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Introducing and learning modes

ari.mac

Hot Topic Tourer
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  • Jul 16, 2020
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    Hallo guys, im a new student from indonesia, any people here who from indonesia? I love the way synyster gates playing guitar, he's masterpiece about modes, here I have difficulty in learning modes, I'm curious how Synyster Gates and all of you who master modes, are there any tips and tricks for me, if any please share
    Welcome!!!
     

    idssdi

    Sold-out Crowd Surfer
    Nov 11, 2019
    5,336
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    Welcome!

    The modes really aren't that difficult to understand once you know the major scale and what a tone center is.

    Take for example the C major scale, if the tone center is C it's called Ionian, if it's D it's Dorian, E Phrygian, F lydian, G mixolydian, A aeolian, B locrian.

    Now the tone center typically is the chord that feels like home so something you can try is play any chord of the C major family and then play the C major scale over it. That should give you a good feel for the different modes. Now you can also mix modes over a chord so for example play a D minor and first play Dorian, then Phrygian and then aeolian.

    Last but not least, try to find backingtracks in a certain mode and play over them.
     

    Chris Johnston

    Music Theory Bragger
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    Hey Robi!

    That's amazing you're looking into the Modes. It's a concept I struggled with for a while, not because it was difficult, but because of how most people completely over complicated it when explaining it to me - I'll attempt to not be one of those people. However this may be a lengthy post!



    In order for the Topic not to overwhelm you, I'd make sure you do some pre-Modes prep first:

    The first piece of advice I'd give before touching the modes is to make sure you know all 7 Shapes of the Major Scale well - These are the 7 different starting points on the neck where you can play the scale, starting each time from a different note in the scale.

    The second thing I'd reccomend is to Memorize the notes in all 12 Major Scales (without your Guitar) This will ensure that you know which notes are in each scale & will give you concrete knowledge on all of their relative modes.

    The third thing I'd suggest is to make sure you know how a Major Key is built. This is when you build a Chord from each note in the Major scale. Say you used the G Major Scale for this: (GABCDEF#)

    You would get:
    1. G Major/Maj7,
    2. A Minor/Min7
    3. BMinor/Min7
    4. C Major/Maj7
    5. D Major/Dom7
    6. E Minor/Min7
    7. F# Diminished/Half Dim -

    (these are really important!)

    With that out of the way, Modes are basically what happens when you view the Major scale from a different starting point than it's first note (root note). When you shift the focus to a different note you're technically playing a different mode of the Major scale. Think of it kinda like the Major Scale is a chameleon that can turn in to 6 other scales depending on how it's used. For example, if you start the G Major scale from A it could be considered as A Dorian.

    When you enter the world of Modes, the Major scale gets it's own fancy name: 'Ionian', and so does the Minor Scale: 'Aeolian' - So the Major & Minor sounds are also two modes already. Here are all the modes in order:

    1. Ionian,
    2. Dorian,
    3. Phrygian,
    4.Lydian,
    5. Mixolydian,
    6.Aeolian,
    7 Locrian - (you'll want these memorized)

    So for example: You've memorized the G major scale: G A B C D E F#

    The modes of this scale would be:

    G Ionian,
    A Dorian,
    B Phrygian,
    C Lydian,
    D Mixolydian,
    E Aeoloan,
    F# Locrian

    Don't let the weird names intimidate you, they are just 1 Major scale being played from 7 different points (you know them already as the 7 positions of the Major Scale on the neck)

    Notice how above they're numbered like the chords of the Major Scale? - this isn't a coincidence. For the Mode to truly sound like it's self, you want to play it over it's matching chord in the Major Key pattern, or at least have that chord be the center of its progression.

    This ensures that your ear puts tonal weight on the right note of the scale. Think of the chameleon analogy from before, the chords are kinda like the surface that the chameleon (mode) would change to fit.

    Example: Playing the 7th shape of the G Major scale over an F# Half diminished chord (7th chord in a Major Key) would give a Locrian sound (7th mode of the Major Scale). 7th shape, 7th chord 7th Mode etc.

