Early morning, as you leave the house, a bald eagle drops a $20 bill directly in front of you.
You bend to pick it up, but a local bully kicks you in the butt.
You fall and break your glasses, but see right in front of you there is a pouch of real diamonds and a number that says "Call Gary to sell, no questions asked".
Needless to say, your mood can vary from one minute to the next.
This is also true for the Major scale.
But how can this be? It's only one scale!
That's where you are wrong, my eager pupil.
The Major scale provides us with SEVEN possible scales. These are known as MODES.
Modes are scales that are created by using different scale degrees as the Tonic. The Modes are the different moods of a given scale.
You can take THE C Major scale, and follow the formula of tones and semitones, but start on the 2nd scale degree.
This gives you a new scale, with a new sound, but using the same scale formula. You only change the Tonic.
Here is an example: C D E F G A B is Ionian, or the first mode of C Major.
D E F G A B C is now the Dorian, or the second mode of C major.
The scale pattern stays the same, but the Tonic is what changes.
Here is a chart of the Modes in the key of C Major:
TONIC C
Scale Deg. I
Mode Ionian
Alterations None
to Maj Scale
TONIC D
Scale Deg. II
Mode Dorian
Alterations b3, b7
to Maj Scale
TONIC E
Scale Deg. III
Mode Phrygian
Alterations b2, b3, b6, b7
to Maj Scale
TONIC F
Scale Deg. IV
Mode Lydian
Alterations #4
to Maj Scale
TONIC G
Scale Deg. V
Mode Mixolydian
Alterations b7
to Maj Scale
TONIC A
Scale Deg. VI
Mode Aeolian
Alterations b3, b6, b7
to Maj Scale
TONIC Scale Deg. Mode Alterations to Maj Scale B VII Locrian b2, b3, b5, b6, b7
For extra supreme detail, I will also provide this chart, showing each set of modal alterations to a C Major scale, so you can get a full visual grasp of how each mode looks:
Don’t have to hate me quite yet, but you should be practicing each of these for a few reasons. Getting different sounds under your ear is important, gaining a command of the fretboard outside of box or position playing, becoming familiar with altering scales, learning SIX new scales to play with. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy?...well then file this under “You’re gonna hate me” because you have to do it.
Sorry for ruining your good mood.
We will further examine each of the modes in a later chapter.
Head over to the EXERCISES here and cover these topics:
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