Another way of understanding modes, for those who are confused, is to first understand that the Ionian mode is another name for the Major scale and the Aeolian mode another word for the Natural Minor scale. Just as all major scales have a relative minor (as Am is relative to C), they also have other relative modes. Each mode can be thought of as being built off a degree (note) of the major scale it is relative to. Thus, using C major as the example the first degree C is Ionian/Major; the second D is Dorian; the third E is Phrygian: the forth F Lydian; the fifth G Mixolydian; the sixth Aeolian/Natural Minor and the seventh Locrian. All those modes share the same notes as the Ionian they are relative to, but each having a different tonal centre. Put simply, if you are playing a scale using the notes C,D,E,F,G,A,B, but using E as your tonal centre you are playing E Phrygian. As the Phrygian mode can be thought of as being built off the third degree of its relative Ionian/Major scale you can find the notes of a given Phrygian scale by relating it to its relative major. Thus - as B is the third degree of the G Major scale the B Phrygian shares its notes with G Major. A simple mnemonic helps remember these degree relationships to the major scales (i.e 1 Ionian, 2 Dorian, 3 Phrygian, 4 Lydian, 5 Mixolydian, 6 Aeolian and 7 Locrian). I use Independent Dental Physicians Leave Mixed Anaesthetics Loose, but you may think of better ones.
Ooooh this is good thanks man I'm slowly getting there; your comparison between relative major and minor helped me to understand that modes are an expansion of this I guess between different notes in the scale. Thank you
For those of us who over-intellectualize things, triangulating different explanations on the same topic brings us closer to the “sweet spot” of understanding. I’ve been working at this for at least two years-seriously and with a teacher-yet the “simplicity” of it (as described by countless contributors) is slippery. I’ve been trying to play the changes over Simons and Marks “All of me.” It is a simple standard but with a chord progression with secondary dominants that can confuse if not for understanding the underlying theory. Your explanation is spot on. Each degree of a scale is related to a mode. The challenge beyond what you expertly shared, is trying to play the seventh-chord arpeggios and borrowing from the notes of the mode of the scale degree you’re playing. That requires seeing the arpeggio superimposed over the mode in which you’re playing, especially when targeting notes. There are work arounds, like just adjusting the major scale with lower 7th (mixolydian), raised 4th (Lydian), raised 6th (Dorian), etc. but short cuts come with other problems. In the end, no matter how many people provide expert advice on this topic, the truth is each player must brave a “No Man’s Land” of self discovery. I tell myself that if I keep “preparing” to play guitar, it will never happen. To paraphrase Andy from “Shawshank Redemption:” “Get busy playing, or get busy dying.” Thanks for another brilliant insight..
To put it simply, play the major scale that matches the key of the song, and emphasize the note that matches the chord that the song is on and you are then playing the modes automatically. No other scale is necessary.
Three years later and I think this just might be the best music theory channel on youtube, I've only just discovered it but I've been binging quite a few by now (just finished watching the video on circle of fifths before this one). Every single video is genuinely incredibly well explained and has lead to lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment about concepts I vaguely remember being taught (but not really understanding) in class near enough ten years ago. Incredible stuff.
Why isn’t it simpler to say, just play the E scale and move the starting note to B or A when those chords are heard, but stay in the E scale. Isn’t that the same thing?
Seriously. Why does every single thing have a back history of jargon to learn when instead, we can just describe what is happening? There should be a jargon eliminator course where someone explains "this is the same as that and here's what it means/ how it functions."
it is but that isn't the important thing of all this... realistically the most important thing is learning chords and how they are built... people tend to get confused when you harp on the fact that each interval has its own mode in relation to the major scale, they start to think of things as a puzzle that HAS to fit and it needs to be played, when in reality he should be talking about chords and the tones that build them. If you target chord tones, regardless of key you cannot go wrong you will know what to play and what not to play. but i see what you are saying.. but people (myself for years when younger) mystify the modes as if they are this magical thing lol..but its all about chords.
For the first time in 13 years of studying music on and off I actually get this perfectly now. Can’t believe how easy it actually is!! Thanks for this, I will never forget it.
@@noodler2979 You just need to learn your major scales and the roman numeral system for chords/scale degrees, and then memorize the order of the modes. So it will take a bit of work if you're newer, but once you get the major scales down, you can then figure out which mode to use based on the key and the chord you're playing over. So if I'm in the key of C major, D minor is the ii chord, E minor is the iii chord and F major is the IV chord. So if I'm playing over a part of the song that uses the F chord, I'll just figure out the corresponding mode by counting up. So over Cmajor I would play Ionian mode (AKA C major scale, the home base that all the next modes are built off of), D minor is Dorian mode (so I would play a C major scale starting and ending on the D note), E minor is Phrygian mode (so I would play the C major scale staring and ending on the E note), and then I get to F lydian which, yep, you guessed it... I play a C major scale starting and ending on an F note. It can be confusing at first and seem like a meaningless distinction. I remember thinking, well why wouldn't I just play a C major scale throughout since the key is C major? And you absolutely can think of it that way. But as you progress, you'll realize that despite modes having the same notes as the "parent" Ionian/major scale, there is a different flavor when you play modally.
I'm self taught and have played for 50+ years. I've never sight read sheet music. But I've always wanted to know what people are talking about when they throw around all these terms. And what really amazes me is that you speak guitar! You're the first I've seen that describes playing the way I've always thought of it. I took a 15 year sabbatical from playing and now I'm trying to re-learn what I knew the "right" way. I'm definitely checking out your other videos!
