Chords for Guitar Modes Unboxed - Understanding Mode Relationships
Tempo:
69.15 bpm
Chords used:
D
A
F
G
Dm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
This lesson is a follow-on from my first two lessons on modes,
specifically modes of the major scale.
The first part explained how each mode is derived from its parent major scale.
The second part looked at how each mode corresponds with a given chord type,
from which we could create modal chord progressions.
This lesson will further build on the intrinsic relationship between the seven modes
and how you can use this knowledge to play any mode right across the fretboard.
Just a warning though that this is not for beginners.
You need to have a basic grasp of what modes are
and how they correspond to the intervals of their parent scale,
in this case, the major scale.
First, it's crucial to understand how the root note of your chosen mode or scale
corresponds to the root note or key of the backing chord or chord progression.
Let's say the backing chord was D minor.
From the second lesson, we should know that we have three options
in regards to which mode we can play over this chord,
because there are three minor modes.
Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.
I'm going to choose Dorian for this example.
As the backing chord is D minor,
our minor mode also needs to be rooted on that same note of D.
When starting out, it's easiest just to find this root note on the low E string
and build your mode's basic box pattern from there.
[D] [F]
[G] We could therefore find our root note of D at the 10th fret.
So we now have a position for playing D Dorian over a D minor backing chord.
Of course, we could have chosen Aeolian as our mode,
in which case, we'd simply build Aeolian's box pattern in that same D root note position.
If the chord was D major, we'd have chosen one of the major modes on that same root note position.
To stay focused, let's just stick with that D minor Dorian example.
As you progress as a guitarist and musician,
you'll naturally want to break out of these box patterns and use more of the fretboard.
To help visualize this, we can use our knowledge of the other relative mode patterns
to expand our Dorian pattern across the fretboard.
We know that Dorian is the second mode of the major scale,
and is therefore built on the second degree of the major scale.
Using our knowledge of the intervals of this parent major scale,
we should know, for example, where the third degree would lie in relation to this second degree note.
The third degree is one whole step higher than the second.
On the fretboard, we can visualize this as two frets up from our D note.
So our third degree note would be E.
Now, just as the second degree note corresponds with its second mode,
so too does the third degree note correspond with the third mode, Phrygian.
If we play Phrygian's box pattern from that third degree note,
we are essentially playing a related pattern of that D Dorian mode.
This is because the backing chord, as we established, is D minor.
And because we chose Dorian as our mode on that D root note,
all its related mode positions [Dm] get put into that context.
So, continuing.
Fourth mode pattern Lydian would lie a half step up from the Phrygian pattern,
based on its position in the major scale.
As we're beyond the 12th fret, we could also visualize this pattern an octave lower.
Fifth mode pattern Mixolydian would lie a whole step from Lydian,
based on its fifth degree position.
Sixth mode pattern Aeolian would lie on the relative sixth degree position, and so on.
As you can see, we now have a large pattern based on that original D Dorian position.
All these related mode patterns essentially become an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
Now, here's where people tend to get confused about the role these related mode patterns play.
We're still playing in the context of D minor and Dorian.
So when we talk about playing an E Phrygian pattern over a D minor chord,
it won't sound like [C#] Phrygian, it'll sound like Dorian.
This is because the root note of that D minor chord corresponds to D Dorian in its related position.
E Phrygian, therefore, simply becomes an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
Strictly speaking, it shouldn't be called Phrygian for that reason.
But associating a pattern to its mode name can help you visualize its relative position.
Many musicians prefer to simply number these patterns as relative positions of the mode you're playing.
Therefore, the Phrygian box pattern would more accurately be the second position of Dorian.
Lydian, the next mode, would be the third position of Dorian, and so on.
However, if it helps you to refer to each pattern by its mode name,
even when you're not playing in that particular mode, then by all means use it.
The easiest way to understand this concept of related mode positions
is to play over a chord backing track, which I provide a link for in the description.
In a nutshell, if Dorian is our chosen mode over this D minor chord,
then all its related modes will sound like D Dorian.
