Beth's Music: Links to Beth's CDs, Lyrics, Videos & News

A humorously serious look at life’s trials & tribulations,
American politics, religion, and other social madnesses by Beth Isbell.

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roxybeast
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Post by roxybeast » April 2nd, 2010, 8:05 pm

Big News! I received a letter from Berklee College of Music today & they have decided to admit me to attend their music college in Boston! WAY COOL ... no word on whether I was awarded any full or partial scholarship yet, but very nice to hear them say that they think I have the talent necessary to succeed at this! :),

This is one of the best music colleges in the world - maybe top 3 or 4 in the US ... so very excited :), ... I think they reject probably 95% or so of all applicants, so this is a nice opportunity ... do hope I get a scholarship too - definitely need to get financial aid lined up and a job (so if you live in or know folks in Boston who might could help with that, or places to live, then let me know ASAP) ... I applied for Fall 2010, but they've admitted me for Summer 2010 - so may need to get that straightened out or just go ahead & go early ... think Summer semester starts in late May or early June ... anyway, totally cool news! :),

Steve Plonk
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Post by Steve Plonk » April 3rd, 2010, 3:40 pm

Good for you! More power to you in the Boston, Mass. music college.
I hope you will continue to post here. I like your pieces & articles. :D

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Post by Arcadia » April 4th, 2010, 9:54 am

:D you are very talented!!! best wishes for you, Boston & college!!

Just curious: Berkeley as something to do with Berklee?? :)

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Post by roxybeast » April 11th, 2010, 8:13 pm

<center>Guitar Lesson:

A Simple Method to Incorporate Chord Tones into Your Blues Soloing & Rhythm Playing


"Breaking out of the box ... or boxes - pentatonic scales, minor & major."</center>

An excellent guitarist & teacher once told me that to get inside any song,
simply write down each chord & then each note of all the chords in the song ...
so write each chord in a vertical column & then all the notes of each chord
horizontally starting with A & moving to G ... for example:

If a song is a I IV V blues with a Quick 4 (IV) and 1 6 2 5 (I vi ii V) turnaround in G

G7 ..= B D F G (I chord)
C7..= Bb C E G (IV chord)
G7 ..= B D F G (I chord)
C7..= Bb C E G (IV chord)
G7 ..= B D F G (I chord)
D7 ..= A C D F# (V chord)
C7..= Bb C E G (IV chord)
G7 ..= B D F G (I chord)
Em7 = B D E G (iv chord)
Am7 = A C E G (ii chord)
D7 ..= A C D F# (V chord)


Now, look at each vertical column, ... notice, for example, that you could play a G note
over the entire progression, if you adjust & play an F# note over the D7 (V chord) ...

You could rock back & forth between the C note & D note - adjusting to match the chords
and probably create a very interesting rhythmic or thematic solo - since one or the other or both of those notes are in every chord in the progression.

You can obviously go beyond simply connecting all the notes in any vertical column,
you might mix & match notes from any of the columns as they fit the chord being played.

It's helpful as Jay points out in his column to memorize the relationships between chords and to know the underlying arpeggios available to you over those chords, but it's equally & can be even more helpful to chart out the chords/chord tones of the entire progression, then see what connections can be made & create interesting combinations of your own.

Vertical movement up and down a particular string or string sets is a very common, often used, and great sounding way to spice up both your blues rhythm & lead playing.

And best of all, this approach works on EVERY song EVERY time! :)

Peace,
Beth
Last edited by roxybeast on June 18th, 2010, 1:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by roxybeast » April 12th, 2010, 12:13 am

This is a cool site ... allows you to convert any youtube video to an mp3 file and download it to your computer ... no conversion program required, does all the conversion on-line, then just sends you the converted mp3 sound file ... great for learning songs!

http://www.video2mp3.net/


------------------------------------
Doreen Peri Cool! thanks.. i'm collecting links like this... here's another one for you... http://www.dirpy.com/

Steve Plonk
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Post by Steve Plonk » April 25th, 2010, 5:02 pm

Thanks for the tips about music downloads. Might come in handy in
the future. You really know your stuff!

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Post by roxybeast » June 13th, 2010, 3:23 pm

More Free Guitar Lesson Resources!