Guitar-Teachers on YT run the gamut from one gimmick or another to get your ( our ) business, which makes sense all around. You, on the other hand, seem to be a natural instructor. Looks easy for you. You get your ideas across in concise manner. That's a gift! I am really thankful for your channel.
I've read guitar instruction books on modes for many years but never understood any of them. I thought I didn't have the brain capacity to ever incorporate into my playing. Your lesson makes it so crystal clear. Thank you for this lesson. Finally it all makes sense.
I've been trying to work out modes for years and years, and today it finally clicked. All thanks to a 19-minute-long video by you. From the very bottom of my guitaring soul - thank you.
Wow, I’m so happy I found this channel. No one has ever explained the modes to me like this before. If someone had just said that Myxolydian is just a flatted 7th, I wouldn’t have been so mystified all these years. And combined with the circle of fifths video? THIS is the theory stuff I’ve been looking for!
I had a similar thought. This was exactly the explanation I needed. I've been dancing around this topic for about 30 years without ever really getting it. And now I do. And it is so much easier than I thought. I've been doing some Santana style minor jamming, and it is amazing how easy it is as well as how good it sounds.
Yea. that is the best way to look at it. Like if you are in a minor pentatonic or major, you just change a note and its a different mode. like minor blues pentatonic, you just add that note and it can be a mixolydian/blues scale, or if you raise the 6 its dorian... or regular minor key with a major 7 is a harmonic minor sound.. then its about blending it all in and going in and out of each key as the chord changes to avoid clashes.
This is incredible. My piano and guitar teachers NEVER took the time to explain this to me. Frustrated and struggled to understand it for years! Can’t thank you enough for this video!
Thanks Brian. You mentioned "use your EAR" a few times. Training your ear to hear intervals, 3rds, 5ths, 7ths, both major and minor while holding the guitar and sounding the intervals out helps a person to see the pattern layout of the notes in a scale or chord. Then knowing the order of modes, a person simply starts and ends on the 3rd to make make a phrygian or the 2nd to make a Dorian. Training the ear to recognize intervals and finding those intervals on the fretboard has done wonders for my personal playing, and this is a recent discovery.
This vid is like a light bulb moment. Have struggled and felt so much frustrated trying to understand Modes. This is the best one I stumbled upon. Thank you ! :)
2:33 in and dang. That was beautiful. You made that up? Wow. I’m watching this because if you can teach me this I’ll marry you. 👏👏👏 and that really was a beautiful sounding lead.
Yes! Mixolydian is the fifth mode so to find the Mixolydian of whatever key you're in you look for the f chord. So to find D Mixolydian you look for a key that has D as its 5 chord, which is G. So D Mixolydian and G major share the same notes. Here, since B is the 5 chord of E, they will share the same notes.
I have a formula here that has helped me immensely.If Dora Plays Like Me All’s Lost(Ionian or Major,Dorian,Phrygian,Lydian,Mixolydian,Aeolian and Locrian).From this you can see that the Mixolydian is the 5.So,if E is the Major(Ionian),then it “equals” the F# Dorian,which equals the G# Phrygian,which equals the A Lydian,which equals the B Mixolydian,which equals the C# Aeolian,which equals the Eb Locrian,back to the E Ionian(Major).By playing the E Major scale over a B chord,you’re now playing a B Mixolydian scale.I’ve proved this many times by playing a D Major scale(also Bm pentatonic) while playing a blues solo in A.Amazing when I discovered this!Now I colud play an Am pentatonic AND Bm pentatonic over an A blues.Easy peasy!
@@Shortcutguitlssns Sorry I am a bit thick can you tell me why the B pentatonic works over the A blues. What mode would that be. Sorry struggle with this stuff.
@@martynspooner5822 I look at it this way.If D Major is the same as A Mixolydian (as E Major is the same as B Mixolydian in the video)and Bm is the relative minor of D Major,then Bm pentatonic should also work over A blues(A7).You wouldn’t want to stay there too long,though.Just pass through it every now and then,just like playing a bit of the A major scale during a blues solo while spending most of the time on the Aminor pent:
Holly shit, that was the simplest explanation of what scared the crap out of me for decades. Love the chord shape concept for the major scale as well. Well done!
You are a gifted teacher, sir. I have played a horn for many years and I did not know what you just went over, but now a new musical interest has arose in me. You opened something in me that it’s mind blowing for me, thank you and God bless.
Brilliantly explained and I think I've finally got it. Having been a member for a few years I have followed your 'playing the chord changes' lessons but didn't feel advanced enough to try it out. After this lesson I'm now spurred on to start putting it into my playing. Thank you Brian.
I'm a play-by-ear musician and have been using this technique for years but never knew what it was called till now. I also never saw many other musicians play like me either and I always attributed it to them not being able to get their little finger to work right. Anyway, you are the first example of this style of lead playing I have seen on RUclips being shown to others. Great video!
Another mind expanding lesson! Awesome! You have an ability to clearly explain concepts. That is a gift! THANK YOU! This is the stuff Jerry Garcia does.
This is one of the best, if not the absolutely best explanation of modes in relation to key, and scales, chords, and even the circle of fifths that I've seen. This gives me some confidence to explore modes even further, and with this new understanding, I expect to gain more knowledge, skill and proficiency in my journey with the guitar. Thanks for putting this video together.
I learned a phygryan dominant scale before I learned the pentatonic and when I play people say they feel like they are in a gun fight with a cowboy. So I'm playing along here and learning. Great teaching skills my guy!
Jimmy page said what determines a wrong note is the next one. That’s how I always look at chromatic or passing notes. Just a thought , keep up the good work love it
This lesson gave me the AHA moment I was looking for regarding the "use" of modes. I have been trying to get the idea of modes to click for a very long time. Thanks.