E Phrygian over D minor will sound like Dorian.
F Lydian over D minor will also sound like Dorian.
And the same applies to G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, B Locrian and C Ionian over that D minor chord.
They'll all sound like Dorian.
Incidentally, because of this intrinsic relationship,
and because all these modes are essentially using the same D Dorian notes,
all its related mode root notes are the notes of D Dorian itself.
If you took those related patterns from earlier
and simply played through the root notes in the context of D minor,
you would be playing D Dorian.
In fact, choose any string with these related patterns
and play along it over D minor, and you'll be playing D Dorian.
When all the related mode patterns of your chosen mode are strung together like this in sequence on the fretboard,
you essentially have a large pattern of your chosen mode.
So whatever mode you choose to play,
first find the root note that corresponds to the backing chord or bass note,
build its box pattern on that root note position,
and then you can visualize the sequence of mode patterns from that position,
remembering to keep the intervals of the parent scale intact from that position.
For more on the concept we've covered, and for backing tracks,
visit the link in the description.
[A] I do hope I haven't
specifically modes of the major scale.
The first part explained how each mode is derived from its parent major scale.
The second part looked at how each mode corresponds with a given chord type,
from which we could create modal chord progressions.
This lesson will further build on the intrinsic relationship between the seven modes
and how you can use this knowledge to play any mode right across the fretboard.
Just a warning though that this is not for beginners.
You need to have a basic grasp of what modes are
and how they correspond to the intervals of their parent scale,
in this case, the major scale.
First, it's crucial to understand how the root note of your chosen mode or scale
corresponds to the root note or key of the backing chord or chord progression.
Let's say the backing chord was D minor.
From the second lesson, we should know that we have three options
in regards to which mode we can play over this chord,
because there are three minor modes.
Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.
I'm going to choose Dorian for this example.
As the backing chord is D minor,
our minor mode also needs to be rooted on that same note of D.
When starting out, it's easiest just to find this root note on the low E string
and build your mode's basic box pattern from there.
[D] [F]
[G] We could therefore find our root note of D at the 10th fret.
So we now have a position for playing D Dorian over a D minor backing chord.
Of course, we could have chosen Aeolian as our mode,
in which case, we'd simply build Aeolian's box pattern in that same D root note position.
If the chord was D major, we'd have chosen one of the major modes on that same root note position.
To stay focused, let's just stick with that D minor Dorian example.
As you progress as a guitarist and musician,
you'll naturally want to break out of these box patterns and use more of the fretboard.
To help visualize this, we can use our knowledge of the other relative mode patterns
to expand our Dorian pattern across the fretboard.
We know that Dorian is the second mode of the major scale,
and is therefore built on the second degree of the major scale.
Using our knowledge of the intervals of this parent major scale,
we should know, for example, where the third degree would lie in relation to this second degree note.
The third degree is one whole step higher than the second.
On the fretboard, we can visualize this as two frets up from our D note.
So our third degree note would be E.
Now, just as the second degree note corresponds with its second mode,
so too does the third degree note correspond with the third mode, Phrygian.
If we play Phrygian's box pattern from that third degree note,
we are essentially playing a related pattern of that D Dorian mode.
This is because the backing chord, as we established, is D minor.
And because we chose Dorian as our mode on that D root note,
all its related mode positions [Dm] get put into that context.
So, continuing.
Fourth mode pattern Lydian would lie a half step up from the Phrygian pattern,
based on its position in the major scale.
As we're beyond the 12th fret, we could also visualize this pattern an octave lower.
Fifth mode pattern Mixolydian would lie a whole step from Lydian,
based on its fifth degree position.
Sixth mode pattern Aeolian would lie on the relative sixth degree position, and so on.
As you can see, we now have a large pattern based on that original D Dorian position.
All these related mode patterns essentially become an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
Now, here's where people tend to get confused about the role these related mode patterns play.
We're still playing in the context of D minor and Dorian.
So when we talk about playing an E Phrygian pattern over a D minor chord,
it won't sound like [C#] Phrygian, it'll sound like Dorian.
