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Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 10 2013, 12:28 PM

Just wanted to share an exercise that I like to use when working on and teaching the modes on guitar.

It’s a fun way to learn all 7 major modes, but without learning a totally new fingering for each mode in the scale.

This not only helps get the modes under your fingers, but helps understand the relationship between the different modes at the same time.

To begin, take a look at the modes of the major scale arranged from the “brightest” (containing the most #’s in the key of C) to the “darkest” sounding modes (the ones with the most flats in the key of C).


Lydian - 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mixolydian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Dorian - 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Aeolian - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Phrygian - 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Locrian - 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7


You can see that by starting on Lydian, you can just lower one note with each new mode to produce the next sound.

Here’s a chart to help visualize this in the key of C


C Lydian - C D E F# G A B (1 sharp)
C Ionian - C D E F G A B (4th lowered, no sharps/flats)
C Mixolydian - C D E F G A Bb (7th lowered, 1 flat)
C Dorian - C D Eb F G A Bb (3rd lowered, 2 flats)
C Aeolian - C D Eb F G Ab Bb (6th lowered, 3 flats)
C Phrygian - C Db Eb F G Ab Bb (2nd lowered, 4 flats)
C Locrian - C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb (5th lowered, 5 flats)


And here’s how the exercise would look like with a one-octave fingering on the 5th string C, 3rd fret.






As you can see, if you play the Lydian fingering, you just lower the 4th note and you’ve got an Ionian fingering without having to learn a completely new scale shape for that mode. You are essentially building new mode fingerings from ones you already know.

Try playing through this exercise in this key and position. Then take it to other keys and positions around the neck to see how it can be expanded to cover the entire fretboard.

The key is to see the one-note differences between each mode, allowing you to build upon fingerings you’ve already learned rather than having to learn a totally new fingering each time you learn a new mode.

If you know a Locrian fingering, you just lower the 4th note by a fret and now you know an Ionian fingering.

If you know an Ionian fingering, you just lower the 7th note by a fret and now you know a Mixolydian fingering, and so on.


Check this exercise out and if you have any questions or comments post them below.

Have you checked out this method of approaching modes before? What do you think about it?

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 11 2013, 11:33 AM

This is great - it helps visualize the differences in the formulas of the modes in respect to one another

Posted by: Andre Nieri Jan 11 2013, 01:18 PM

Great, Matt. Certainly it's gonna help lots of students with difficulties in the modes study. Some of my personal students have lots of doubts when it comes to learn the major scale modes!

Posted by: zoom Jan 11 2013, 01:48 PM

very cool I'll check this out more.

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 11 2013, 07:28 PM

Cool guys. Yeah it is a fun little system. You can do similar approaches to melodic minor and harmonic minor modes. I will write out something on those systems as a follow up shortly.

Posted by: DeGroot Jan 11 2013, 08:11 PM

I have not tried this system before. The simpler the better for me. Thanks for sharing this.

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 11 2013, 08:15 PM

Np. I agree simpler is always better!

Posted by: Blister Jan 12 2013, 01:13 AM

QUOTE (DeGroot @ Jan 11 2013, 02:11 PM)

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 12 2013, 09:30 AM

no problem!

if anyone wants to see more detail about this method of learning the major modes, I did a video lesson on it a little while back.

You can find that here if you want to see these shapes played on the neck and explained that way.


http://www.mattwarnockguitar.com/guitar-scales-made-easy-learn-all-7-major-modes-from-one-shape-video-lesson

Cheers

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 12 2013, 10:00 AM

QUOTE (Matt Warnock Guitar @ Jan 12 2013, 08:30 AM)

QUOTE (Andre Nieri @ Jan 11 2013, 12:18 PM)

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 13 2013, 05:12 PM

I was mentioning earlier that you can use a similar system for the other mode families.

Here's a system I use to learn/teach the modes of the Melodic Minor Scale without learning anything new beyond the major modes, just altering one note from any major mode to produce all 7 modes of Melodic Minor.

So, if you look at the major modes, all you have to do is lower one note and you get the related mode in Melodic Minor.


C Major = C D E F G A B C
C MM = C D Eb F G A B C


So you see, if you just take a major scale fingering that you know, lower the 3rd note by one fret, you get the 1st mode of Melodic Minor.

You can do this for all of the other modes, just move up the mode and move down the note you lower.

D Dorian = D E F G A B C D and 2nd Mode MM = D Eb F G A B C D

When you do that you come up with a naming system that helps learn the fingerings of each mode.

