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Original Email:

From: Joey F. , U.S.A.

Hey Mr. Brown I think I've got a pretty good grip on modes thanks to your site but it would seriously help if you made a chart, maybe color coded or something. It would really help me to visualize modes. I'm not really sure how you'd do it like I said I have a grip not a full on two handed hold. Thanks, -Joey

    Hello Joey thanks for visiting. For once I can actually say I'm one step ahead of you. I've made a chart, color coded and all, that I was just going to put in one of my other modal lessons. However,  I think I'll use this as an opportunity to try yet a different approach at explaining modes.

If this doesn't help try checking out alternate modal lessons here and here.

First a brief explanation for anyone who wants to know what modes are: Modes, explained as simply as I can are:  just starting on a different note of any particular major scale, other than the root note, usually stopping on the same note (sometimes an octave or 2 higher) to give it a sense of resolution.

In the C major scale the notes are: C D E F G A B C - If you start on C which is the root note (the 1st note of major scale) play any of the 7 notes in any order and land back on C to finish that particular phrase or chord progression that would be considered playing in Ionian mode, one of the 7 modes. The cool thing is that Ionian mode is just another name for the major scale, in this case the  C major scale.

To switch modes we just start and stop on a different note other than root (remember in this case root is C). So lets start on D, the second note in the C major scale and play any notes you'd like and end back on D and this is called Dorian mode.

Now, just to clarify you are not going to get the modal sounds by simply playing this stuff with just a single guitar. In order to get the full effect of what each mode sounds like all you need to do is have another person play a note in the background...just 1 note doesn't have to be a chord. If you don't have another guitarist handy use a recording program, even sound recorder would work.  In this case have a D play in the background and play anything from the C major scale and that's what Dorian mode sounds like. Then switch between all 7 modes and see what moods and colors are made by simply changing 1 note. This is a great way to explore for songwriting purposes.

Here's the Modal/Theory chart to help you out:

An explanation of the above chart: The notes in ALL 12 major scales are represented above, less the enharmonic equivalents

There are 12 notes in all and 7 notes in each major scale. Each major scale starts on the left with the root note and goes horizontally to the right hand side. So the notes in the C major scale are: C D E F G A B. All you have to do is find the root (1st note) of the major scale you want to play in the left (green) column and follow it horizontally to the last (brown) column to get the notes in that particular major scale.

You'll notice I am calling them major scales and not keys (technically if you started and stopped on the root note then it would be in that particular key) the reason is because Modes can be keys also. If you are playing in the C major scale but started on D instead of C then you are not in the key of C you are in the key of D Dorian. makes sense. Just getting you started off in the right direction.

Each mode is represented by a color: For example Grey represents Phrygian mode. If you look at all the notes that fall within the grey strip and then follow it horizontally you can see what major scale you'll need to be in to make it Phrygian mode. For example in order to play in E Phrygian mode you'll have to be in the C major scale.

Man this stuff is pretty simple once you get it, but to explain it is pure hell! LOL. Moving on.

The Chord scale, also called the Harmonized Major Scale is represented all along the bottom in blue. All this does is to show you what chords to play in the major scale. Remember there are always exceptions but more often than not you'll find many many songs follow the chord scale, and you can get a good idea for your own chord progressions as well.

So you can see that in the C major scale where the notes are: C D E F G A B if you wanted to make these notes into chords then the chords would be as follows: C major - D minor - E minor - F major - G major - A minor - B diminished ----Pretty awesome I think. Also you'll notice the  numerals (I - ii - IV) underneath the chord type in the blue boxes as well. Each of these represents the corresponding chord type. These numeral are there so that you can discuss a chord progression w/out having to specify any certain key. For instance if I said the chord progression  ii,  iii,  vi  sounds good,  you just go up and you can see in the C major scale that is =  D minor - E minor - A minor  but in the D major scale that is = E minor - F# minor and B minor. Make sense yet? It really comes in handy.

Lastly we have, in orange the Relative Minor. Go here to check out the relative minor pentatonic. It'll more than likely help you out more than a bit.

I highly recommend printing the above chart out as it'll come in handy I promise. Also print out the below chart of all of the notes on the fret board thru the 12th fret. These two things will infinitely help you.

I recommend getting a big dry erase marker board (or as many as you can) and putting them up where you play/practice. Copy the above charts down along with anything else you find. This will help you to memorize this stuff as you'll see it as often as you play guitar. Just my advice.

I hope this helped you out Joey and everyone else. Until next time.

-JM Brown (instructor/admin)

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