This is because the root note of that D minor chord corresponds to D Dorian in its related position.
E Phrygian, therefore, simply becomes an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
Strictly speaking, it shouldn't be called Phrygian for that reason.
But associating a pattern to its mode name can help you visualize its relative position.
Many musicians prefer to simply number these patterns as relative positions of the mode you're playing.
Therefore, the Phrygian box pattern would more accurately be the second position of Dorian.
Lydian, the next mode, would be the third position of Dorian, and so on.
However, if it helps you to refer to each pattern by its mode name,
even when you're not playing in that particular mode, then by all means use it.
The easiest way to understand this concept of related mode positions
is to play over a chord backing track, which I provide a link for in the description.
In a nutshell, if Dorian is our chosen mode over this D minor chord,
then all its related modes will sound like D Dorian.
E Phrygian over D minor will sound like Dorian.
F Lydian over D minor will also sound like Dorian.
And the same applies to G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, B Locrian and C Ionian over that D minor chord.
They'll all sound like Dorian.
Incidentally, because of this intrinsic relationship,
and because all these modes are essentially using the same D Dorian notes,
all its related mode root notes are the notes of D Dorian itself.
If you took those related patterns from earlier
and simply played through the root notes in the context of D minor,
you would be playing D Dorian.
In fact, choose any string with these related patterns
and play along it over D minor, and you'll be playing D Dorian.
When all the related mode patterns of your chosen mode are strung together like this in sequence on the fretboard,
you essentially have a large pattern of your chosen mode.
So whatever mode you choose to play,
first find the root note that corresponds to the backing chord or bass note,
build its box pattern on that root note position,
and then you can visualize the sequence of mode patterns from that position,
remembering to keep the intervals of the parent scale intact from that position.
For more on the concept we've covered, and for backing tracks,
visit the link in the description.
[A] I do hope I haven't
Key:
D
A
F
G
Dm
D
A
F
This lesson is a follow-on from my first two lessons on modes,
specifically modes of the major scale.
The first part explained how each mode is derived from its parent major scale.
The second part looked at how each mode corresponds with a given chord type,
from which we could create modal chord progressions.
This lesson will further build on the intrinsic relationship between the seven modes
and how you can use this knowledge to play any mode right across the fretboard.
Just a warning though that this is not for beginners.
You need to have a basic grasp of what modes are
and how they correspond to the intervals of their parent scale,
in this case, the major scale.
_ First, it's crucial to understand how the root note of your chosen mode or scale
corresponds to the root note or key of the backing chord or chord progression.
_ Let's say the backing chord was D minor.
From the second lesson, we should know that we have three options
in regards to which mode we can play over this chord,
because there are three minor modes.
Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.
I'm going to choose Dorian for this example.
_ As the backing chord is D minor,
our minor mode also needs to be rooted on that same note of D. _
When starting out, it's easiest just to find this root note on the low E string
and build your mode's basic box pattern from there.
_ _ [D] _ [F] _
[G] We could therefore find our root note of D at the 10th fret. _
So we now have a position for playing D Dorian over a D minor backing chord.
Of _ course, we could have chosen Aeolian as our mode,
in which case, we'd simply build Aeolian's box pattern in that same D root note position.
_ If the chord was D major, we'd have chosen one of the major modes on that same root note position. _
To stay focused, let's just stick with that D minor Dorian example. _
As you progress as a guitarist and musician,
you'll naturally want to break out of these box patterns and use more of the fretboard.
To help visualize this, we can use our knowledge of the other relative mode patterns
to expand our Dorian pattern across the fretboard.
_ We know that Dorian is the second mode of the major scale,
and is therefore built on the second degree of the major scale.
_ Using our knowledge of the intervals of this parent major scale,
we should know, for example, where the third degree would lie in relation to this second degree note.
_ The third degree is one whole step higher than the second.
On the fretboard, we can visualize this as two frets up from our D note.
_ So our third degree note would be E.
