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Posted by: slash85 Nov 29 2007, 09:09 AM

gday andrew ,

i been readin up on modes in a few mags and on the net and what not so i got ya few questions:

mate im lookin at the locrian mode right now for example ......C locrian to be exact..... now does the CAGED theory apply to modes coz im looking at this now http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php?qqq=FULL&scch=C&scchnam=Locrian&get2=Get .....ya with me?.......so when im lookin at the full fretboard i can isolate all the CAGED boxes of the major scale...........BUT.............if u look at this http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php?qqq=2&scch=C&scchnam=Locrian&get2=Get...or alternatively enter pattern 2 of the c locrian scale u will get the specific pattern which actually does not resemble one type of the CAGED rather a mixture of 2 or 3 boxes..........so my question is .......is the only real way to get a full grip on modes by learning all the notes on the fretboard?....coz to me i would have thought c locrian would have been one of the CAGED patterns in the key of C with its root note C but still in a CAGED pattern ......one thing i dont understand is keys of the scales and such.......i mean i thought whatever yur start point was on the E string was whatever key u were in eg, 5th fret is key of A........7th is B......so taking the pattern 2 locrian above for example..........is it the C locrian scale in the key of F#?.....of is it C locrian scale in the key of C because its root note is C even though the C is located on the A string?..........sorry if ive lost ya this is so confusing ......so if the CAGED theory does exist with modes what am i lookin at with the pattern 2 C locrian?

cheers andrew yur help is greatly appreciated mate

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Nov 29 2007, 01:07 PM

gday Slash!

You can apply CAGED to modes, but it is a little limiting. CAGED is a great way to get started on major scales and add chords to them. By the time you get to modes you need to develop a better understanding of the fretboard.

For every major scale (and their modes) there are actually 7 boxes you an use. CAGED simplifies this to 5, and the 1st Locrian box is one of the ones that that is not in the 5 (you will also be missing the furst Lydian if memory serves, but i could be wrong here). Just like the CAGED system though, each mode has a choice of boxes, so you should be able to find one you know somewhere in the CAGED system. By the time you get to modes though, you need to move beyond CAGED as it is ultimately limiting, and start understanding the fretboard as a whole, and break out of the boxes.

Regarding keys, you need to concentrate on the root note, not the first note on the E string. They will be the same for the first scale box only, after that, the root note will be elsewhere in the box, but it is the root note that determines the key of the scale.

Posted by: slash85 Dec 2 2007, 07:21 AM

QUOTE (Andrew Cockburn @ Nov 29 2007, 10:07 PM)