Using Modes To Compose Solos

A type of scale useful to know other than the major and minor variants is called the mode. There are seven types of modes in western playing, and you may be surprised to learn that modes pre-date the diatonic scales (major and minor), which didnt evolve until the 17th century.

The modal system can be traced back to Ancient Greek times. During the middle ages, it was taken up by the christian church, where it dominated western music for several hundred years.

Like diatonic scales, each of the seven modes comprises eight notes from root to octave. The notes used by all of the modes equate directly to the white notes of a piano keyboard- hence the notes of a C major scale.

You may be wondering what practical use modes have for you. That's a resonable question. It's been asked countless times on here. Originally, the modes were veiwed as a fixed series of pitches and notes, not a set of relative intervals.

Modern usage, however, has reinterpreted a mode merely as a scale with it's own set of intervals. Therefore, it is possible to transpose any of these modes into any key, creating seven new types of scales, each with it's own unique set of characteristics.

After you play all of the modes I will tab, you should be able to recognise that the Ionian mode is in fact, the Major scale by another name. Also, the Aeolian mode uses the same set of intervals as the Natural Minor scale.

If you've gotten familiar with other types of scale positions in your guitar playing carreer, but have never tried modes, you should have very little trouble getting to grips with the seven types of modes.

Below this, you will see seven tabs. Each one shows the correct fret and string of the mode outlined above the staff. The intervals are typed under the specific mode. I've tabbed these all in the key of A.

The Ionian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------------------------------
D[--------------------4--6--7-------------------------
A[---------4--5--7------------------------------------
E[--5--7----------------------------------------------
Tone, Tone Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone

The Dorian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------2-----------------------
D[----------------2--4--5-----------------------------
A[-----2--3--5----------------------------------------
E[--5-------------------------------------------------
Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone

The Phrygian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------------------------------
D[------------------------5--7------------------------
A[-------------5--7--8--------------------------------
E[--5--6--8-------------------------------------------
Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone

The Lydian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------------------------------
D[---------------------4--6--7------------------------
A[----------4--6--7-----------------------------------
E[--5--7----------------------------------------------
Tone, Tone, Tone, Semtitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone

The Mixolydian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------2-----------------------
D[----------------2--4--5-----------------------------
A[-----2--4--5----------------------------------------
E[--5-------------------------------------------------
Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone

The Aeolian Mode in A:

E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------2-----------------------
D[-----------------2--3--5----------------------------
A[------2--3--5---------------------------------------
E[--5-------------------------------------------------
Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone

The Lochrian Mode in A:
E[----------------------------------------------------
B[----------------------------------------------------
G[----------------------------------------------------
D[-------------------------5--7-----------------------
A[--------------5--6--8-------------------------------
E[--5--6--8-------------------------------------------
Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone

Comments

[Oswald]

Sorry that I been talking shit about you before, Zamboni.
I wonder why you did not tab the other 3 strings, the E,B and G.
THat maybe is a stupid question but is it because of the octave intervals?
So modes are just in one octave, or else I am really confused?

[joshnerez]

ahh, i dont mean to brag but i can help you with your question oswald,just mail me your questions here: [e-mail]

[Oswald]

Okay, man.

[princePopadom]

GREAT lesson! this is really good for solos and shit

[FaultySanity]

Ah, Thank you Zamboni! Ive seen many Ywgwie videos where he says in some sort of mode, now i know what hes talking about

[sential]

okay so something is in the key of say "a", so I start with a in my solo right? But Is it up to me which mode to choose, how do you know? Then I'm still having problems deciding which key a chord progression is in.

[thomas_wh]

i didnot learn anything here, and why are all the modes in A? this means that its not the same scale!!

[light_rock]

IMHO - It is quite okay to "learn the pattern" of each mode in just one key. Pretty much, to "do it right" you go up to the next note on the low E string in the key you're in to play the next mode or pattern.

But that's not quite right either in a sense, because, as has been mentioned, the Ionian is "major" and the "aolean" is minor. So you probably won't be playing all the modes together in any one song.

So "just do it" and figure out why later. It's cool.

Learn the patterns, that is a safe thing to do. Then start them on different notes on the low E string. They each have a unique sound.

[BOYLEDF]

modes are very useful in solo playing good lesson.