Now, just as the second degree note corresponds with its second mode,
so too does the third degree note correspond with the third mode, Phrygian.
If we play Phrygian's box pattern from that third degree note,
we are essentially playing a related pattern of that D Dorian mode.
This is because the backing chord, as we established, is D minor.
And because we chose Dorian as our mode on that D root note,
all its related mode positions [Dm] get put into that context. _ _ _ _
So, continuing.
Fourth mode pattern Lydian would lie a half step up from the Phrygian pattern,
based on its position in the major scale.
As we're beyond the 12th fret, we could also visualize this pattern an octave lower.
_ Fifth mode pattern Mixolydian would lie a whole step from Lydian,
based on its fifth degree position. _
Sixth mode pattern Aeolian would lie on the relative sixth degree position, and so on.
_ _ As you can see, we now have a large pattern based on that original D Dorian position.
All these related mode patterns essentially become an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
_ Now, here's where people tend to get confused about the role these related mode patterns play.
_ We're still playing in the context of D minor and Dorian.
So when we talk about playing an E Phrygian pattern over a D minor chord,
it won't sound like [C#] Phrygian, it'll sound like Dorian.
This is because the root note of that D minor chord corresponds to D Dorian in its related position.
E Phrygian, therefore, simply becomes an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
_ Strictly speaking, it shouldn't be called Phrygian for that reason.
But associating a pattern to its mode name can help you visualize its relative position.
_ Many musicians prefer to simply number these patterns as relative positions of the mode you're playing.
Therefore, the Phrygian box pattern would more accurately be the second position of Dorian.
Lydian, the next mode, would be the third position of Dorian, and so on.
However, if it helps you to refer to each pattern by its mode name,
even when you're not playing in that particular mode, then by all means use it. _
The easiest way to understand this concept of related mode positions
is to play over a chord backing track, which I provide a link for in the description.
In a nutshell, if Dorian is our chosen mode over this D minor chord,
then all its related modes will sound like D Dorian.
_ E Phrygian over D minor will sound like Dorian.
F Lydian over D minor will also sound like Dorian.
And the same applies to G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, B Locrian and C Ionian over that D minor chord.
They'll all sound like Dorian.
_ Incidentally, because of this intrinsic relationship,
and because all these modes are essentially using the same D Dorian notes,
all its related mode root notes are the notes of D Dorian itself. _
If you took those related patterns from earlier
and simply played through the root notes in the context of D minor,
you would be playing D Dorian.
In fact, choose any string with these related patterns
and play along it over D minor, and you'll be playing D Dorian.
_ When all the related mode patterns of your chosen mode are strung together like this in sequence on the fretboard,
you essentially have a large pattern of your chosen mode.
So whatever mode you choose to play,
first find the root note that corresponds to the backing chord or bass note,
build its box pattern on that root note position,
and then you can visualize the sequence of mode patterns from that position,
remembering to keep the intervals of the parent scale intact from that position.
_ For more on the concept we've covered, and for backing tracks,
visit the link in the description.
[A] I do hope I haven't
specifically modes of the major scale.
The first part explained how each mode is derived from its parent major scale.
The second part looked at how each mode corresponds with a given chord type,
from which we could create modal chord progressions.
This lesson will further build on the intrinsic relationship between the seven modes
and how you can use this knowledge to play any mode right across the fretboard.
Just a warning though that this is not for beginners.
You need to have a basic grasp of what modes are
and how they correspond to the intervals of their parent scale,
in this case, the major scale.
_ First, it's crucial to understand how the root note of your chosen mode or scale
corresponds to the root note or key of the backing chord or chord progression.
_ Let's say the backing chord was D minor.
From the second lesson, we should know that we have three options
in regards to which mode we can play over this chord,
because there are three minor modes.
Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.
I'm going to choose Dorian for this example.
_ As the backing chord is D minor,
our minor mode also needs to be rooted on that same note of D. _
When starting out, it's easiest just to find this root note on the low E string
and build your mode's basic box pattern from there.