I’ll have to check out your other two videos. This was the only RUclips video that really finally explained Modes in a kind of “dumb” down version AND how to properly use them. Thanks!!
I'm an amtaeur player and every time I tryed to get serious I would get discoureged because I would get overwhelmed with all the theory, for the first time it made sense to me. Thanks!
Where have you been all my bass guitar life? Had I known you sooner I’d be much further ahead. I’ve never had a good teacher so the circle of 5ths and the modes you’ve made them come alive to me and now I know how to practice them to put them to good use, I was practicing them but didn’t know what I was really doing or for what purpose. Thank You!!
Took me thirty years to figure that out..... Same as you...I leaned on the Minor pentatonic for 20 years and finally came across the major scale....when I first understood it ....the "Mainstreet Scale"... Then 3 days ago I thought to myself.....I once heard someone teach u could just stay in the Am pentatonic when changing to D....but it finally dawned on me to investigate why the Am pentatonic would work still work when I changed to D...... AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 11 YEARS OF STUDING THE MAJOR SCALE(I didnt actually learn it till 2011) It works cause it's the same notes...like he said ....just in a different order.....and played just right context...even the odd notes work....I finally understand it....
Holly...I just had this exact problem while improvising in D major, and it didn't work on 4th chord and now you gave me the whole explanation why and blew my mind
As a older beginning guitar player, I can really focus on these theory and application lessons. Always cool to get 'under the hood' of the music that's being created. Love your Guitar collection too.
Okay, I am self-taught and have been playing over 50 years and only recently started actually studying. I feel like this lesson combined with and incorporated with the Circle of Fifths lesson is the equivalent to me going to hardware store to buy a case of thousand watt lightbulbs. I naturally use all the chord shapes and have since I was young BUT I never put them together in this way. And, sad to say, I never knew anything about modes. When you showed the scale over the 5 chord, it lit me up. Thanks.
So to sum it up you just play the chord note in the scale as a sort of temporary root, and the relevant mode just follows if you keep the scale pattern. I knew how the modes fit into the caged patterns, and how they relate to the major, but I never realized how easy it is to switch modes along with chord changes before this. In my head I saw a mode as something that usually covered the whole song or at least a whole section of it, and that anything beyond that would be insanely complicated. Good stuff! Thanks a lot!
No wonder you have so many subs. I will never achieve your level of expertise, but I am mezmorized by your knowledge. Thank you for showing up for all of us wannabes, like myself.
There are 12 pitch collections (12 major scales). Each of those 12 pitch collections can be called by 7 names. Each name is called a mode. So, the C major pitch collection can also be called: C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, and B Locrian. This is an easy way to understand 'modes of the major scale'. (The *music* itself is based on C Ionian, if the 'home chord' in the progression of chords used, is C major, and the rest of the chords are taken from Dm, Em, Fmaj, Gmaj, Am, and Bm7b5. Likewise if the 'home chord' is Dm, using chords taken from the same as above, then the music is based on D Dorian. And so on. Mostly songs are composed using Ionian , Aeolian, and Mixolydian modes.) Unless Jazz is a modal composition, notes based on each chord are used (eg arpeggios), for each chord, with notes outside the pitch collection sometimes 'thrown in' (chromatics) as described also in this video.
This is a moment of clarity in playing over chord progressions. I think I have reached a stage in learning and playing where Brian is just right for me at this time. Especially in modal stuff. I was looking to understand the why and how of some jazz progressions I have been playing with more advanced players. I was just memorizing progressions but had no idea why so many of the chords seemed to sound fine but also seemed to be from out of the key. And then I stumbled on this lesson by Brian. This took me back a step or two to where I needed to be first. I’ll go from here. Thanks to Brian and ActiveMelody👍👍👍
I have been a premium member for a couple of years now. I have always struggled with modes. I knew what they were and could run through all 7 but didn't understand how to use them in a song playing situation. This helped a little but I am still confused a little. I will go back to the mode lessons and then watch this video again. At least now I know why we need to use them.
This is fantastic! I've understood how modes are constructed and that they have a different sound for years. I've also known about the relative minor mode and used that on changes. I tend to play the major key and then move to changing pentatonic shapes on chord changes, so hadn't picked up on the 'wrong' notes that would appear if I played all major notes on chord changes. This is the first lesson that has pieced all pieces together and shown how the modes work in context. I'll need to sit with this lesson for a while to let it sink in, but you've really opened a new brain door for me! Thanks so much for this video!
One of the many things I love about this channel is that you don't have a computer screen set up behind you! You explain everything clearly, and always seem to throw in some nuggets, so that even if I don't get the entire concept, there's always something to chew on afterwards. My take away from this lesson is the 'scales out of chord shapes' idea. I'll be working on this today. Happy holidays, Brian!
Ohhh man that 175 is my dream guitar! I don't care that Im terrible at jazz. Ill play my dumb as dirt pentatonic scales on it! Beautiful!!! To the eye and ear sir!
You were not joking about the breakthrough! Thank you for your concise explanation. I have been trying to learn this concept for some time now and I feel like you have provided all the pieces that I was missing. You sir have a gift! Thanks for sharing. Now time to practice.
