Modes

[keva]

Hi,

Sorry if this is an old chestnut but I am a newbie.

I understand the theory of modes and scales but really don't know how to actually use them in my playing, e.g. for a given set of chords.

Help and examples very much appreciated please.

Regards
Kev

[dlloyd]

What sort of music are you playing? Do you understand chord tones?

[Grangur]

You might find this video useful. Scott's lessons are well worth exploring.

Also, get a trial of the SBL Academy. The paid-for lessons are FAR better than the free ones.

http://youtu.be/T0dr3rH7zxI

[dlloyd]

Modes are a red herring for 99% of the music out there. Think major and minor scales for now.

The most appropriate notes to play under (in) a chord is a chord tone... you can go a long, long way just playing the root. Concentrate on playing the root on strong beats of the bar... then bring in thirds and fifths. Then you can think about joining them up with notes that fall between the chord tones.

Listen to classic basslines and figure out what's going on on the basis of what I said above... go simple to begin with.

[dand666]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1495525338' post='3304375']
Modes are a red herring for 99% of the music out there. Think major and minor scales for now.

The most appropriate notes to play under (in) a chord is a chord tone... you can go a long, long way just playing the root. Concentrate on playing the root on strong beats of the bar... then bring in thirds and fifths. Then you can think about joining them up with notes that fall between the chord tones.

Listen to classic basslines and figure out what's going on on the basis of what I said above... go simple to begin with.
[/quote]

This.

[Steve Woodcock]

[quote name='keva' timestamp='1495453076' post='3303785']
I understand the theory of modes and scales but really don't know how to actually use them in my playing, e.g. for a given set of chords.

Help and examples very much appreciated please.
[/quote]

Hi Kev,

Here's a quick primer/recap on chord/scale relationships. For the sake of simplicity I'll keep to major harmony in this post as minor harmony can get a little more complex.

Let's take C major, it contains these 7 notes:

C D E F G A B


[u][b]MODES[/b][/u]

We can build a scale (or 'mode') on each one of these notes by continuing the sequence using the same set of notes:

I) C D E F G A B = C ionian (or major)

II) D E F G A B C = D dorian

III) E F G A B C D = E phrygian

IV) F G A B C D E = F lydian

V) G A B C D E F = G mixolydian

VI) A B C D E F G = A aeolian (or natural minor)

VII) B C D E F G A = B locrian


[u][b]TRIADS[/b][/u]

By taking the first, third and fifth notes from these scales we get the following triads:

I) [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A B[/size] = C major

II)[b] D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B C[/size] = D minor

III)[b] E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C D[/size] = E minor

IV)[b] F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D E[/size] = F major

V)[b] G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E F[/size] = G major

VI)[b] A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F G[/size] = A minor

VII)[b] B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G A[/size] = B diminished


[b]7TH CHORDS[/b]

By continuing this concept of taking every other note in the sequence we can produce the following 7th chords (this concept can also be extended beyond the octave to produce 9th, 11th and 13th chords):

I) [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] = C major 7th

II)[b] D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] = D minor 7th

III)[b] E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] = E minor 7th

IV)[b] F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] = F major 7th

V)[b] G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] = G dominant 7th

VI)[b] A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] = A minor 7th

VII) [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] = B half-diminished (or minor 7 b5)


So, to summarise we have the following chords contained within a major key:

I) maj7
II) m7
III) m7
IV) maj7
V) 7
VI) m7
VII) m7b5


From the above you should be able to see the following relationships between the chords and modes within a major key:

Imaj7 = ionian
IIm7 = dorian
IIIm7 = phrygian
IVmaj7 = lydian
V7 = mixolydian
VIm7 = aeolian
VIIm7b5 = locrian


Back to our example of C major, a VIm-IIm-V7-I progression in that key would consist of the following chords:

Am / / / Dm / / / G7 / / / C / / /

Giving you the diatonic (i.e. from within the key) scale choices of:

A aeolian / / / D dorian / / / G mixolydian / / / C ionian / / /


As dlloyd and dand666 both point out, the important notes to think of in your lines or solos are the chord tones as these convey the harmony, look at the scale tones in between these as stepping stones. An old teacher of mine had a great analogy comparing chord tones to bases in baseball - if you land on one of these you are 'safe', anywhere in between and you can be caught out!

When you become more comfortable with this concept, and the inherent sound of different scales, you can choose to step 'outside' of the diatonic harmony boundary to create tension or imply a brief movement to another key - a common approach amongst jazzers for example is to play lydian over a Imaj7 chord because of the 'brighter' sounding raised 4th in that scale (the perfect 4th in ionian is often viewed as an 'avoid' note' because it clashes with the major 3rd - try it and see for yourself how it sounds).

[keva]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your replies, really helpful. Hi dloyd, the music like to play is rock orientated.

Regards

Kev

[Coilte]

IMO unless you are going to be playing the likes model music.. (a la Miles" "Kind of Blue" album).. it would be more beneficial to concentrate on CHORD TONES. As your musical interest is rock orientated chord tones would serve you better.


Check out this link :

https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-chord-patterns/chord-tones-are-primary/

[Coilte]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1495525338' post='3304375']
Modes are a red herring for 99% of the music out there.
[/quote]

Agree totally.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='keva' timestamp='1495555374' post='3304767']
Hi All,

Many thanks for all your replies, really helpful. Hi dloyd, the music like to play is rock orientated.

Regards

Kev
[/quote]

Some rock music[b] is[/b] modal.

While there is a relationship between I = ionian, ii = dorian, iii = phrygian, etc. don't fall into the trap of thinking that when you play diatonically over a Am Dm G7 Cmaj7 progression that you're playing A aeolian, D dorian, G mixolydian, C ionian. You're not, You're just playing C major.

Modal music is when the harmony doesn't behave in the normal diatonic sense with regards to the tonality. It tends to hang on chord and not progress towards a resolution on the I.

Frank Zappa was a great example of someone who used modality in his composition. Inca roads is a good example... it hangs on a Cmaj7#11 chord, which would normally imply the IV chord, but it doesn't want to resolve to I... It's in C lydian. Listen to the guitar solo (starts two minutes in):

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqp71DOJ3aY[/media]

Edited May 26, 2017 by dlloyd