This is one of the most helpful blues lead guitar free lesson sites I've found on the web (also available as a free download on itunes) ... http://www.steviesnacks.com/

Here's a really really useful link to LOTS of free guitar lessons ... http://truefire.com/tftv/index.html ... complete lessons in lots of categories, mixed with short previews ... I actually find the books & DVDs at truefire.com to be some of the best lesson material that you can buy & lots of genres ... here's their main website:
http://truefire.com/index2.html

Here's a very helpful guitar site ... from which you can download lots of free guitar theory & tab books - just look at the right hand side of the page under Archives, find the book your looking for, and then click on it - it will then give you a download page from which you can download the book for free ... http://freeguitarbooks.blogspot.com/

Peace,
Beth

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Post by roxybeast » June 17th, 2010, 8:47 pm

<center>A Simple Way to Understand Modes for Guitar
©Beth Isbell 2010
</center>
I've had a real breakthrough in understanding & explaining modes! And I'm sharing! :)

I sincerely hope that this article makes it easier for you to understand this typically frustrating concept, and make it easier for you to apply to your guitar playing and actually know when & how to apply it when improvising or creating a solo. So, let's get started:


<center>How to Build Your Own Modal Scales Using Diatonic Chords</center>
Basic music theory says the diatonic chord progression built from notes of its parent major scale is I ii iii IV V (or V7) vi & the vii chord is diminished ... or, 1 Major, 2 minor, 3 minor, 4 Major, 5 Major, 6 minor, 7 diminished - all built in order on the notes of the major scale.

So play those chords in key of F major ... F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Edim.
These are the "diatonic" chords in the key of F major. The root, 3, and 5, of each diatonic chord will consist ONLY of notes from its major scale.

Now, just play the top 3 (big strings) of each chord - i.e. turn them all into power chords - F5, G5, A5, Bb5, C5, D5, and then an E dim chord only using top 3 big strings (0120XX or since this time our chord is rooted on the 12th fret of the big E string 12 13 14 12 X X). Ok, with me so far? Good.

Now we start with the fact that the major scale is played over the I chord, in this case F. That is ... F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, (F)

The major scale is the first mode - the Ionian Mode! Your first mode!

(Since I don't have the ability in this program to include diagrams of the fretboard or tab to give you scale patterns, here's a link really helpful site that will do just that ... in this case, for the Ionian mode: http://gosk.com/scales/major-scale-for-guitar.php ... I love the fact that they include a sweep pattern version for each modal scale!)

The second mode or Dorian Mode only uses notes from the F major scale - our main key for purposes of this article ... so the second note of the F major scale is G. If we create a scale starting with G (but only using notes from the major scale of F) and ending on G, we get the G Dorian scale, or second mode of the F major scale.

Here's a good simple way to look at it, and will make it easier to construct any modal scale on the fly by simply remembering what key the song is in (or the major scale on which the mode you're working in is constructed) & the diatonic chords based in that key (in this case, F major):

As to the Gm (or G5) chord, play the F (or F5) below it & the Am (or A5) chord above it - starting with the G root on the third fret of the Sixth string (or Big E string) play up to the octave of it - the G (5th Fret) on the fourth string (i.e., the D string) - in other words, LET'S BUILD A 7 NOTE SCALE FROM 6TH STRING ROOT TO 4TH STRING ROOT (i.e. * an 8 note scale if you include the root again at the top of your scale) - BUT ONLY USE THE NOTES AVAILABLE IN THE Gm CHORD OR THE ADJACENT DIATONIC CHORD BELOW IT (F) OR TWO ABOVE IT (Am & Bb) ... Walla, you've just built a scale from G to G, sounding in and utilizing the G Dorian Mode (the Second Mode of F Major)!

NOW, LET'S REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR EACH DIATONIC CHORD UP THE SCALE ... USING ONLY ONE OR TWO FRET MOVES (HALF OR WHOLE STEPS) ... AND YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THE NOTES THAT ARE AVAILABLE & EASIEST TO ACCESS FROM THE DIATONIC CHORD YOU'RE WORKING WITH AND THE TWO DIATONIC CHORDS LOCATED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE & BELOW THAT ROOT CHORD ... CREATING THE EASIEST PATH FROM 6TH STRING ROOT TO 4TH STRING ROOT ... AND, TO MAKE IT EVEN EASIER, SINCE WE'RE ON THE BIG THREE STRINGS, YOU ONLY NEED TO USE POWER CHORDS - Root 5 Root!*


(*Note - When you get to the final vii(dim) chord, the formula is R b5 R, so you'll have to make that one minor adjustment - hint: it's the 6th string root diminished chord form we discussed earlier in this article! Once you master this concept, you can then try to work out the same idea for the adjacent smaller sets of three strings each in order, this time using the full chord shapes for each diatonic chord - not just power chords like in this example which is just designed to get you started.)

