale is:

    W – H – W – W – H – W – W
    1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

    As you can see the difference between the natural minor scale and the major scale is the 3rd, 6th and 7th notes have been flattened by half a step.

    In C this would result in the following notes: C D Eb F G Ab Bb (or C D D# F G G# A#)

    the chords that correspond to each of these notes are:

    1 - Cm7 [minor 7]
    2 - Dm7b5 [half diminished]
    b3 - Ebmaj7 [major 7]
    4 - Fm7 [minor 7]
    5 - Gm7 [minor 7]
    b6 - Abmaj7 [major 7]
    b7 - Bb7 [dominant 7]

    natural-minor.jpg

    The formula for the harmonic minor scale is:

    W – H – W – W – H – WH – H
    1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

    (the WH being a whole step plus a half step, or 3 frets.)

    As you can see the difference between the harmonic minor scale and the major scale is the 3rd and 6th notes have been flattened by half a step, the difference between this and the natural minor is the 7th note has been sharpened by half a step.

    In C this would result in the following notes: C D Eb F G Ab B (or C D D# F G G# B)

    the chords that correspond to each of these notes are:

    1 - Cm(maj7) [minor major 7]
    2 - Dm7b5 [half diminished]
    b3 - Ebaug7 [augmented major 7]
    4 - Fm7 [minor7]
    5 - G7 [dominant 7]
    b6 - Abmaj7 [major 7]
    b7 - Bbdim7 [diminished 7]

    harmonic-minor.jpg

    The formula for the melodic minor scale (ascending) is:

    W – H – W – W – W – W – H
    1 2 b3 4 5 6 7

    (when played descending, it’s the same as the natural minor scale)

    As you can see the difference between the melodic minor scale and the major scale is the 3rd note has been flattened by half a step, the difference between this and the natural minor is the 6th and 7th notes have been sharpened by half a step.

    In C this would result in the following notes: C D Eb F G A B (or C D D# F G A B)

    the chords that correspond to each of these notes are:

    1 - Cm7 [minor 7]
    2 - Dm7 [minor 7]
    b3 - Ebaug7 [augmented major 7]
    4 - Fm7 [minor7]
    5 - G7 [dominant 7]
    b6 - Adim7 [diminished 7]
    b7 - Bbdim7 [diminished 7]

    melodic-minor.jpg

    And there you have it! The natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales!

    Chord Theory:

    Chord Guide: Pt I – Open Chords
    Chord Guide: Pt II – Barre Chords
    Chord Guide: Pt III – Chord Progressions

    Scale Theory
    The Major Scale
    Modes of the Major Scale
    The Bebop Scales
    Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale

    General Theory:
    Introduction to Music Theory University Course
  • DfgDfg Admin
    edited March 2012
    I got a guitar and i suck at it. But thanks to Caramello Koala I can actually start learning it. Thanks man.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    No problem mate, if you have any requests for a guitar lesson just let me know!
  • chippychippy <b style="color:pink;">Global Moderator</b>
    edited March 2012
    Nicely explained, and nice website BTW.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    chippy wrote: »
    Nicely explained, and nice website BTW.

    Thanks man, glad you like it
  • edited March 2012
    Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, you've put a lot of work into this! Great stuff bro, this is a really good article :D I look forward to getting home again and playing my guitar.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    Cheers man, I hope the guide inspires you to experiment with your playing! I remember you saying you were into rock/metal, if that's the case then you will definitely love the harmonic minor scale. I post these guides all on my site, but thought I'd share them with you guys seeing as I posted my first guitar guide (modes of the major scale) here way back when I didn't have my own website. I did a post on bebop scales last night, I'll add it in a bit - keep in mind that the bebop scales are directly in jazz territory and don't have much of a place in rock or metal.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited March 2012
    Bebop scales are certainly very valuable scales to add to your repertoire, especially if jazz is your bag. If you already know how to play the major scale and all of it’s modes, then you will find playing bebop scales a breeze. The reason being, these scales are essentially the same as the major scale’s modes, with the addition of an extra passing note in each of them. There are also bebop scales derived from the modes of the melodic minor, and the modes of the harmonic minor scale (guide on those coming soon!), but for the purpose of this guide I will only be dealing with the three most used bebop scales, and all three originate from the major scale.

    Above is a terrific example of the dominant bebop scale (key of Bb) being played; Wes Montgomery is on fire as always, listen and take note! The bebop scales are frequently used in jazz, and deservedly got their name from their extensive use in the Bebop era (1940s-60s) by such jazz musicians as Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, to name a few. Each scale presented is based on a mode of the major scale, with the addition of an extra passing note which gives it it’s characteristic chromatic run – you always hear the jazz giants flowing through their scales like this.

    The bebop scale's intention was to open up the major scale and give it more of a jazz flavour, and also to introduce a new 'technique' for playing over chord changes. Thanks to the added passing tone, if you begin the scale on the root chord tone (1) of the chord playing, and on the downbeat, all other chord tones (3, 5, 7) will also fall on downbeats, while the remaining tones in the scale will occur on the upbeat. This, of course, is assuming the scale is played either ascending or descending, without skipping an interval. These sort of scale runs, peppered occasionally with sequencing, are very common techniques in the world of jazz, as they ​colour​ the chords which are being played. Another advantage of the bebop scales is the additional note allows more soloing opportunities, which make it playable over more chords, thus eliminating the need to change scales as frequently as you would with the original major scale modes.

    As always I’ll present the scales in the key of C, for the sake of simplicity and consistency!

    The Bebop Major scale - 1 2 3 4 #5 5 6 7
    The bebop major scale is derived from the major scale, or Ionian mode, and has a chromatic passing tone between the 5th and 6th notes (#5/b6). This scale is used mainly over maj6th and maj7th chords.

    bebop-major.jpg

    The Bebop Minor scale - 1 2 b3 3 4 5 6 b7
    The bebop minor scale is based on the Dorian mode (major scale’s 2nd mode), with the addition of a chromatic passing tone between the minor 3rd and perfect 4th notes; it has an ambiguous major/minor character.

    bebop-minor.jpg

    The Bebop Dominant scale - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 7
    The bebop dominant scale is the most widely used bebop scale used in jazz, and is derived from the Mixolydian mode (5th mode of the major scale), with the addition of a chromatic passing tone between the 7th and root note. The scale is used over all dominant 7th chords – hence it’s name.

    bebop-dominant.jpg

    I hope you enjoy playing these cool scales! If you’ve never gotten into jazz then I’ve written album reviews for the essential jazz albums which you should listen to (also included are download links to the albums.) Also, as a finishing touch to the guide, I will include a diagram of all three of the scales we’ve covered, across the entire fretboard – print it out for referencing. In the mean time, try practicing your Bb dominant bebop scale over this ‘West Coast Blues’ backing track! Last, but not least - have fun with this! Learning how to play jazz should never be a drag!

    bebop-scales.jpg
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited March 2012
    I play jazz bass and a little jazz guitar. I feel it better with the bass though.
    Blues guitar is my favorite and rock and metal is meh ok. I prefer the bass with reggae. Reggae and guitar is kinda boring but I'll play it gigging for bands(chik,chik,chik)
    Country & western....fuck NO! I got asked to play guitar for a c&w gig, I grabbed my bass player, asked him if he wanted to venture outside the box and try a different style of music & get paid for it. He said yah! ..... To say we regretted it was an understatement. It was so fucking boring. I'll never do that again.
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