Understanding Modes in Music

Now we're going to talk about modes. This is definitely something that is useful for players of all styles. This can really hip up your folk playing.

If your intention is to play folk music, which is maybe not harmonically as dense as certain other types of music but certainly very beautiful, you might want to figure out ways of making your lead lines, melodies, or riffs kind of spicier.

As you get into more advanced improvisation, it becomes second nature.

The Modes Breakdown

• G Major: First Mode (G to G)
• Second Mode: A to A
• Third Mode: F# (B to B)
• Fourth Mode: C to C
• Fifth Mode: D to D
• Sixth Mode: E to E
• Seventh Mode: F# to F#

What is a Mode?

That's what a mode is. Each mode has a name:

• Ionian
• Dorian
• Phrygian
• Lydian
• Mixolydian
• Aeolian
• Locrian

However, if you can't associate those names with a sound or a certain flavor or color, it's not going to do you any good at all.

This can make playing scales on your instrument in different ways actually a lot of fun. Getting used to playing modes in all keys allows you to access the colors and flavors of each scale and tonality. This can really bring interest to your improvisation and add certain flavors and eloquence to your melodies.

Practicing Modes

I had a teacher who had me practice modes by making a recording of a vamp in the tonality and then improvising over it with each mode. Nowadays, a lot of you out there have loop pedals, or you can use an electric tuner or a piano with a sustain pedal where you just hit one note and let it sustain.

Here's How to Practice

1. Create a Drone:

   • I'm going to give myself a G drone, just the note G.

2. Play the Modes:

   • Now, I'm going to play these modes over that so you can hear what that sounds like and then improvise a little bit.

Modes in Action

• Ionian (G Major): Let's start with G major again.

• Dorian: The second mode is Dorian. This is a minor-sounding scale, but there's something different about it. The sixth degree of the scale is high (F#), giving it a unique flavor. This is really the common minor sound in jazz music and a lot of newgrass and folk music.

• Phrygian: The third mode is Phrygian. It's like a minor scale, but with a flat two (lowered second degree) and a lowered sixth.

• Lydian: Using the fourth mode, Lydian, often heard in scenes from The Simpsons and other movies.

• Mixolydian: The fifth mode is Mixolydian, which is a major scale with a lowered seventh degree.

• Aeolian: The sixth mode is what classical musicians consider a minor sound, with a flat three and a flat six.

• Locrian: Finally, the Locrian mode (seventh degree) offers very tense sounds, which we'll talk more about in relation to harmony later on.

Your Assignment

Pick a major scale that you're really comfortable with and play it like we did:

• First degree to first degree
• Second degree to second degree
• And so on, playing through all the modes.

This is just a little preparatory exercise that will take you 30 seconds or less.

Using a Drone

If you can, create a drone sound to ground you in that key.

• For example, we have this G drone, and I'm thinking G major. I'm going to improvise a bit on each mode and highlight these colors.

Explore Different Intervals

Remember, you don't have to be playing a complicated bebop tune to get a lot out of modes, it's great for a song just in one key.

You can find a lot of different colors from your plain old major scale. But don't stop there!

• Double Stops: Play** thirds** and sixths, being mindful of the key signature (remember that F# if you're playing in G).

• Try Seconds: You can discover beautiful sounds in there as well.

What you're doing is associating different creative, evocative sounds with the G major scale.

You all know a G major scale, and if you're watching this, there's so much you can start to do with what you already know!