What you'll notice is that you'll necessarily have to adjust the major scale normally associated with each root note you're working with to accommodate the notes in the diatonic chords above & below the one you're focusing on ... which "alters" their normal major scale to fit into the F major scale & corresponding diatonic chords from the F major scale. The combination of playing such a modal scale over a progression which is centered around the diatonic chord on which it is built is what gives each "mode" it's unique sound & flavor! :)

The result of working through this process are the creation of modes!


<center>A Closer Examination of Construction of Modal Scales</center>
While each mode is built on the notes of the exact same major scale and its diatonic chords, in this case F Major, because each mode has a different scale degree as its starting and ending point, often called their "tonal center," they each have their own unique flavor and sound. (Remember, we already covered the Ionian Mode of the F Major scale above).

2nd scale degree root - Dorian (G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G)
(notice this scale differs from G major by substituting a b3 & b7)
DORIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE: http://gosk.com/scales/dorian-scale-for-guitar.php

3rd scale degree root - Phrygian (A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A)
(notice this scale differs from A major by substituting a b2, b3, b6 & b7)
PHRYGIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE:
http://gosk.com/scales/phrygian-scale-for-guitar.php

4th scale degree root - Lydian (Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb)
(notice this scale differs from Bb major by substituting a #4)
LYDIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE:
http://gosk.com/scales/lydian-scale-for-guitar.php

5th scale degree root - Mixolydian (C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C)
(notice this scale differs from C major by substituting a b7)
MIXOLYDIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE:
http://gosk.com/scales/mixolydian-scale-for-guitar.php

6th scale degree root - Aeolian (D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D)
(notice this scale differs from D major by substituting a b3, b6 & b7)
AEOLIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE:
http://gosk.com/scales/natural-minor-sc ... guitar.php

7th scale degree root - Locrian (E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E)
(notice this scale differs from E major by substituting a b2, b3, b5, b6 & b7)
LOCRIAN SCALE PATTERNS TO PRACTICE:
http://gosk.com/scales/locrian-scale-for-guitar.php

(Note - Each mode is named based on the first note of the mode scale, so even though all these modes in this example are in the Key of F Major, the modes would be named F Ionian (or the F Major scale), G Dorian, A Phrygian, Bb Lydian, C Mixolydian, D Aeolian, and E Locrian. .... This method of naming the modes is really important to remember!)

Modes are simply an alteration of the major scale of the root note to accommodate diatonic chords from the key of the song that you're playing over (or choosing to work with for a particular segment of the song). More simply, all the modal scales must include all the notes of the major scale on which the mode is constructed - and ONLY THOSE NOTES! In this case or key that we're using for study purposes in this article, the major scale on which our modes are based & must always accommodate is F.


<center>Using Modes to Specifically Outline Single Chords</center>
Any of the modes can be played over their corresponding chord in the diatonic progression for the key for the song you're playing, or it's common extensions. And the modes are often used this way to outline an individual chord when soloing. For Example:

Mode -- Triad 7th 9th 11th 13th (i.e. the available extensions)
Ionian -- Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj11 Maj13
Dorian -- min m7 m9 m11 m13
Phrygian -- min m7 m7b9 m11b9 m11b9b13
Lydian -- Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj7#11 Maj13#11
Mixolydian -- Maj 7 9 11 13
Aeolian -- min m7 m9 m11 m11b13
Locrian -- dim m7b5 m7b5b9 min11b5b9 min11b5b9b13

Notice from the chart that when you are playing over a Major, Maj7, Maj9 chord - you have two primary modal choices that fit - Ionian & Lydian. If the 4 (or 11) of the chord is raised, Lydian may work better, but in most cases, your primary choice should be the Ionian mode, i.e., the parent major scale. And on the minor side, for a minor m7 m9 m11 chords you also have two primary modes to choose from - Dorian or Aeolian. So if the chord is Major & particularly if its extension contains a major 7 note (as opposed to a b7 note)*, you should consider playing either the Ionian or Lydian mode over it. If the chord is minor (& the chord or progression does not contain a b9 or b2)**, you should consider playing either the Dorian or Aeolian mode over it.