Here's the naming system, so just take it as written and you can build any Melodic Minor scale mode by following the guide in the mode name itself.

MM1 = Ionian b3
MM 2 = Dorian b2
MM3 = Phrygian b1
MM 4 = Lydian b7
MM 5 = Mixolydian b6
MM 6= Aeolain b5
MM7 = Locrian b4


Here is how this system would work when applied to all the modes in the key of C, one-octave scale shapes to make it easy to see on the neck.

The first bar in each line is the mode of the major scale, the second bar of each line is the related Melodic Minor mode.









If you want to see these demonstrated, I did a video lesson on them that you can find here:

http://www.mattwarnockguitar.com/modes-of-the-melodic-minor-scale-and-their-application



What do you think about this system? Have you tried it out, do you like it? Share your thoughts below.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 13 2013, 06:00 PM

Hey mate I like these exercises - keep them coming Say, do you have any method for asian scales?

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 13 2013, 07:05 PM

Glad you dig them! I have the same type of system worked out for Harmonic Minor and Harmonic Major modes, as well as Altered Pentatonic Scales. I'll post those in here this week as well for people to check out.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 14 2013, 09:31 AM

QUOTE (Matt Warnock Guitar @ Jan 13 2013, 06:05 PM)

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 14 2013, 10:14 AM

Nice! Sounds like a fun project, can't wait to hear it!

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 14 2013, 10:17 AM

QUOTE (Matt Warnock Guitar @ Jan 14 2013, 09:14 AM)

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 16 2013, 04:08 PM

Has anyone checked out these fingerings yet? Curious to see what you all think after spending some time on the exercises. I will do the same approach for Harmonic Minor this weekend and post it.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jan 16 2013, 10:26 PM

I for one am looking forward on the one based on Asian modes

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 20 2013, 04:42 PM

As a follow up to the Major and Melodic Minor mode systems and easy formula for learning all of these modes, I’ve put together the tab/notation and explanation for a similar approach to learning all the modes of the Harmonic Minor scale.

The approach is the same. You take the modes of the major scale, just as we did with melodic minor, and then alter one note in each mode to change the 7 modes of major into the 7 modes of Harmonic Minor.

If you want to see these modes demonstrated in a video, you can check out the lesson at this link.


http://www.mattwarnockguitar.com/harmonic-minor-scale-modes-and-their-application


Here are the names of the Harmonic Minor Modes under this system


Aeolian #7
Locrian #6
Ionian #5
Dorian #4
Phrygian #3
Lydian #2
Mixolydian #1


So by thinking about a mode you already know, such as Aeolian, and changing one note, raising the 7th by a fret, you can create a fingering for the Harmonic Minor Mode 1 without learning anything new, just altering a scale fingering you already know.

Here is how this system would look when applied to A HM.









What do you think about this approach to learning Harmonic Minor Modes? Share your thoughts below.

Posted by: snackajacks Jan 21 2013, 12:11 PM

this is usefull stuff , thanks

Posted by: Matt Warnock Guitar Jan 21 2013, 12:17 PM

NP thanks for checking it out! I'll write out the same idea for the modes of Harmonic Major shortly.

Posted by: The Professor Jan 26 2013, 08:24 PM

As a follow up to the other mode systems talked about above, and the easy formulas for learning all of these modes, I’ve put together the tab/notation and explanation for a similar approach to learning all the modes of the Harmonic Major scale.

The approach is the same as what you’ve already seen. You take the modes of the major scale, just as we did with Harmonic Minor and Harmonic Minor, and then alter one note in each mode to change the 7 modes of major into the 7 modes of Harmonic Major.

If you want to see these modes demonstrated in a video, and with more info on how to use them in your soloing, you can check out this link.


http://www.mattwarnockguitar.com/modes-of-the-harmonic-major-scale-and-their-application


Here are the names of the Harmonic Major Modes under this system


Ionian b6
Dorian b5
Phrygian b4
Lydian b3
Mixolydian b2
Aeolian b1
Locrian b7


So by thinking about a mode you already know, such as Ionian, and lowering the 6th by 1 fret, you can create a fingering for the Harmonic Major Mode 1 without learning anything new, you are just altering a scale fingering you already know.

Here is how this system would look when applied to C Major, altering 1 note in each mode to make the 7 modes of Harmonic Major.










What do you think about this approach to learning Harmonic Major Modes?