[lpaulgib]

Pretty much, a mode is just a major scale started and stopped at a different point in the scale. Like Ionian(Major) mode of E. The notes in that scale are...

E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E

If you were to start on the F# note, and use the exact same notes such as..

F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, F#

You would get the F# dorian mode. Simple concept eh? If you were to start on the 3rd note of E major scale (G#) you would get the G# lydian. It seems complicated, until you sit down and just think about it.

[Spanner]

To anyone who doesnt understand them properly, you can use the notes from these positions to make new ones (their is many more to learn).

[cffrmw]

good lesson no one ever explained to me that if its say, F# dorian then its not actually in the key of f#, thats just the starting note. now it all makes sense

[scheck006]

this has nothing to do with composing solos with modes, you just listed the modes and gave a breif definition. This sucked...

[ilikebigmacs@mc]

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[ilikebigmacs@mc]

THAT WAS REFRESHING............
M
ORE SOON CHAPS

[james999]

can somebody give me a more in depth explanation as to what modes are and how to use them!

[TONfan01]

not bad. i use modes alot when soloing. if anyone wants to xplore this topic further, they should look at the ultimate scale book by Troy Steneta.

[troutBoy]

are the intervals under the scales true for that scale in any key? so if i wanted it in F, for example, the notes of the Iodian scale would be (F G A A# C D E F) because the intervals are Tone, Tone Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone

[Remebol]

holy shit, thank u sir, now i finally under stand modes.. holy crap, i am braking so much new ground :P

[troutBoy]

can sum1 answer me? ^^ two posts up ^^

[troutBoy]

hello!?

[stpd1]

yes ^^4 posts up^^

[Chavagnatze]

Actually the notes for F major ar F G A bB C D E F

[Chavagnatze]

The Chromatic Scale is [A A#Bb B C C#Db D D#Eb E F F#Gb G G#Ab] C major (Ionian) is [C Tone D Tone E Semitone F Tone G Tone A Tone B Semitone C] So moving one note is a Semitone, moving two is a Tone, and twelve is an octave.

[stpd1]

what?

[NIRVANAFAN91]

3 outta 5 this was ok, i mean i still don't know how to use a mode but i have been playing around w/them and i can come up w/some pretty good stuff though i still don't know how to use them, but still good job

[steveandmerock]

i don't get it!!

[ZoSo71]

Ok no one's really mentioned this yet but someone said modes don't help in soloing, the truth is they do greatly. Where gonna use G Major for the example. Where modes help in soloing is determining where to start a solo in a certain key of any 7 note scale. For example in the in a full fretboard view of the G major scale, you'll find three Pentatonic Minor scales within the major (these can also be substituted for any form of the Blues Scale at the same mode, or Pentatonic Majors in other modes). In the major scale you'll find the Pentantonic Minor in the A Dorian, B Phrygian and E Aeolian Modes. Choosing a certain mode to match a chord progession or switching between the modes within a solo can really add color to your soloing and definately helps player get outside of the Pentatonic Minor box form.

[troutBoy]

well explained i now understand modes fully (thanks to hours of theory research...god im boring)

[Spanner]

Qouting form sential: If you are diatonic to "a", you can play what ever mode lies under the chord in the key you are playing, as in terms of notes, it is entirely up to you.
And if you have trouble with key recognition, play through the chords with a "tonic" key and really listen to the, tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone intervals, and after a while you should be able to pick it up naturally.

[rae_5000i]

kids, remember though that the examples above are not in the same key. i dont need to go to that shit anyway.

[Spanner]

Ye, that makes a lot of sense????

[tonyl1234]

Here's the easy answer to everyone who still doesn't understand how to use modes...Imagine one guitarist playing a chord and you want to solo over it. Ex. A Major barred on 5th fret (E:5 A:7 D:7 G:6 B:5 E:5). To decide what mode to use, you have to know which modes are harmonic to that chord (contain the same notes). In the example of the A Major you would use the Ionian, Phrygian, and Lydian. These are the 3 modes that contain the notes played in the chord (E:5 A:7 D:7). What knowing how to use modes does for you is it gives more freedom on what scale you are using. Ex. A Major Ionian=D Major / A Minor Phrygian=F Major / D Minor Lydian: A Major / C Minor

[Shredder_mush]

this lesson would have had more effect the modes had all been written relative to the same scale...instead they're all A...