*Mixolydian mode is an often used variation of a major sounding mode used primarily to emphasize Dominant 7 (Dom 7 or b7) chords.

**Phrygian is a minor sounding mode used to emphasize a b9 (or b2) note in a minor chord, or a 1/2 step move from the i or I chord to a II chord.

Locrian is the diminished mode used to emphasize a diminished chord, i.e. chords where the 5 is flatted (b5). You see this most often in jazz.

The modes are often used in this chord specific way to outline an "outside" chord that does not fit the diatonic chords of the key of the song or the key on which the mode primarily being used over the song or progression is based. In this event, we would pick a mode based on the root of the "outside" chord. For example, since we're in F Major, if an A Major chord is inserted (instead of the diatonic A minor), it has a Major 3rd, instead of the expected minor 3rd, so we might use a major mode rooted on the A to outline the unique flavor of that "outside" chord - perhaps A Ionian (i.e. A major) or A Lydian (constructed in E major), or even A Mixolydian (constructed in D Major) if the progression lends itself to the sound of a Dominant, since all 3 of those major modes contain a C# (the major 3rd of our A chord). Choosing one of the three major modes of the root to play over any Major chord would nicely emphasize the Major 3rd of that chord.

Similarly, where the "outside" chord is a minor chord, we might want to consider the natural minor mode constructed from the relative Major of the root of the minor chord; for example, if the "outside" chord was a Dm, we might look at D Aeolian mode constructed in the key F Major. Or perhaps D Dorian mode, since D is the 2nd degree of the C major scale, and Dorian is also a minor sounding mode. Or even D Phrygian, the other minor sounding mode (constructed in A Major), if we were looking for a more exotic flavor emphasizing the b2 (or b9) or D# note which occurs in that particular mode. Notice that all three of these minor mode scales - D Aeolian, D Dorian, and D Phrygian - all have the minor 3rd or b3 of our Dm chord (F) in them, even though they are all constructed from and relate to completely different major scales.

When the modes are used in this chord specific way, we generally should strive to pick a mode which picks up any chord tones "outside" the main key of the song, but yet maintains the overall mood of the song or progression, unless we are purposefully trying to create tension to be resolved later in the progression.

Summary: Remember, some modes are major and some modes are minor. The Dorian, Phrygian & Aeolian modes are minor sounding modes. The Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian modes are Major sounding modes. (The Locrian mode obviously sounds diminished!). So if you're trying to decide which mode fits the chord, or even the entire song or progression, you're playing over, if it's a minor chord, or even an entire song in a minor key, then it's mostly likely going to be one of the three minor modes - Dorian, Phrygian or Aeolian. If it's a Major chord, or a Major key song, then most likely it's going to be one of the three Major modes - Ionian, Lydian, or Mixolydian. That certainly helps narrow down your choices on which mode to use! And chances are once you get it down to just the three minor modes or the three major modes, as a practical matter only one or two of the remaining three choices is going to best work over the song progression anyway! :)

(Note - there are some excellent charts demonstrating this major & minor mode grouping concept at this website: http://www.guitarscalemastery.com/artic ... arn-first/ )

Finally, the unique sound of each mode is created by the interaction of its parent major scale (i.e. the major scale from which it is constructed) against the chord or chords that it is being played over! It does not matter where you start or stop the scale. In other words, you do not need to start & stop on the root note of the mode. You can even skip notes or play licks using only some of the notes of the modal scale. All that matters is the application of the modal scale over its parent diatonic chord or a progression or song which sounds as if it revolves around that diatonic chord. For example, if we play G Dorian mode of the F Major scale over a Gm chord, you can start on any note of the scale over that Gm chord and resolve to any note of the scale & still get Dorian. However, if you play G Dorian mode of the F Major scale over an F chord, and you play from G to G trying to make it Dorian, it will instead produce an Ionian sound and be in Ionian mode. Simply playing from the second degree of F Major (G) to its octave will not produce Dorian mode unless you’re doing so over a Gm chord or a progression which emphasizes the sound of and/or resolves to the Gm chord; if you play it over an F chord, you get Ionian. It’s not where you start or stop that produces a mode, but the interaction of scale against chord.