JAMES SCOTT NICHOLSON, ONTARIO, CANADA 🇨🇦 I WAS JUST TAUGHT THAT EXACT CONCEPT,BUT THEY MADE IT SOUND SO MUCH HARDER!!!THEY JUST SAID IF YOU WANT C MIXOLYDIAN FIND THE KEY THAT HAS C AS THE 5CHORD.IF THEY WOULD JUST THINK THE WAY YOU ARE,-(TELLING ME TO USE THE CIRCLE OF 5THS)MAN YOU TELLING ME THAT,YOU JUST OPENED A BIG BAG OF GOLD TO ME.ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE WAY I LEARNED THEORY.I JUMPED ALL OVER THE PLACE,FROM ONLY KNOWING MY MINOR PENTATONIC,WITH THE BLUE NOTE TO MODES & ARPEGGIOS BEFORE I EVEN KNEW THE MAJOR SCALE.I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU REFERRING TO THE CIRCLE OF 5THS OPENED MY EYES. P.S. A GOOD WAY TO REMEMBER THE CIRCLE,IS FATHER CHARLES GOES DOWN AND ENDS BATTLE OR BEAD SPELLED BACKWARDS PLUS F,C,G. ONCE AGAIN SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS THEY ARE STUCK ON,AND PLEASE KEEP THIS KIND OF CONTENT COMING IT IS SO MUCH GREAT INFO, IF YOU JUST DO A LITTLE HOME WORK...THANKS I AM SO GREATFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION,AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO COUNT IT ALL OUT.YOUR WAY IS SO FAST.I LOVE IT CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT
I knew this it took a long time to figure out people make it so complicated I wish I could of heard this video year's ago .Well done Bro best explanation ever .
Thank you Brian for teaching and old Dog old tricks, I've been confused over time wondering how that fits together, now there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
To me, music theory concepts have always been like a jar of pearls. Each describes a unique concept. You provided the string that can be used to join these pearls into a necklace. Thanks for such a well-thought-out video lesson.
Bought the book "chord wheel" and you just killed it through a 15 min video !! Thank you thank thank you !! your explanations were just so easy to understand !!!!
Really great reminder. One thing I realized in watching this and your other circle of 5ths clips, regarding the circle of 5ths chart, is... I had one of those lying around and its helpful....but when I transferred the relationships to the neck "visually" it was more useful as a guitar player, cause when you're playing your not looking at your wheel (if you can even find it). So I created a great visual hack. Between the E and A string visualize a sawtooth shape going up the neck e.g. F -> C , then G -> D, etc.....those are 5ths, and if you go backward, A string to E string, D ->G , C -> F (down the sawblade) they are 4ths. Of course, with standard guitar tuning and the B string, you have to adjust your mapping, but it's not hard.
It was really useful to hear how it actually sounded when you did the BMaj scale over the chord change...how that 7th note just didn't really work. That brought the whole concept if what you're trying to communicate home.....good work bro. Also liked your thoughts on the chromatic notes. Tomorrow I'll do do inspired playing around with this in mind. Thanks from the UK
![Playing In Every Mode with ONE Tiny Scale Shape [GUITAR LESSON - MODES - MUSIC THEORY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/96cydVB4w-A/mqdefault.jpg)
This channel has everything you want to know and master the guitar.
Another way of understanding modes, for those who are confused, is to first understand that the Ionian mode is another name for the Major scale and the Aeolian mode another word for the Natural Minor scale. Just as all major scales have a relative minor (as Am is relative to C), they also have other relative modes. Each mode can be thought of as being built off a degree (note) of the major scale it is relative to. Thus, using C major as the example the first degree C is Ionian/Major; the second D is Dorian; the third E is Phrygian: the forth F Lydian; the fifth G Mixolydian; the sixth Aeolian/Natural Minor and the seventh Locrian. All those modes share the same notes as the Ionian they are relative to, but each having a different tonal centre. Put simply, if you are playing a scale using the notes C,D,E,F,G,A,B, but using E as your tonal centre you are playing E Phrygian. As the Phrygian mode can be thought of as being built off the third degree of its relative Ionian/Major scale you can find the notes of a given Phrygian scale by relating it to its relative major. Thus - as B is the third degree of the G Major scale the B Phrygian shares its notes with G Major. A simple mnemonic helps remember these degree relationships to the major scales (i.e 1 Ionian, 2 Dorian, 3 Phrygian, 4 Lydian, 5 Mixolydian, 6 Aeolian and 7 Locrian). I use Independent Dental Physicians Leave Mixed Anaesthetics Loose, but you may think of better ones.
Ooooh this is good thanks man I'm slowly getting there; your comparison between relative major and minor helped me to understand that modes are an expansion of this I guess between different notes in the scale. Thank you
My head hurts🙄
Thanks for that. How 'bout 'I don't pick lazy men as labourers'?
@@gringobombero4260 Good one.
@@gringobombero4260 Good!
You have an amazing ability to clarify guitar theory that, for me, has remained esoteric for so long. Cannot thank you enough!
For those of us who over-intellectualize things, triangulating different explanations on the same topic brings us closer to the “sweet spot” of understanding. I’ve been working at this for at least two years-seriously and with a teacher-yet the “simplicity” of it (as described by countless contributors) is slippery. I’ve been trying to play the changes over Simons and Marks “All of me.” It is a simple standard but with a chord progression with secondary dominants that can confuse if not for understanding the underlying theory. Your explanation is spot on. Each degree of a scale is related to a mode. The challenge beyond what you expertly shared, is trying to play the seventh-chord arpeggios and borrowing from the notes of the mode of the scale degree you’re playing. That requires seeing the arpeggio superimposed over the mode in which you’re playing, especially when targeting notes. There are work arounds, like just adjusting the major scale with lower 7th (mixolydian), raised 4th (Lydian), raised 6th (Dorian), etc. but short cuts come with other problems. In the end, no matter how many people provide expert advice on this topic, the truth is each player must brave a “No Man’s Land” of self discovery. I tell myself that if I keep “preparing” to play guitar, it will never happen. To paraphrase Andy from “Shawshank Redemption:” “Get busy playing, or get busy dying.” Thanks for another brilliant insight..