[Spanner]

Oh well, atleast you can hear the different sounds they make

[The-Axis]

i am completly confused! some one please help me with the use of modes because i want to add some spice to my solos. I am currently using the five pentatonic scales for each solo but its sounding abit samey at the moment some one help please???

[Spanner]

Well..... what do you not understand?

[MATTTHEMOP]

surely it would take so long to learn these and learn to apply them to music playing?

[thesmartguy50]

you know, it's a really big help that you've shown us WHAT modes are, and where they are on the fret board, but you haven't exactly told us how to compose solos with them...

[music_student]

After reading all that, I still don't get the "why" of modes. What I get is: Modes are notes of a scale (say C), but played starting in a different place in the scale. So in my solo, instead of using the sequence CDEFGAB, i could use the sequence DEFGABC, and then I'm in the Dorian mode. However, I don't know any musician who plays his solos using the notes in such a following sequence. My (maybe naive) understanding of music playing tells me that guitarists vary the order of the notes they play. So my solo could be DGFECBA (with a bit of slides and bends to give colour), but I'm still playing in C. Now, which mode did I play in? Even more: Did I play in any mode at all?, or am I totally outside of the idea of modes when playing in a non-ascending or descending sequence? If so, what is the interest of modes at all?

I'm re-reading all the posts again before posting, and now what I'm getting is that "maybe" the modes are only different position boxes for playing the same notes. Could that be?

[music bob]

well to answer all your doubts id have to say that modes are like passages that you take to have a place to go or get there, for instance the back up chord is in C and you whant to play a lick that most likely will have a color that will ask the chord to move to a F or G or whatever chord that will fit to the structure, I think

[music bob]

im a bit confused too but it will be usefull to learn paterns of arpegios starting with the root of the scale or tonic, followed by its 3rd, then its 5th, then 7th for example the arpegio of a ionic scale in E should be: E,G#,B,D#. So what you can do is dicover the arpegios of the different modes and practice them a lot to have a orientation over which chord/mode relationship you are playing on.

[Punk as atticus]

you couldn't have put the modes in 2 octaves now could you?

[Keefer]

How the heck do we use that to compose solos? You need to keep them all in the same key, C ionian, D dorian, E phrygian etc. It's just the major scale, but starting on a different note, I still don't get how to use them...

[Spanner]

I am going to do a lesson soon on implying the modes using pentatonic scales, that should show a good few people how to use them

[acousticflute]

come on guys use your heads, im a year nine student and i understand this stuff. great lesson zamboni, im a flautist as well as a guitarist and this has helped my soloing on both instruments. good stuff

[acousticflute]

come on guys use your heads, im a high school student and i think this makes perfect sense. good job zamboni, im a flautist as well as a guitarist and this lesson has helped my soloing on both instruments. good stuff

[acousticflute]

my bad

[acousticflute]

[paulowther01]

ive found using a mode, like say the dorian, durin a pentatonic solo can really add some colour to your solos, try it over a bluesy song and ull find u can sound alot like Satriani and Vai. my favs are the dorian and mixolydian but some modes dont work so jus try em all out

[Washburn_29]

deos anyone know a site or anothe lesson on here that shows all the modes in minor or major this would help lot thanks

[namesR4squares]

What r u doing?!?

[namesR4squares]

Great lesson by the way, i used to get totally lost when people talk about modes.

[n0e]

all he talked about was relative modes...

each mode has a unique sound. yes e aeolian is the same as g ionian, but try using g aeolian over a gm7, gm9, gm11, or gm13 thats how you get the cool sounds from the mode. it won't sound out of key as long as you play the right mode over the right chords

[n0e]

oh, for example...

Red House by Jimi Hendrix is in the key of B major, but he uses the B aeolian mode over it to give it the unique sound. He could have used g# blues scales, but that would have given it a different feel.

[musiclover2399]

n0e wrote:

oh, for example...

Red House by Jimi Hendrix is in the key of B major, but he uses the B aeolian mode over it to give it the unique sound. He could have used g# blues scales, but that would have given it a different feel.

i think that was a good example

[RATicuZZ]

ah great! now I know all about modes but i forgot how to play guitar...

[Glen'sHeroicAct]

man. this did not deserve the title it was given. why did they even accept it with that title??? the word solo isnt even IN THE LESSON! how can this possibly have anyting to do with composing solos.....