But let's talk about the much more confusing and complicated scenario of when to use a mode over a longer progression or sequence of chords, or even over an entire song.


<center>Practical Tips on How & When to Apply Each Mode to an Entire Song or Progression</center>
The first and best clue will be the key of the song. The key of the song will control the major scale on which the available modes are built. If the song is in a minor key, then the relative major of that key will control the available modes. But remember, a chord progression can be in a particular key, but still never go to 1 chord for that key; for example, we could build a song using diatonic chords from the key of F Major, but not have an F chord in the progression at all. So in determining which mode to use we listen for the “tonal center” or home base of the progression – what one bass note sounds to your ear like it could fit over every chord in the progression or act as the root for the entire progression even if it’s not the root note for the key?

Here are some chord progressions that fit under each modal scale. Play through each progression and take time to apply each modal scale over the progression while you're doing so. You may also wish to record each progression or have a friend play the progression, while you focus on applying its related modal scale to it. But I suggest that you also spend time playing the modal scale and progression together, so that you can clearly see how the notes of the modal scale fit into & over the diatonic chords of each progression. (The chords in parenthesis transfer these progressions to our study key of F Major and its resulting modes).

Ionian (normal Major scale - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7)
I - IV - vi - V - I ... (F, Bb, Dm, C, F)
I - ii - IV - V - I ... (F, Gm, Bb, C, F)
I - V - vi - IV - I ... (F, C, Dm, Bb, F)
I - iii - vi - V - I ... (F, Am, Dm, C, F)

Dorian (b3 and b7) - 2nd scale degree root (in F Major, that's G)
i - IV - i - bVII - i ... (Gm, C, Gm, F, Gm)
i - bVII - i - bVII - i ... (Gm, F, Gm, F, Gm)
i - IV - ii - v - bVII - i ... (Gm, C, Am, Dm, F, Gm)
i - bIII - IV - i - bVII - i ... (Gm, Bb, C, Gm, F, Gm)

Note that I’m referring to the 1 chord of these Dorian mode sample progressions as Gm (i) …
but what is actually happening is that the Gm is the ii chord of F, and so our first Dorian progression could also be written out & understood as:
ii – V – ii - I- ii (Gm, C, Gm, F, Gm)

Notice that the actual chords of the progression did not change, just the numbering system. I’ve done this for a reason. Most of us learn songs based on how the chords relate to the first chord of the progression. If a songwriter or bandleader hands us a chord chart, they’ll usually just write out something like Gm, C, F with lyrics underneath. We’ve all seen those charts and any kind of basic chord/lyric tab you find on the internet is probably a form of this kind of simple chart. Most of us never see the full transcription of the song with key notation, staff lines & notation. So we may never realize that the progression starting on a particular chord is actually not constructed in the key of that first particular chord, but actually written in another key altogether. So to properly identify which modal scale to play, it’s also important to be able to recognize the relationships between diatonic chords from the perspective of the root chord of the mode. (In the advanced theory section of each mode discussion below, I’ve charted out the chords in each mode from the perspective of the key on which the mode is constructed, so I recommend once you’ve read that section, as an exercise come back and adjust the numbering of each progression used in this sample progression section to coincide with the chord numbering for the key on which the mode is actually constructed. But for now, for purposes of working through and learning sample modal progressions, let’s just number the 1 chord based on the mode’s root).

Phrygian (b2, b3, b6, b7) - 3rd scale degree root (in F Major, that's A)
i - bII - bIII - i ... (Am, Bb, C, Am)
i - V7 - i - bII - i ... (Am, E7, Am, Bb, Am)
i - iv - i - bII - i ... (Am, Dm, Am, Bb, Am)
i - bIII - bvii - i ... (Am, C, Gm, Am)
I - bII - I - bII ... (A, Bb, A, Bb) (Major substitution for the I chord)

Lydian (#4) - 4th scale degree root (in F Major, that's Bb)
I - II - I - II (whole step up then back - repeats) ... (Bb, C, Bb, C)
I - II - I - II - #iv - V - #iv - V - I ... (Bb, C, Bb, C, Em, F, Em, F, Bb)
I - vi - II - V - I ... (Bb, Gm, C, F, Bb)
I - V - I - II - I ... (Bb, F, Bb, C, Bb)
I - II - vii - I ... (Bb, C, Am, Bb)
I - II - V - I ... (Bb, C, F, Bb)
I - II - IV - V - I ... (Bb, C, Eb, F, Bb) (Major substitution 1/2 step down for IV chord)