To put it simply, play the major scale that matches the key of the song, and emphasize the note that matches the chord that the song is on and you are then playing the modes automatically. No other scale is necessary.
Three years later and I think this just might be the best music theory channel on youtube, I've only just discovered it but I've been binging quite a few by now (just finished watching the video on circle of fifths before this one). Every single video is genuinely incredibly well explained and has lead to lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment about concepts I vaguely remember being taught (but not really understanding) in class near enough ten years ago.
Incredible stuff.
Been playing guitar for years and although I kept watching the modes videos nothing made sense until now. Got it. Much appreciated.
Why isn’t it simpler to say, just play the E scale and move the starting note to B or A when those chords are heard, but stay in the E scale. Isn’t that the same thing?
Seriously. Why does every single thing have a back history of jargon to learn when instead, we can just describe what is happening? There should be a jargon eliminator course where someone explains "this is the same as that and here's what it means/ how it functions."
😮😅o😅😊😊😊😊@@bobmortimerisweird
is it the same thing? for real?
it is but that isn't the important thing of all this... realistically the most important thing is learning chords and how they are built... people tend to get confused when you harp on the fact that each interval has its own mode in relation to the major scale, they start to think of things as a puzzle that HAS to fit and it needs to be played, when in reality he should be talking about chords and the tones that build them. If you target chord tones, regardless of key you cannot go wrong you will know what to play and what not to play. but i see what you are saying.. but people (myself for years when younger) mystify the modes as if they are this magical thing lol..but its all about chords.
For the first time in 13 years of studying music on and off I actually get this perfectly now. Can’t believe how easy it actually is!! Thanks for this, I will never forget it.
For sure! Same! ✊🏼💥
Agreed...lol I hear words like Mixolydian and Iolyian and think Stev Vai and put the guitar down.
Really please explain it to me then because now I'm even more confused.
@@noodler2979 You just need to learn your major scales and the roman numeral system for chords/scale degrees, and then memorize the order of the modes. So it will take a bit of work if you're newer, but once you get the major scales down, you can then figure out which mode to use based on the key and the chord you're playing over.
So if I'm in the key of C major, D minor is the ii chord, E minor is the iii chord and F major is the IV chord. So if I'm playing over a part of the song that uses the F chord, I'll just figure out the corresponding mode by counting up. So over Cmajor I would play Ionian mode (AKA C major scale, the home base that all the next modes are built off of), D minor is Dorian mode (so I would play a C major scale starting and ending on the D note), E minor is Phrygian mode (so I would play the C major scale staring and ending on the E note), and then I get to F lydian which, yep, you guessed it... I play a C major scale starting and ending on an F note.
It can be confusing at first and seem like a meaningless distinction. I remember thinking, well why wouldn't I just play a C major scale throughout since the key is C major? And you absolutely can think of it that way. But as you progress, you'll realize that despite modes having the same notes as the "parent" Ionian/major scale, there is a different flavor when you play modally.
I'm self taught and have played for 50+ years. I've never sight read sheet music. But I've always wanted to know what people are talking about when they throw around all these terms. And what really amazes me is that you speak guitar! You're the first I've seen that describes playing the way I've always thought of it.
I took a 15 year sabbatical from playing and now I'm trying to re-learn what I knew the "right" way.
I'm definitely checking out your other videos!
Guitar-Teachers on YT run the gamut from one gimmick or another to get your ( our ) business, which makes sense all around. You, on the other hand, seem to be a natural instructor. Looks easy for you. You get your ideas across in concise manner. That's a gift! I am really thankful for your channel.
I've read guitar instruction books on modes for many years but never understood any of them. I thought I didn't have the brain capacity to ever incorporate into my playing. Your lesson makes it so crystal clear. Thank you for this lesson. Finally it all makes sense.
Thanks so much!!! Not a lightbulb moment... more like a lighthouse beam leading me home! You are the cream of the RUclips crop of teachers!✌️❤️
I've been trying to work out modes for years and years, and today it finally clicked. All thanks to a 19-minute-long video by you. From the very bottom of my guitaring soul - thank you.
Wow, I’m so happy I found this channel. No one has ever explained the modes to me like this before. If someone had just said that Myxolydian is just a flatted 7th, I wouldn’t have been so mystified all these years. And combined with the circle of fifths video? THIS is the theory stuff I’ve been looking for!
I always had to count backwards to find out what key signature I had to obey. now I see there is a definition for each mode/scale
I had a similar thought. This was exactly the explanation I needed. I've been dancing around this topic for about 30 years without ever really getting it. And now I do. And it is so much easier than I thought. I've been doing some Santana style minor jamming, and it is amazing how easy it is as well as how good it sounds.
Yea. that is the best way to look at it. Like if you are in a minor pentatonic or major, you just change a note and its a different mode. like minor blues pentatonic, you just add that note and it can be a mixolydian/blues scale, or if you raise the 6 its dorian... or regular minor key with a major 7 is a harmonic minor sound.. then its about blending it all in and going in and out of each key as the chord changes to avoid clashes.
This is incredible. My piano and guitar teachers NEVER took the time to explain this to me. Frustrated and struggled to understand it for years! Can’t thank you enough for this video!
Fantastic lesson, Brian. That was a 100-watt light bulb! You the man!
Thanks Brian. You mentioned "use your EAR" a few times. Training your ear to hear intervals, 3rds, 5ths, 7ths, both major and minor while holding the guitar and sounding the intervals out helps a person to see the pattern layout of the notes in a scale or chord.
