WHAT ARE MODES? SINCE THERE ARE SEVEN NOTES IN THE DIATONIC SCALE, THERE WILL BE SEVEN WAYS YOU CAN EXECUTE A COMPLETE CYCLE OF THE NOTES IN THE TONALITY. EACH MODE STARTS AND ENDS ON ITS CORRESPONDING SCALE STEP. ALL OTHER "MODES" YOU READ ABOUT ARE SYNTHETIC.FOR EXAMPLE, THE DIMINISHED SCALE OR THE WHOLE TONE SCALE ARE ELEMENTARY AND CIRCULAR, BUT NONETHELESS VERY RICH SYNTHETIC MODES. MAJOR C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C DORIAN D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D PHRYGIAN E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E LYDIAN F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F MIXOLYDIAN G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G AEOLIAN A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A IONIAN B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B ALL MODES IN C ILLUSTRATED TOGETHER THE FIRST POSITION IN C MAJOR GIVES US A LYDIAN FAQ: "Hey, how come this doesn't sound like music? ANSWER: Because it's not music. Never forget that harmony is an analytic tool that comes after music, and explains it. Nevertheless, sometimes it can inspire creativity. Beware of the tendency for its overemphasis to generate contrived pieces that satisfy your mind but not your ear. Nevertheless, this does not mean that this knowledge needs to be stifling to your creativity. We can use it to create new possibilities that experiment and experience will verify as being something we want to use or cast aside. "THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF WRONG NOTES, THE ONES THAT WORK AND THE ONES THAT DON'T." Thelonious Monk

Modes have been overly mystified. Technically a "modal" melody begins and ends on the same note. A mode is defined as the set of notes within the major scale beginning and ending on a specified degree. The names themselves are derived from islands off Greece. The origins of these names are obscure, and often attributed to the Greek Philosopher, Pythagoras. They were associated with large group activities. For example the Dorian mode was associated with war. However, whether the modes as we define them, are the same as the ones we get fragmentary allusions to in Greek Literature is debatable. For guitarists, the bottom line is that they are applied very loosely. Most of the time we use them as a way to memorize the positions of all the notes in the major scale in all positions. They are patterns from which we derive improvisations and classify the work of others. They are a convenient tool. Major mode is the major scale. In C major it is C to C. For guitarists this is usually expressed in two octaves, because it is convenient for the instrument's structure to represent it that way. Theoretically it could be any number of octaves, but two keeps it expressed in one position on the instrument. The other modes in C major follow suit. Dorian is built on the second scale degree which would be D. The pattern would start on the tenth fret. Similarly Phrygian starts on E, Lydian on F, Mixolydian on G, Aeolian, the relative minor, on A, and finally the Locrian starts on the seventh scale degree, B. Since all patterns are moveable, we can apply them to any key we desire by imposing the templates on the appropriate position on the instrument. MAJOR MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 * * 1 1 * * 2 2 * * 3 3 3 3 3 3 * * * * * * 4 4 4 (4) 4 4 DORIAN MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 1 1 1 1 * * * * * * 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 * * * 4 4 * (4) (4) (4) * * PHRYGIAN MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 1 1 * 1 2 * * * 2 2 * 3 3 3 * * 4 4 4 * 4 4 LYDIAN MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 * * * 1 1 * 2 2 2 * * 3 3 3 * 3 3 * * * 4 * * (4) (4) (4) * (4) (4) MIXOLYDIAN [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 1 1 1 1 * * * 2 * * 3 3 3 3 3 3 * * * * 4 * (4) (4) (4) (4) * (4) AEOLIAN MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 1 1 1 1 * * * * 2 * 3 3 3 3 * 3 4 4 * * 4 4 LOCRIAN MODE [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 1 1 1 * 1 2 2 * * 2 2 * * 3 3 * * 4 4 4 4 4 4

ANOTHER LOOK AT ALL SEVEN MODES TOGETHER. WHEN WE START IN THE FIRST POSITION, IN C MAJOR, OPENS WITH THE LYDIAN MODE, ON THE F AT THE FIRST FRET. [E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] 1 * * * 1 1 * 2 2 2 * * 3 3 3 * 3 3 * * * 4 * * 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 * * * * 2 * 3 3 3 3 * 3 1/4 1/4 * * 1/4 1/4 * * 2 2 * * 3 3 3 3 3 3 * * * * * * 4 4 4 4 4 4