I understand them, I get it!! But I'm having trouble applying it to the guitar. Sure I can play them, but it take me a minute or two to actually start playing. Do you pros out there memorize the patterns in modes (After understanding the concept of course?) because I always tend to strugle with modes. I know every note on the fretboard, but I do not know my keys (Like Key of A n stuff, I know Key of C because it is the easiest haha)

The goal should be to know them by hearth over the entire fretboard. Don't worry it will come in time, just practice them as much as you can and eventually you won't have to think where they are anymore.

Like Ivan said, the more you play the more you'll get to know them. It's like when all of us start out with the pentatonics, at first we don't even know what to do when we skip a string, but than it comes naturally because everyday we apply them again

practice practice practice

Remember if you know C major (Ionian) then you know Aminor (Aeolian), D dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, and B Locrian as well as they are the same notes just with a different tonic.

Applying the modes can be a little tricky as you have to think about the chords you're plaing over.

Make a list of the triad built from harmonising the first note of each mode..it should look like, Ionian->major triad, Dorian->minor triad etc

Then make a new list of 7th chords from harmonising the scales. Then 9th chords..

Then make a new list- write underneath a heading of "major triad" all the chords that made a major triad, same with minor, then major 7 chords, then minor 7,

Now what you've done is actually written a list of which modes are compatable with different kinds of very common chords. So you can make yourself a chord progression and pick and choose whichever modes you like!

Apart from that just learn the patterns. i recomend you learn them up and down one string, in a box pattern and also in 3 notes per string patterns (you can grab those patterns from part 2 of my lesson linked in my sig)

Best of luck!

Yes, but primarily you have to learn and live with the seven shapes for a good while, until you know them by heart.
I suggest you start learning the Aeolian mode first, because it fits so well with the minor pentatonic.

It took me over a year to engrave these shapes into my mind.
You have to memorise them, not only in your mind, but in your fingers as well.

It helps playing different patterns using the shapes. It prevents you from staying in the up and down the shape playing.

Good luck!


Keep in mind that it only gets easier after learning the seven in the major scale: when you go to harmonic minor, you only have to change one note per shape.

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The biggest trick to learning modal placement is training your ear to hear what each mode sounds like so you can recognize it.

What i like to do is play an open low E string and play the different mode "Boxes" over that droning string in the same posistion, so i can can learn to distinguish what each mode sounds like with E as the tonal center, you can of course do it with any open string, but the low E is the easiest.


Daniel