Then knowing the order of modes, a person simply starts and ends on the 3rd to make make a phrygian or the 2nd to make a Dorian.
Training the ear to recognize intervals and finding those intervals on the fretboard has done wonders for my personal playing, and this is a recent discovery.
These are the absolute best theory lessons I have come across.
Well done & thank you!
Your lessons are AWESOME. Most of the guitar lessons that I have seen are confusing and hard to understand. Thanks for making it simple.
This vid is like a light bulb moment. Have struggled and felt so much frustrated trying to understand Modes. This is the best one I stumbled upon. Thank you ! :)
2:33 in and dang. That was beautiful. You made that up? Wow. I’m watching this because if you can teach me this I’ll marry you. 👏👏👏 and that really was a beautiful sounding lead.
I almost subscribed when I read the title. I DID subscribe after listening to 15 seconds. I’ve been looking for this exact lesson for 30 years.
This is the best lesson I’ve experienced on YT. I’m now a member. Thank you, Brian!
Can't even begin to tell you how meaningful this lesson was for me, I had no Idea that E maj and B mixo were the same notes etc. Thanks a lot
Yes! Mixolydian is the fifth mode so to find the Mixolydian of whatever key you're in you look for the f chord. So to find D Mixolydian you look for a key that has D as its 5 chord, which is G. So D Mixolydian and G major share the same notes. Here, since B is the 5 chord of E, they will share the same notes.
@@tba1879
Thanks much appreciate you taking the time to help me cheers friend
I have a formula here that has helped me immensely.If Dora Plays Like Me All’s Lost(Ionian or Major,Dorian,Phrygian,Lydian,Mixolydian,Aeolian and Locrian).From this you can see that the Mixolydian is the 5.So,if E is the Major(Ionian),then it “equals” the F# Dorian,which equals the G# Phrygian,which equals the A Lydian,which equals the B Mixolydian,which equals the C# Aeolian,which equals the Eb Locrian,back to the E Ionian(Major).By playing the E Major scale over a B chord,you’re now playing a B Mixolydian scale.I’ve proved this many times by playing a D Major scale(also Bm pentatonic) while playing a blues solo in A.Amazing when I discovered this!Now I colud play an Am pentatonic AND Bm pentatonic over an A blues.Easy peasy!
@@Shortcutguitlssns
Sorry I am a bit thick can you tell me why the B pentatonic works over the A blues. What mode would that be. Sorry struggle with this stuff.
@@martynspooner5822 I look at it this way.If D Major is the same as A Mixolydian (as E Major is the same as B Mixolydian in the video)and Bm is the relative minor of D Major,then Bm pentatonic should also work over A blues(A7).You wouldn’t want to stay there too long,though.Just pass through it every now and then,just like playing a bit of the A major scale during a blues solo while spending most of the time on the Aminor pent:
Holly shit, that was the simplest explanation of what scared the crap out of me for decades. Love the chord shape concept for the major scale as well. Well done!
You are a gifted teacher, sir. I have played a horn for many years and I did not know what you just went over, but now a new musical interest has arose in me. You opened something in me that it’s mind blowing for me, thank you and God bless.
Brilliantly explained and I think I've finally got it. Having been a member for a few years I have followed your 'playing the chord changes' lessons but didn't feel advanced enough to try it out. After this lesson I'm now spurred on to start putting it into my playing. Thank you Brian.
It’s really cool learning what the notes I normally play by ear are, and how they work together. You are a great teacher.
I'm a play-by-ear musician and have been using this technique for years but never knew what it was called till now. I also never saw many other musicians play like me either and I always attributed it to them not being able to get their little finger to work right. Anyway, you are the first example of this style of lead playing I have seen on RUclips being shown to others. Great video!
Another mind expanding lesson! Awesome! You have an ability to clearly explain concepts. That is a gift! THANK YOU! This is the stuff Jerry Garcia does.
Excellent! Finally someone whose lesson doesn't apply way too much theory, to get to the practicalities of modes.
I mean its literally all theory, you probably mean his terminology? He really could have simplified it more lol, chords are the key to all of this...
@@erikaw7767 I bow to your great wisdom...
This is one of the best, if not the absolutely best explanation of modes in relation to key, and scales, chords, and even the circle of fifths that I've seen. This gives me some confidence to explore modes even further, and with this new understanding, I expect to gain more knowledge, skill and proficiency in my journey with the guitar. Thanks for putting this video together.
I learned a phygryan dominant scale before I learned the pentatonic and when I play people say they feel like they are in a gun fight with a cowboy. So I'm playing along here and learning. Great teaching skills my guy!
So well communicated, I've never comprehended the concept of modes more clearly. Thank you!
You, Sir, are a fantastic teacher. Thank you very much for your crystal clear guidance.
Jimmy page said what determines a wrong note is the next one. That’s how I always look at chromatic or passing notes. Just a thought , keep up the good work love it
Miles Davis put it more poetically: "The FIRST note is never the wrong note. It all depends on the second note."
You have successfully taken a complex concept and made it AT LEAST 10 times more complicated. CONGRATULATIONS!!
judging the other comments, this sounds like a YOU problem :) best of luck!
Light is on! This is the best demo of modes I’ve heard in five years of fighting with them. Thanks......
One of the best introductions to modes. Your, sir, are a very good teacher. Thanks!
Man you are so willing to give back to others who have the real desire to learn guitar, GreatTeacher my friend!
This lesson gave me the AHA moment I was looking for regarding the "use" of modes. I have been trying to get the idea of modes to click for a very long time. Thanks.
I watched so many videos on this topic (and also on the circle of fifths) but this one is just so clear and well explained. Keep up the good work
This lesson is just invaluable.