Mixolydian (b7) - 5th scale degree root (in F Major, that's C)
I - bVII - I - bVII - I ... (C, Bb, C, Bb, C)
I - vi - IV - V - bVII - I ... (C, Am, F, G, Bb, C)
I - IV - I - bVII - I ... (C, F, C, Bb, C)
I - ii - IV - bVII - I ... (C, Dm, F, Bb, C)
(note - a Dom7 chord form I7 will often be used for the I Major)

Aeolian (natural minor scale - b3, b6, b7) - 6th scale degree root (in F Major, that's D)
i - bVI - bVII - i ... (Dm, C, Bb, Dm)
i - iv - v - i ... (Dm, Gm, Am, Dm)
i - iv - V7 - i ... (Dm, Gm, C7, Dm)
i - bIII - i - bVII - i ... (Dm, F, Dm, F, Dm)

Locrian (b2, b3, b5, b6, b7) - 7th scale degree root (in F Major, that's E)
i° - bvii - i° - bvii - i° ... (E°, Dm, E°, Dm, E°)
i° - bV - i° - bV - i° ... (E°, Bb, E°, Bb, E°)
i° - biii - i° - bII - i° ... (E°, Gm, E°, F, E°)
i° - biii - bvii - i° ... (E°, Gm, Dm, E°)

Notes:
Capital letter represents a Major chord
Small letter represents a minor chord
A Circle following a letter means diminished

Also, even though I've written these progressions to start and end on the 1 chord, you can simply skip the last 1 chord & cycle back to the beginning of each progression to keep them going for more practice.


Notice that the major modes – Ionian, Lydian & Mixolydian - all use a Major chord for the 1 chord, while all the minor modes – Dorian, Phrygian & Aeolian – all use a minor chord for the 1 chord. And that Locrian uses a Diminished chord for the 1 chord. Thus, the type of 1 chord the progression is based on is a big clue in determining which modes will work (but keep in mind that sometimes progressions will not start on the 1 chord). If you have a progression using a Major chord form for the 1 chord – pick a major mode to solo over the entire progression & adjust it as necessary to accommodate any “outside” chord tones! If you have a minor progression using a minor chord form for the 1 chord – pick a minor mode mode to solo over the entire progression & adjust it as necessary to accommodate any “outside” chord tones!

Once you've narrowed down your choice to the group of major or minor modes, here are some additional ideas & concepts that will help you determine which particular major or minor mode might work best against the song or progression that you're playing over:

<center>Ionian</center>
Ionian mode is the same as the Major scale, which we covered at the outset of this article. In the key of F Major, the “tonal center” or the bass note that would seem to fit against our entire progression would be F. When this happens, we get Ionian mode.

Here are some examples of songs which sound in Ionian mode for either the entire song or significant sections of the song: “American Pie” by Don McClean, “Angel Eyes” by Jeff Healy, “Authority Song” by John Mellencamp, “Beast of Burden” by the Rolling Stones, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “Bubble Toes” by Jack Johnson, “Call Me Al” by Paul Simon, “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson, “Closer to Fine” by the Indigo Girls, “Down on the Corner” by CCR, “Drift Away” by Dobie Gillis or Uncle Kracker, “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, “Family Tradition” by Hank Williams Jr., “Fool in the Rain” by Led Zeppelin, “Free Falling” by Tom Petty, “Friend of the Devil” by The Grateful Dead, “Glycerine” by Bush, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day, “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys, “Hey Good Lookin” by Hank Williams, “Hey Jude” by the Beatles, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar, “Island in the Sun” by Weezer, “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp, “La Bamba” by Richie Valens or Los Lobos, “Last Kiss” by Pearl Jam, “Let It Be” by the Beatles, “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, “Mama I’m Coming Home” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffet, “Never Let You Go” by Third Eye Blind, “Red Red Wine” by UB40, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, “Satellite” by Dave Matthews Band, “Sister Golden Hair” by America, “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynard Skynard, “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band, “Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters, “Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, “We Just Disagree” by Billy Dean, “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton, most of “Your Body Is A Wonderland” by John Mayer, … and countless other songs.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the first degree - or F Ionian scale ... our chord progression viewing it as relating to F major would be I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°. So a F Ionian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: F, Gm, Am, Bb, C7 or C, Dm, Edim (or Em), F ... So if you're in a song where F is the I chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: I Major, ii minor, iii minor, IV Major, V7 Dom 7 (or Major), vi minor, vii diminished (or substituted minor) -- think F Ionian! ... The most reliable indicators of Ionian mode are the Major I, IV & V chords, particularly if the V is a Dominant 7 or V7 chord, and/or ALL, or at least the vast majority, of the chords are diatonic chords built on the major scale of the I chord.