[notsee]

Not to be a critic, but those are just basic modes for natural major and minor scales. . . . with slight alterations(I would assume you would know it to be everything other than Ionian and Aeolian) but yes, modes can be formed by any scale and encompass any scale. . . . you can take the melodic minor and create modes with it and you can do the same with harmonic minor and any other scale, just remember, think of it more as the chords found from the scale rather than just modes, it helps the formation of solos and such. . . . . but I guess it could help explain it for a beginner or something. . . I know this is an old post and I am bringing it up, but yeah. . . . I just got on here, I'm used to metaltabs

[speedinc]

You should re-name this lesson "modes for Dummies" (because you were able to teach me!!}

I just wish that you put the three strings in there.. good job though!

[shred masta]

Can someone email me and help me with modes!? Im lost still like ino it helps your soloing, bassically i only use the harmonic minor and the pentatonic minor. Can someone add me on msn... [e-mail]

[Apology.]

Chavagnatze :
Actually the notes for F major ar F G A bB C D E F

A# and Bb are the same thing!!!

[dethhead]

Apology. wrote:

Chavagnatze :
Actually the notes for F major ar F G A bB C D E F



A# and Bb are the same thing!!!

He said A not A#...

[AssassinLoki090]

Apology. wrote:

Chavagnatze :
Actually the notes for F major ar F G A bB C D E F



A# and Bb are the same thing!!!

They are not the same thing. They are different notes, just enharmonic.

[obadyah]

ts all about the Q chord

[brokenanthem]

OK lesson except for the first bit about the modes pre-dating major and minor scales. What's this? The majar and natural minor scales are both modes. For instance, a C Major scale is a C Ionian scale; they're one and the same. Just the same as an A minor scale is the same as an A Aeolian scale. And you didn't really define what a mode is. You put all of them in A (and you messed that up, they're not even all in the key of A but in several different keys), but you don't play a mode (unless it's Ionian-the Major scale) around the tonal center of the key you're in. For instance, if you're in C Major, you start on C for Ionian, D in Dorian, E in Phrygian, F in Lydian, G in Mixolydian, A for Aeolian, B for Locrian. The seven modes correspond to each degree in the Ionian mode or the Major scale. This lesson's good for people who understand the theory but are just looking for the fingerings. For people who don't understand theory though, it's just confusing. 2.5/5

[neznam88]

These modes are all in A if i want to play them other note do i just change position or the whole pattern changes

[tonefreak5]

this may help jumpstart you on modes but you cant solo in e phrygian over just any chord progression and have it sound good.

[Riffrider666]

alright, so I already know my modes. But I thought this article shows you how to actually use them to compose solos. any help?

[the1nonlycrazi]

this lesson blows...

[Arycama]

It explains what modes are clearly, but the title of the lesson was "using modes to compose solos". The lesson didn't have anything about actually using the modes in your playing.

[Chinchilla641]

i agree with Arycama
It explains what modes are clearly, but the title of the lesson was "using modes to compose solos". The lesson didn't have anything about actually using the modes in your playing.
anyways, i liked it. i didn't even know modes existed. this really helped and like you said, knowing scales helped a lot. good lesson, i got it down in no time.

[burnitdown4free]

I really hope this lesson works

[fleh]

Oswald wrote:

Sorry that I been talking shit about you before, Zamboni.
I wonder why you did not tab the other 3 strings, the E,B and G.
THat maybe is a stupid question but is it because of the octave intervals?
So modes are just in one
octave, or else I am really confused?

the siplest way that i find u can put it is that the modes are the same notes from a different starting position. Ifyou called the Aeolian mode (major scale) the 1st mode then that gives you 18 notes you can play that will be in key (well one octave but 3 per string) all the other modes are are shapes to let you play the SAME notes from different starting points. If course you need to know the order and where to start.eg the Gmaj scale starting at the 3rd fret on the E then you can move up to the 5th fret and play the dorian mode which will contain all the sme notes. If you learn the modes in order then all you do is change teh starting point and that gives you all the notes you can hit on the whole fretboard without going out of key.

[fagelamusgtr]

Thanks man. And i mean a lot. Before this lesson, I was completely screwed up about modes. Now i understand them, and think I can even apply them after just a little practice. This lesson was just what I was looking for.