Active melody by far the best guitar teacher for my preferred style of playing. Thank you so so much!
You are so incredibly not condescending and make the process of learning a pleasurable experience. Thank you!! Newest and biggest fan!
I’ll have to check out your other two videos. This was the only RUclips video that really finally explained Modes in a kind of “dumb” down version AND how to properly use them. Thanks!!
I’m really happy I watched this. So concise, so “get-able”.
That's a lot of knowledge to impart in 20 minutes, but it all hits home and makes a nice soft landing. Kudos and thanks.
I can't tell you how happy this lesson has made me.
I'm an amtaeur player and every time I tryed to get serious I would get discoureged because I would get overwhelmed with all the theory, for the first time it made sense to me. Thanks!
Where have you been all my bass guitar life? Had I known you sooner I’d be much further ahead. I’ve never had a good teacher so the circle of 5ths and the modes you’ve made them come alive to me and now I know how to practice them to put them to good use, I was practicing them but didn’t know what I was really doing or for what purpose. Thank You!!
Took me thirty years to figure that out.....
Same as you...I leaned on the Minor pentatonic for 20 years and finally came across the major scale....when I first understood it ....the "Mainstreet Scale"...
Then 3 days ago I thought to myself.....I once heard someone teach u could just stay in the Am pentatonic when changing to D....but it finally dawned on me to investigate why the Am pentatonic would work still work when I changed to D......
AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 11 YEARS OF STUDING THE MAJOR SCALE(I didnt actually learn it till 2011)
It works cause it's the same notes...like he said ....just in a different order.....and played just right context...even the odd notes work....I finally understand it....
Holly...I just had this exact problem while improvising in D major, and it didn't work on 4th chord and now you gave me the whole explanation why and blew my mind
As a older beginning guitar player, I can really focus on these theory and application lessons. Always cool to get 'under the hood' of the music that's being created.
Love your Guitar collection too.
Lydian sharp 4th. I learned something new today. Thanks.
I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thanks Brian this made total sense and gave this old dog a new trick to work on.
One of the best lessons I have ever learned
Thanks for your lessons YOU make lessons and learning so much easier to make me understand what to do A1 teacher THANKS FOR THAT
Ive watched a lot of videos on modes but this is the one which really "switched on the lightbulb" for me. Thanks a ton man; you really nailed it.
Good discussion. I recognize Garcia used to play a lot of chromatics. Fun to relearn. Thanks for sharing.
Okay, I am self-taught and have been playing over 50 years and only recently started actually studying. I feel like this lesson combined with and incorporated with the Circle of Fifths lesson is the equivalent to me going to hardware store to buy a case of thousand watt lightbulbs. I naturally use all the chord shapes and have since I was young BUT I never put them together in this way. And, sad to say, I never knew anything about modes. When you showed the scale over the 5 chord, it lit me up. Thanks.
😊 ruclips.net/video/-B5aT4dSDl8/видео.html
Thanks for a simple introduction to this useful tool !!! May take time to absorb & begin to make good use of it.
Brian, this lesson is gold! Hope this puts to bed all the confusion I had about modes. Thx!
You just blew away my confusion about playing changes. Thanks!
Finally - Someone who is actually making sense. Awesome
So to sum it up you just play the chord note in the scale as a sort of temporary root, and the relevant mode just follows if you keep the scale pattern. I knew how the modes fit into the caged patterns, and how they relate to the major, but I never realized how easy it is to switch modes along with chord changes before this. In my head I saw a mode as something that usually covered the whole song or at least a whole section of it, and that anything beyond that would be insanely complicated. Good stuff! Thanks a lot!
Great comment
No wonder you have so many subs. I will never achieve your level of expertise, but I am mezmorized by your knowledge. Thank you for showing up for all of us wannabes, like myself.
There are 12 pitch collections (12 major scales). Each of those 12 pitch collections can be called by 7 names. Each name is called a mode. So, the C major pitch collection can also be called: C Ionian, D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, and B Locrian.
This is an easy way to understand 'modes of the major scale'.
(The *music* itself is based on C Ionian, if the 'home chord' in the progression of chords used, is C major, and the rest of the chords are taken from Dm, Em, Fmaj, Gmaj, Am, and Bm7b5.
Likewise if the 'home chord' is Dm, using chords taken from the same as above, then the music is based on D Dorian. And so on. Mostly songs are composed using Ionian , Aeolian, and Mixolydian modes.)
Unless Jazz is a modal composition, notes based on each chord are used (eg arpeggios), for each chord, with notes outside the pitch collection sometimes 'thrown in' (chromatics) as described also in this video.
This is a moment of clarity in playing over chord progressions. I think I have reached a stage in learning and playing where Brian is just right for me at this time. Especially in modal stuff. I was looking to understand the why and how of some jazz progressions I have been playing with more advanced players. I was just memorizing progressions but had no idea why so many of the chords seemed to sound fine but also seemed to be from out of the key. And then I stumbled on this lesson by Brian. This took me back a step or two to where I needed to be first. I’ll go from here. Thanks to Brian and ActiveMelody👍👍👍
You are an amazingly gifted teacher. Thank you for this!
I have been a premium member for a couple of years now. I have always struggled with modes. I knew what they were and could run through all 7 but didn't understand how to use them in a song playing situation. This helped a little but I am still confused a little. I will go back to the mode lessons and then watch this video again. At least now I know why we need to use them.
This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen, ever.
@@celephais5748 whatever you say Scooby!
What an excellent lesson! You are a gifted teacher. Thank you!
This is fantastic! I've understood how modes are constructed and that they have a different sound for years. I've also known about the relative minor mode and used that on changes.