_ _ [D] _ [F] _
[G] We could therefore find our root note of D at the 10th fret. _
So we now have a position for playing D Dorian over a D minor backing chord.
Of _ course, we could have chosen Aeolian as our mode,
in which case, we'd simply build Aeolian's box pattern in that same D root note position.
_ If the chord was D major, we'd have chosen one of the major modes on that same root note position. _
To stay focused, let's just stick with that D minor Dorian example. _
As you progress as a guitarist and musician,
you'll naturally want to break out of these box patterns and use more of the fretboard.
To help visualize this, we can use our knowledge of the other relative mode patterns
to expand our Dorian pattern across the fretboard.
_ We know that Dorian is the second mode of the major scale,
and is therefore built on the second degree of the major scale.
_ Using our knowledge of the intervals of this parent major scale,
we should know, for example, where the third degree would lie in relation to this second degree note.
_ The third degree is one whole step higher than the second.
On the fretboard, we can visualize this as two frets up from our D note.
_ So our third degree note would be E.
Now, just as the second degree note corresponds with its second mode,
so too does the third degree note correspond with the third mode, Phrygian.
If we play Phrygian's box pattern from that third degree note,
we are essentially playing a related pattern of that D Dorian mode.
This is because the backing chord, as we established, is D minor.
And because we chose Dorian as our mode on that D root note,
all its related mode positions [Dm] get put into that context. _ _ _ _
So, continuing.
Fourth mode pattern Lydian would lie a half step up from the Phrygian pattern,
based on its position in the major scale.
As we're beyond the 12th fret, we could also visualize this pattern an octave lower.
_ Fifth mode pattern Mixolydian would lie a whole step from Lydian,
based on its fifth degree position. _
Sixth mode pattern Aeolian would lie on the relative sixth degree position, and so on.
_ _ As you can see, we now have a large pattern based on that original D Dorian position.
All these related mode patterns essentially become an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
_ Now, here's where people tend to get confused about the role these related mode patterns play.
_ We're still playing in the context of D minor and Dorian.
So when we talk about playing an E Phrygian pattern over a D minor chord,
it won't sound like [C#] Phrygian, it'll sound like Dorian.
This is because the root note of that D minor chord corresponds to D Dorian in its related position.
E Phrygian, therefore, simply becomes an extension of that D Dorian pattern.
_ Strictly speaking, it shouldn't be called Phrygian for that reason.
But associating a pattern to its mode name can help you visualize its relative position.
_ Many musicians prefer to simply number these patterns as relative positions of the mode you're playing.
Therefore, the Phrygian box pattern would more accurately be the second position of Dorian.
Lydian, the next mode, would be the third position of Dorian, and so on.
However, if it helps you to refer to each pattern by its mode name,
even when you're not playing in that particular mode, then by all means use it. _
The easiest way to understand this concept of related mode positions
is to play over a chord backing track, which I provide a link for in the description.
In a nutshell, if Dorian is our chosen mode over this D minor chord,
then all its related modes will sound like D Dorian.
_ E Phrygian over D minor will sound like Dorian.
F Lydian over D minor will also sound like Dorian.
And the same applies to G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, B Locrian and C Ionian over that D minor chord.
They'll all sound like Dorian.
_ Incidentally, because of this intrinsic relationship,
and because all these modes are essentially using the same D Dorian notes,
all its related mode root notes are the notes of D Dorian itself. _
If you took those related patterns from earlier
and simply played through the root notes in the context of D minor,
you would be playing D Dorian.
In fact, choose any string with these related patterns
and play along it over D minor, and you'll be playing D Dorian.
_ When all the related mode patterns of your chosen mode are strung together like this in sequence on the fretboard,
you essentially have a large pattern of your chosen mode.
So whatever mode you choose to play,
first find the root note that corresponds to the backing chord or bass note,
build its box pattern on that root note position,
and then you can visualize the sequence of mode patterns from that position,
remembering to keep the intervals of the parent scale intact from that position.
_ For more on the concept we've covered, and for backing tracks,
visit the link in the description.
[A] I do hope I haven't