    I could go onto loads more theory here about which intervals matter in which modes, but I think it's important to first learn the sound of each mode.You can do this by trying your 7 Major scale shapes over backing tracks on youtube. You'll find backing tracks for every mode.

    The next thing to do is listen and don't stop. You'll develop your own opinion of each modes sound and that's the most important thing you can have besides 'knowing' everything about them.

    Lydian is one if my faves! Try searching ' C Lydian Backing track' and playing some shapes of the G Major scale over that.

    One important thing to note is that you can think of each shape of the Major scale as its corresponding Mode (Like shape 2 would be Dorian, shape 3 would be Phrygian etc) but really, if you're playing over the right backing track/chords, every shape of the Major Scale will sound like your Mode.

    It's like if all 7 Shapes can be Major (Ionian) then they can all be Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian etc. If that's confusing, don't worry - it should make sense to your ears when you play to the backing tracks!

    Hopefully this hasn't been confusing, but everything above should be a decent starting point to get you 'experiencing' the Modes - I'd reccomend watching Rick Beatos videos on Modes to get a good grasp of all the Theory. Just make sure you've got the pre-modes stuff under your belt beforehand!

    Hope this helps, don't hesitate to message me if you need more info or clearer explanations 😊
     
    Last edited:
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    Calvin Phillips

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    2,588
    1,988
    When I started at the school I over thought a LOT of things. The modes were one. I suggest learning the chord families of a scale before learning the modes. It'll make a bit more sense where they fit in.. and learn all seven positions of the major scale because every position os each mode. You already know them and you had no idea. That's how it was with me.
     
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    vestinubgitar

    Free Bird Player
    Jun 24, 2021
    14
    4
    Hallo guys, im a new student from indonesia, any people here who from indonesia? I love the way synyster gates playing guitar, he's masterpiece about modes, here I have difficulty in learning modes, I'm curious how Synyster Gates and all of you who master modes, are there any tips and tricks for me, if any please share
    sama gan, aku org indo juga
     

    robi turner

    Free Bird Player
    Nov 11, 2019
    9
    10
    Indonesia
    Hey Robi!

    That's amazing you're looking into the Modes. It's a concept I struggled with for a while, not because it was difficult, but because of how most people completely over complicated it when explaining it to me - I'll attempt to not be one of those people. However this may be a lengthy post!



    In order for the Topic not to overwhelm you, I'd make sure you do some pre-Modes prep first:

    The first piece of advice I'd give before touching the modes is to make sure you know all 7 Shapes of the Major Scale well - These are the 7 different starting points on the neck where you can play the scale, starting each time from a different note in the scale.

    The second thing I'd reccomend is to Memorize the notes in all 12 Major Scales (without your Guitar) This will ensure that you know which notes are in each scale & will give you concrete knowledge on all of their relative modes.

    The third thing I'd suggest is to make sure you know how a Major Key is built. This is when you build a Chord from each note in the Major scale. Say you used the G Major Scale for this: (GABCDEF#)

    You would get:
    1. G Major/Maj7,
    2. A Minor/Min7
    3. BMinor/Min7
    4. C Major/Maj7
    5. D Major/Dom7
    6. E Minor/Min7
    7. F# Diminished/Half Dim -

    (these are really important!)

    With that out of the way, Modes are basically what happens when you view the Major scale from a different starting point than it's first note (root note). When you shift the focus to a different note you're technically playing a different mode of the Major scale. Think of it kinda like the Major Scale is a chameleon that can turn in to 6 other scales depending on how it's used. For example, if you start the G Major scale from A it could be considered as A Dorian.

    When you enter the world of Modes, the Major scale gets it's own fancy name: 'Ionian', and so does the Minor Scale: 'Aeolian' - So the Major & Minor sounds are also two modes already. Here are all the modes in order:

    1. Ionian,
    2. Dorian,
    3. Phrygian,
    4.Lydian,
    5. Mixolydian,
    6.Aeolian,
    7 Locrian - (you'll want these memorized)

    So for example: You've memorized the G major scale: G A B C D E F#

    The modes of this scale would be:

    G Ionian,
    A Dorian,
    B Phrygian,
    C Lydian,
    D Mixolydian,
    E Aeoloan,
    F# Locrian

    Don't let the weird names intimidate you, they are just 1 Major scale being played from 7 different points (you know them already as the 7 positions of the Major Scale on the neck)

    Notice how above they're numbered like the chords of the Major Scale? - this isn't a coincidence. For the Mode to truly sound like it's self, you want to play it over it's matching chord in the Major Key pattern, or at least have that chord be the center of its progression.

