Terry M.

You said C Dorian starts on D. It doesn't. It starts on C in the key of Bb Major.

Practice going through each mode of the C Major scale from Ionian through to Locrian,all 7 of them. Write down the 8 notes from C back to C again (an octave) start on C and finish on C ,1st mode, then start on D and finish again on D,2nd mode until you reach the last (7th) mode which is B Locrian. Familiarise yourself with these scales and the unique sound of each one. After that you can start to apply them over actual songs when you understand the role each one plays in the key.

C Dorian is in the key of Bb Major?

Okay so with regards to C Dorian. Dorian is always the 2nd scale degree of the major scale so if C is the 2nd degree you are then in the key of Bb Major. If you're in C Major then the Dorian mode is D as it's the 2nd degree of that scale.Does that part make sense? Maybe forget the pentatonic scale just for the moment.

What is your understanding of modes with regards to what they are and where they come from?

And the other one is?

A mode is a type of scale.

No problem.This is only from my experience. Modes offer more harmonic options. If your band is jamming in C major you can spice things up by choosing a mode within C major and experimenting with a fill. D Dorian (for example) has the same notes as C major but starting on the 2nd degree. Therefore it contains the same notes but offers a different flavour. I see a mode as a different "flavour" of the parent key. I'll stop now before I make things worse 😆

While I'm far from being an expert on the topic I personally use them when I'm improvising and also when using fills. So if you're in C major for example you can build a solo or an interesting fill in D Dorian or F Lydian whilst maintaining the integrity of the key of C major. I want to eventually get into using counterpoint as I'm sure modes will help with that. Hope that made some sort of sense?

Even though they're essentially Affinity level Squiers?

The first mode that stuck in my head was also the Mixolydian and just like you it was the reference to the major scale with a flatted 7th that cemented the concept.

Incredible isn't it?

Ha ha I'll wear the D cap with pride if it means ALL my basses are different from each other 😅

That is so true 🤣

I understand what you mean. At the end of the day people are free to purchase whatever it is they can afford. It shouldn't really be the business of anybody else. I went to a gig once where the bassist had a Fodera and at best he was an okay player in my opinion. The tone was amazing though. We chatted after the gig,really nice guy and very happy with his purchase.

I agree with that but specifically bass purchases is what I'm referring to. If anything I would have thought the higher end boutique gear may intimidate rather than attract scorn but maybe some people do scorn higher end stuff.

I always assumed the snobbery pointed "down" rather than "upwards"

Ha ha I nearly spat my tea out laughing at that 😆

This simply isn't true. Initially MTV wouldn't play any videos by black artists. It was when the president of CBS records threatened to pull all his company's videos from the network that Michael Jackson's Billie Jean was eventually aired. Sad but true.

100% yes.

The latest Squier Affinity range are actually excellent machines. I bought a 2024 Affinity Active Jazz V and there was simply nothing wrong with it. I only traded it in because a Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones 5 became available and I don't need two Jazz basses.

Because?

That didn't stop Pino Palladino and Stuart Zender. Both can't read dots. Zender has said in interviews he relies on "shapes". There are countless others like that and their work makes plenty of musical sense. Forgive me if that's NOT what you meant.

Great post and exceptionally important point here 👏