<center>Dorian</center>
By playing against our sample progressions, certain ideas immediately pop out ... if you hear a i to IV change, the Dorian mode, or the second mode, fits - you can take a natural minor scale based on the i and simply raise the sixth degree of the scale (i.e., play a major 6th instead of the typical minor 6th or b6 normally found in the natural minor scale). The reason this works is that you're adjusting the scale to accommodate the major third necessary to create the IV chord. Dorian mode also works well over songs that have a i to bVII change - because the minor i chord is treated as the ii chord of the modal key and the bVII chord is treated as the I chord of the modal key. The appearance of a minor v chord, particularly against a Major IV chord, can also be characteristic of this mode. And the minor vi half step up to Major bVII distinguishes it from Aeolian. Dorian mode is frequently used in folk, rock, blues & jazz music.

To hear & recognize the sound of the Dorian mode, listen for example to “Oye Como Va” by Santana, "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers, “Horse With No Name” by America, the traditional folk classic "Scarborough Fair", “Another Brick in the Wall – part II” by Pink Floyd, “Badge” by Cream, “Evil Ways” by Santana, “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band, “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult, “Brick House” by the Commodores, “Golgi Apparatus” by Phish, “Le Freak” by Chic, “Riders on the Storm” by the Doors, “Walking on the Sun” by Smash Mouth, “Who Will Save Your Soul” by Jewel, "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles, or even to the verse section in “Moondance” by Van Morrison, or the solo section to “Light My Fire” by the Doors, or the solo section of “Your Body Is A Wonderland” by John Mayer).

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the second degree - or G Dorian scale ... our chord progression viewing it as relating to F major would be ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°, and I (and in chord progressions and songs constructed in all modes except Ionian or Locrian, the diatonic diminished chord is almost always skipped or another chord is substituted in it's place in the progression*). So a G Dorian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm (or D)**, (Em), F ... So if you're in a song where Gm is the i chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: i minor, ii minor, bIII Major, IV Major, v minor (or sometimes V or V7 Major)**, vi minor* (or viDim)*, bVII Major -- think G Dorian! ... The most reliable indicators of Dorian mode are the Major IV and Major bVII chords in a minor i song or progression.

(*Note - since a diminished chord is built on a minor 3rd (or b3) and a b5, often you will often find a chord substituted at the spot in the diatonic modal progression where the diminished chord would otherwise appear - this could be a minor (since the diminished features a minor 3rd), or sometimes Major, built on the diminished root, or sometimes even a Major built 1/2 step below the diminished root - as frequently occurs where a bVII Major chord is substituted for the vii(Dim) chord in an Ionian Mode progression. **It is common even in songs built on minor keys or modes for a Major V or V7 to be substituted, although a minor v is reliable indicator that the song or progression is in a minor mode. Please also note that the chords that I've included in parenthesis simply refer to common substitutions that occur in progressions otherwise written in this mode, but that these substituted chords don't purely fit the diatonic chords or notes of the major scale on which the mode is constructed. They are included because it's helpful to recognize these common substitutions and not let their presence fool you into thinking that the song is not otherwise constructed in this mode. ... Of course, it's important to keep in mind that any time a chord is substituted for any one of the pure diatonic chords of the Major key on which the mode being employed is actually constructed, you can and might actually need to adjust your primary chosen modal scale, or even find and use a different modal scale, to pick up and include those chord tones/notes of the substituted chord which are not in the diatonic major scale on which the primary diatonic modal progression is constructed. If you find this idea confusing, there's a specific example further clarifying this adjustment process & how to apply it at the very end of this article).