I tend to play the major key and then move to changing pentatonic shapes on chord changes, so hadn't picked up on the 'wrong' notes that would appear if I played all major notes on chord changes.
This is the first lesson that has pieced all pieces together and shown how the modes work in context.
I'll need to sit with this lesson for a while to let it sink in, but you've really opened a new brain door for me!
Thanks so much for this video!
One of the many things I love about this channel is that you don't have a computer screen set up behind you! You explain everything clearly, and always seem to throw in some nuggets, so that even if I don't get the entire concept, there's always something to chew on afterwards. My take away from this lesson is the 'scales out of chord shapes' idea. I'll be working on this today. Happy holidays, Brian!
Ohhh man that 175 is my dream guitar! I don't care that Im terrible at jazz. Ill play my dumb as dirt pentatonic scales on it! Beautiful!!! To the eye and ear sir!
Just another reason why I'm a member. Modes...I now love 'em. Awesome lesson Brian - thank you!!
This is it!!!! thanks a million, I'm forever in debt with your shared knowledge.
Trying to get there and your lesson got me a little closer! Thanks a lot!
You were not joking about the breakthrough! Thank you for your concise explanation. I have been trying to learn this concept for some time now and I feel like you have provided all the pieces that I was missing. You sir have a gift! Thanks for sharing. Now time to practice.
JAMES SCOTT NICHOLSON, ONTARIO, CANADA 🇨🇦 I WAS JUST TAUGHT THAT EXACT CONCEPT,BUT THEY MADE IT SOUND SO MUCH HARDER!!!THEY JUST SAID IF YOU WANT C MIXOLYDIAN FIND THE KEY THAT HAS C AS THE 5CHORD.IF THEY WOULD JUST THINK THE WAY YOU ARE,-(TELLING ME TO USE THE CIRCLE OF 5THS)MAN YOU TELLING ME THAT,YOU JUST
OPENED A BIG BAG OF GOLD TO ME.ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE WAY I LEARNED THEORY.I JUMPED ALL OVER THE PLACE,FROM ONLY KNOWING MY MINOR PENTATONIC,WITH THE BLUE NOTE TO MODES & ARPEGGIOS BEFORE I EVEN KNEW THE MAJOR SCALE.I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU REFERRING TO THE CIRCLE OF 5THS OPENED MY
EYES.
P.S. A GOOD WAY TO REMEMBER THE CIRCLE,IS FATHER CHARLES GOES DOWN AND ENDS BATTLE OR BEAD SPELLED BACKWARDS PLUS F,C,G. ONCE AGAIN SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS THEY ARE STUCK ON,AND PLEASE KEEP THIS KIND OF CONTENT COMING IT IS SO MUCH GREAT INFO, IF YOU JUST DO A LITTLE HOME WORK...THANKS I AM SO GREATFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION,AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO COUNT IT ALL OUT.YOUR WAY IS SO FAST.I LOVE IT CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT
Every time you open so interesting things for me, and importantly do it very understandable. Thank you very much!
I started watching your videos and I really like the way that you instruct I'm actually starting to get. thank you so much for your dedication.
Brilliant Brian. Now I don't want to go to work, I wanna pick up my guitar and start learning this arrrghhh . Damn bills 😪
As always fantastic 👏
Best explanation of how modes work and sound.
I knew this it took a long time to figure out people make it so complicated I wish I could of heard this video year's ago .Well done Bro best explanation ever .
Thank you Brian for teaching and old Dog old tricks, I've been confused over time wondering how that fits together, now there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Wow. Modes have always confused me, but your explanation hit home. Thanks!
To me, music theory concepts have always been like a jar of pearls. Each describes a unique concept. You provided the string that can be used to join these pearls into a necklace. Thanks for such a well-thought-out video lesson.
Beautiful sound beautifully set out👍🏻. Thank you Brian💡 💡 😊
This is exactly the lesson I needed for the stage I'm at. This made it so clear, thank you.
Already heard and studied the circle of fith, but it's the first time thst i sees it from a modal point of view...really eye opening. Thank you!
Whoa, that’s a full blown lesson mid-week, Brian! You bring so much clarity to everything, lots of good info here!💡🤯🤓
Good stuff. You are an excellent instructor because you are helping me to understand things I've had a block against.
Bought the book "chord wheel" and you just killed it through a 15 min video !! Thank you thank thank you !! your explanations were just so easy to understand !!!!
Great lesson, I totally understand! Circle of 5ths comments was very helpful to me!
Really great reminder. One thing I realized in watching this and your other circle of 5ths clips, regarding the circle of 5ths chart, is... I had one of those lying around and its helpful....but when I transferred the relationships to the neck "visually" it was more useful as a guitar player, cause when you're playing your not looking at your wheel (if you can even find it). So I created a great visual hack. Between the E and A string visualize a sawtooth shape going up the neck e.g. F -> C , then G -> D, etc.....those are 5ths, and if you go backward, A string to E string, D ->G , C -> F (down the sawblade) they are 4ths. Of course, with standard guitar tuning and the B string, you have to adjust your mapping, but it's not hard.
Thank you Brian for teaching these more advannced lessons.
You have the gift to e make complex material easy to understand.
A complex concept (to me) explained ridiculously well. 10/10. 👏👏👏
Thanks Brian. Think I have finally understood the basic concept of modes! Thanks
It was really useful to hear how it actually sounded when you did the BMaj scale over the chord change...how that 7th note just didn't really work. That brought the whole concept if what you're trying to communicate home.....good work bro. Also liked your thoughts on the chromatic notes. Tomorrow I'll do do inspired playing around with this in mind. Thanks from the UK