modes

[MasterChief]

So you have the major scale, and to make it aeolian you flat the 3rd, right?.

Just want to make sure that for the lydian mode you sharp the 4th right?

[pc]

Yes on the Lydian, but you're defeating the purpose of the modes (such as the purpose is) by thinking of it that way.

(And in your way of thinking, Aeolian would require you to flat the 3rd, the 6th and the 7th).

It's more practical to think of the modes as how they relate to a given major scale a given number of intervals away.

Want to play a F Lydian scale? Play a C-major Scale.

C major scale = C Ionian, and also =

D Dorian
E Phyrigian
F Lydian
G Mixolydian
A Aeolian
B Locrian

[Offshore Angler]

What pc says. But remember, you are using the notes that comprise the C-major scale, but changing the root. So a F Lydian scale is

FGABCED
Why do we use modes? Look at your typical 80's rock ballad. It uses dominant 7th chords.

So if we were playing a rock song in G7, we might want to play a flat 7 giving us GABCDEF -the notes of the C Ionian. In the G-major scale we would have used the G Ionian (G-major) which uses F# or GABCDEF#.

The key to modes is to understand they represent a pattern of intervals with a scale. Take your guitar and staying on a single string write the notes of an Ionain scale. Then write the distance in frets between adjacent notes next to it. You'll see a pattern develop. Then, by taking that pattern, but starting on a different note notice how the intervals change as you move through the scale starting on a different note each time. That's the secret of modes.

Notice the C Ionain = G Mixolydian, ect.

[Offshore Angler]

I should add too, that the trick to using modes is not to overthink it. Play all the variants of the C scale over the root chords of each mode. The ones with half-steps between the 2nd and 3rd notes will work with minors, the ones with whole-steps between the 6th and 7th notes shold work on dominant 7ths. If if has a flat third and flat 7th you would expect it to work over a m7 chord. But the way to use them is to try each one and you'll find each one has a certain feel or flavor to it. Once you commit the modes to memory you can call upon them to change the feel of the music you're playing.

Again, you must remember that when you change the mode you don't just start on a different note, you also change to the key of the note you start on. That's the whole deal in a nutshell. If you are playing in C-major and play CDEFGABC over the c chord you just played a simple- albiet boring- melody. If you stay over the C chord and played GABCDEFG you are STILL playing in C-major. But if you play GABCDEFG over a G chord, you are playing the G Mixolydian. It is the context which defines the scale and intervals that define the mode.

[MasterChief]

I'm actually not really playing the modes this is actually for my jazz guitar class. I'm not too good add this kind of stuff yet and we were talking about how the Pantatonic minor 6 scale relates to lydian, which I guess is the sharped 4th. I was just a little confused and was looking for clarification.

[Offshore Angler]

Cool. I hope it helped and didn't confuse you further. In any case, just don't overthink it. Being analytical I spent a long time immersing myself in modes and scales and whatnot. Then I finally figured it out. There are no wrong notes. Some notes will work all the time and others only sometimes but any note on the fretboard is fair game and there for you to use whenever you want to hear it. And as unfathomable as it may seem to many here, the best way to nail a solo every single time is to commit it to memory. It's a guaranteed system that works every stinking time!