What is a mode?

[alex10]

Can someone please explain to me what a Mode is.

[tobe]

Sure a mode is a scale.

There are seven modes based off the major scale. Other scales have modes as well. The seven modes based off the major scale are named after the places they originated (Islands and areas in Greece-sorry I can't remember the locations). Basically, take C major, and play C major, but start on D, play D through D an octave up in the C major scale and you have D dorian. Here are the seven modes, off the major scale:

number refers to step in the scale
b=1/2 step (1 fret) lowered from the Major scale
#=1/2 raised (1 fret) from the major scale
w=whole step (2 frets)
h=half step
1) Ionian (All so known as the Major scale) 1w2w3h4w5w6w7h8
2) Dorian 1w2hb3w4w5w6hb7w8 (minor scale with a raised 6th)
3) Phyrgian 1hb2wb3w4w5hb6wb7w8 (minor scale with a lowered 2nd)
4) Lydian 1w2w3w#4h5w6w7h8 (major scale with a raised 4th)
5) Mixolydian 1w2w3h4w5w6h7w8 (major scale with a flat 7)
(also called dominant)
6) Aeolin (AKA minor scale aka natural minor)
1w2hb3w4w5hb6wb7w8
7) Locrian Mode 1hb2wb3w4hb5wb6wb7w8 (minor scale with a lowered 2nd and 5th)

Okay these scales are the building blocks for Western Music. Each of these scales have modes based off of them, with variations. There are tons of great theory books that just talk about modes. I have a bunch at home, I think one of that is really good, if I recall the name correctly is scales and modes in the begining.. I think Hal Lenoard prints it. Hope this helps! Tobe

[studentofshred]

Thank you for that explanation Tobe. I was about to kill if I heard one more person say only that "its a tonal center."

[ashbass]

This thread is a good one IMO.

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57343

[velocity]

it's a tonal center...

lol

[courtney2018]

Alot of people interchange the word mode with scale. I tend to think of the modes as Ionian thru Locrian, and the scales as the notes that comprise each mode.

[Myst and rain]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode

Alwin

[GuitarAkuma]

What people rarely ever tell you is how to get the SOUND of each mode.

Check out Frank Gambales Modes stuff on DVD it really opens the door properly, just playing C major starting on different root notes over the chords in C really does not sound very different FROM a standard C Major scale

BUT play the same scale using the 1,4,5 chords with the mode as the ROOT note and hey presto the modal sound appears! (why else do you think all those great 80s bands always played D/G E/G chord progressions?)

[Martyr Machine]

I find it easier to think of modes as scales in their own right. You can think of modes as major scales starting on a different root, but that doesn't tell you how to use them or why they sound the way they do.

I always think of modes as altered major scales.

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

Now how did we get these? An example: We know that F lydian is FGABCDE. It's tempting to think of that as the C major scale starting on the fourth scale degree, but let's compare it to F major.

F major: F-G-A-A#-C-D-E
F lydian: F-G-A-B-C-D-E

We can see that compared to the major scale, lydian has a raised fourth. This #4 is what gives lydian it's characteristic sound.

Modes are defined by the backing chords, so merely playing a passage starting on a specific note wouldn't determine a mode. A lot of people think that over a C major chord, you have a choice of any mode derived from the C major scale, but this isn't true. When you play over a C major chord, C is clearly defined as the root note, so even if you try to play E phrygian, you're still playing in C major. If you play the notes CDEFGAB over a C major chord, in any order, you're playing in C major. If you want to play lydian over a C major chord, you would play C lydian. If you wanted to play E phrygian, you would play it over an E minor chord.

Modes are one of those things that seem really complicated at first, but once you get it down, it's really an incredibly simple concept.

[Hutch34]

Martyr Machine-

Your explanation was the best explanation I've heard yet! That really helped me to understand, thank you so much!

[markg5150]

3 words for you - Doug Doppler DVD

[Myst and rain]

Here's another very useful video.

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63376

Alwin

[alex10]

Thanks alot guys!
You've explained this better than my guitar teacher, who i have to pay!

[GuitarAkuma]

The key thing is, if you just play F Lydian over the chords of C it sound exactly like C major scale played over chords of C.

The secret is to put the MODE ROOT as the lowest note in each chord and hey presto you can HEAR each mode is different which is a big difference to just looking at a page of theory and SAYING its different.

Put down a backing track of C/F G/F Am/F and play F Lydian over it. I learnt this from Frank Gambale and it really works, rock on!