    This ensures that your ear puts tonal weight on the right note of the scale. Think of the chameleon analogy from before, the chords are kinda like the surface that the chameleon (mode) would change to fit.

    Example: Playing the 7th shape of the G Major scale over an F# Half diminished chord (7th chord in a Major Key) would give a Locrian sound (7th mode of the Major Scale). 7th shape, 7th chord 7th Mode etc.

    I could go onto loads more theory here about which intervals matter in which modes, but I think it's important to first learn the sound of each mode.You can do this by trying your 7 Major scale shapes over backing tracks on youtube. You'll find backing tracks for every mode.

    The next thing to do is listen and don't stop. You'll develop your own opinion of each modes sound and that's the most important thing you can have besides 'knowing' everything about them.

    Lydian is one if my faves! Try searching ' C Lydian Backing track' and playing some shapes of the G Major scale over that.

    Satu hal penting yang perlu diperhatikan adalah bahwa Anda dapat menganggap setiap bentuk skala Mayor sebagai Mode yang sesuai (Seperti bentuk 2 adalah Dorian, bentuk 3 adalah Frigia, dll.) tetapi sungguh, jika Anda memainkan backing track yang benar/ akord, setiap bentuk Skala Besar akan terdengar seperti Mode Anda.

    Ini seperti jika semua 7 Shapes bisa menjadi Major (Ionian) maka mereka semua bisa menjadi Dorian, Frigia, Lydian dll. Jika itu membingungkan, jangan khawatir - itu akan masuk akal di telinga Anda ketika Anda memainkan backing track!

    Mudah-mudahan ini tidak membingungkan, tetapi segala sesuatu di atas harus menjadi titik awal yang layak untuk membuat Anda 'mengalami' Mode - Saya akan merekomendasikan menonton video Rick Beatos di Mode untuk memahami semua Teori dengan baik. Pastikan Anda memiliki hal-hal pra-mode di bawah ikat pinggang Anda sebelumnya!

    Semoga ini bisa membantu, jangan ragu untuk mengirimi saya pesan jika Anda membutuhkan info lebih lanjut atau penjelasan yang lebih jelas 😊
    Terima kasih saudara saya, Anda sangat membantu saya, saya ingin membuat lagu pertama saya, apakah ada ide untuk saya bagaimana membuat solo di lagu itu?
    kami
     

    robi turner

    Free Bird Player
    Nov 11, 2019
    9
    10
    Indonesia
    Hai!! Selamat datang d

    Hey Robi!

    That's amazing you're looking into the Modes. It's a concept I struggled with for a while, not because it was difficult, but because of how most people completely over complicated it when explaining it to me - I'll attempt to not be one of those people. However this may be a lengthy post!



    In order for the Topic not to overwhelm you, I'd make sure you do some pre-Modes prep first:

    The first piece of advice I'd give before touching the modes is to make sure you know all 7 Shapes of the Major Scale well - These are the 7 different starting points on the neck where you can play the scale, starting each time from a different note in the scale.

    The second thing I'd reccomend is to Memorize the notes in all 12 Major Scales (without your Guitar) This will ensure that you know which notes are in each scale & will give you concrete knowledge on all of their relative modes.

    The third thing I'd suggest is to make sure you know how a Major Key is built. This is when you build a Chord from each note in the Major scale. Say you used the G Major Scale for this: (GABCDEF#)

    You would get:
    1. G Major/Maj7,
    2. A Minor/Min7
    3. BMinor/Min7
    4. C Major/Maj7
    5. D Major/Dom7
    6. E Minor/Min7
    7. F# Diminished/Half Dim -

    (these are really important!)

    With that out of the way, Modes are basically what happens when you view the Major scale from a different starting point than it's first note (root note). When you shift the focus to a different note you're technically playing a different mode of the Major scale. Think of it kinda like the Major Scale is a chameleon that can turn in to 6 other scales depending on how it's used. For example, if you start the G Major scale from A it could be considered as A Dorian.

    When you enter the world of Modes, the Major scale gets it's own fancy name: 'Ionian', and so does the Minor Scale: 'Aeolian' - So the Major & Minor sounds are also two modes already. Here are all the modes in order:

    1. Ionian,
    2. Dorian,
    3. Phrygian,
    4.Lydian,
    5. Mixolydian,
    6.Aeolian,
    7 Locrian - (you'll want these memorized)

    So for example: You've memorized the G major scale: G A B C D E F#

    The modes of this scale would be:

    G Ionian,
    A Dorian,
    B Phrygian,
    C Lydian,
    D Mixolydian,
    E Aeoloan,
    F# Locrian

    Don't let the weird names intimidate you, they are just 1 Major scale being played from 7 different points (you know them already as the 7 positions of the Major Scale on the neck)

    Notice how above they're numbered like the chords of the Major Scale? - this isn't a coincidence. For the Mode to truly sound like it's self, you want to play it over it's matching chord in the Major Key pattern, or at least have that chord be the center of its progression.

    This ensures that your ear puts tonal weight on the right note of the scale. Think of the chameleon analogy from before, the chords are kinda like the surface that the chameleon (mode) would change to fit.

    Example: Playing the 7th shape of the G Major scale over an F# Half diminished chord (7th chord in a Major Key) would give a Locrian sound (7th mode of the Major Scale). 7th shape, 7th chord 7th Mode etc.

    I could go onto loads more theory here about which intervals matter in which modes, but I think it's important to first learn the sound of each mode.You can do this by trying your 7 Major scale shapes over backing tracks on youtube. You'll find backing tracks for every mode.

    The next thing to do is listen and don't stop. You'll develop your own opinion of each modes sound and that's the most important thing you can have besides 'knowing' everything about them.

    Lydian is one if my faves! Try searching ' C Lydian Backing track' and playing some shapes of the G Major scale over that.

    Satu hal penting yang perlu diperhatikan adalah bahwa Anda dapat menganggap setiap bentuk skala Mayor sebagai Mode yang sesuai (Seperti bentuk 2 adalah Dorian, bentuk 3 adalah Frigia, dll.) tetapi sungguh, jika Anda memainkan backing track yang benar/ akord, setiap bentuk Skala Besar akan terdengar seperti Mode Anda.

    Ini seperti jika semua 7 Shapes bisa menjadi Major (Ionian) maka mereka semua bisa menjadi Dorian, Frigia, Lydian dll. Jika itu membingungkan, jangan khawatir - itu akan masuk akal di telinga Anda ketika Anda memainkan backing track!

    Mudah-mudahan ini tidak membingungkan, tetapi segala sesuatu di atas harus menjadi titik awal yang layak untuk membuat Anda 'mengalami' Mode - Saya akan merekomendasikan menonton video Rick Beatos di Mode untuk memahami semua Teori dengan baik. Pastikan Anda memiliki hal-hal pra-mode di bawah ikat pinggang Anda sebelumnya!

    Semoga ini bisa membantu, jangan ragu untuk mengirim pesan kepada saya jika Anda membutuhkan info lebih lanjut atau penjelasan yang lebih jelas 😊
    Thank you my brother you help me a lot, next time please share how to make a song, tips and trick
     
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    Chris Johnston

    Music Theory Bragger
  • Nov 11, 2019
    759
    10
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    North Ayrshire, Scotland
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    Thank you my brother you help me a lot, next time please share how to make a song, tips and trick
    No problem at all, glad it helped!

    So for songwriting, it deserved a thread of it's own, but in general, with the pre-modes prep I mentioned in my original post, (particularly the chords in a key) will really help you write a song.

    Besides that I'd always suggest trying to use your ear completely for writing too, if you've already got some basic chords under your belt 😊