<center>Phrygian</center>
The Phrygian Mode, or the third mode, is uniquely characterized by it's Spanish sound and flavor, and is thus sometimes also called the Spanish Gypsy scale. It is used most often against a half-step chord change from the minor i chord to the bII chord, or a substituted Major I chord to a bII chord. It resides in and exists because of the half-step between the 3rd & 4th degrees of the major scale. An example would be playing an E Phrygian scale constructed starting on the third scale degree of the C Major scale (or you could also look at it as an A natural minor scale) over an E to F chord change, which is a very familiar use and a sound we're all very familiar with. (So a shorthand way to find & play Phrygian mode for any note or chord that you're on is to simply find the 4th of the note or chord you're on & play a natural minor scale, but emphasize the Phrygian note - for example, for E Phrygian, play A natural minor - but emphasizing the root E ... for D Phrygian, play G natural minor - but emphasizing the mode root D, and so on. Just be careful when substituting the 4th's related natural minor scale in this way to emphasize the proper root note necessary to make the mode Phrygian). ... In the key we're using in this study - F Major, Phrygian mode could be identified and used over an Am to Bb (or A to Bb) chord change, to-wit: an A Phrygian mode scale.

For a good example of the unique sound of the Phrygian mode, listen to any of these jazz tunes: "Ole" by John Coltrane, "Sketches of Spain" by Miles Davis, or "Bemsha Swing," by Thelonious Monk.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the third degree - or A Phrygian scale ... our chord progression viewing it as relating to F major would be iii (or sometimes III), IV, V, vi, vii°, I, ii (and in chord progressions and songs constructed in all modes except Ionian or Locrian, the diatonic diminished chord is almost always skipped or another chord is substituted in it's place in the progression). So an A Phrygian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: Am (or A), Bb, C, Dm, (Em or E), F, Gm (or G) ... So if you're in a song where Am is the i chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: i minor (or sometimes I Major), 1/2 step up to bII Major, bIII Major, iv minor, v minor (or vDim, or sometimes a V or V7 Major is substituted), bVI Major, bvii minor (or bVII Major, which is a common substitution) -- think A Phrygian! ... Also, in Phrygian mode, you could even see substitute Major chords for every chord in the progression, even the 4 chord - IV, although even where such Major substitution is done in Phrygian, the iv chord is usually always kept minor. ... Remember, the most reliable indicator of the Phrygian mode will be the presence of a 1/2 step move from the i, or I, up to a bII.

<center>Lydian</center>
The Lydian Mode, or fourth mode, is uniquely characterized by it's #4 (or augmented 4th). The Lydian mode is often used where the I chord moves to II chord - and both are major. Particularly where the progression moves from the I chord to the II chord and repeats or cycles. (In fact, the presence of a II Major chord and/or movement from the I Major to II Major in the progression will often be the most identifying characteristic of the Lydian mode and distinguishes it from the Ionian mode or Major scale). The Lydian mode is also helpful where there is a 1/2 step change from a major I down to a minor vii chord (i.e. minor chord built on 7th degree of the underlying tonal/modal major scale). In this way, since we are talking about a half-step (one fret) chord change, it is similar to the Phrygian mode and other than the root being a half-step different, the fingerings are fairly identical. If we are in Bb Lydian, these chords would be Bb (I), C (II) and Am (vii). Additionally, a I - II - V (in Bb Lydian, that would be Bb, C, F) progression might also nicely support use of the Lydian mode well. Lydian mode progressions will tend to sound unresolved because of the #4 in the scale, and thus it is helpful to anchor the sound of the mode by using the root note of the mode as a drone/pedal tone or bass note for the other chords in your progression. For example, if we’re in Bb Lydian (constructed from F major) and the progression is moving from Bb to C and repeating or “cycling,” play the C chord as a Bb/C chord by adding a Bb as a bass note to the C chord to help anchor it to the root note of the mode. Because of the tendency for your ear to want to resolve to another chord when playing in Lydian, it is usually played against a drone/pedal tone and/or only for sections of a song.

For examples of the unique sound of the Lydian mode in the rock context listen to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which features a C Major scale against the F to G cycling progression producing F Lydian mode. Or you can also listen to, “Hey Jealousy” by the Gin Blossoms, "Flying in a Blue Dream" by Joe Satriani, "Hog Heaven" by Frank Zappa, “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction, “Just Remember I Love You” by Firefall, the intro & verses of “Here Comes My Girl” by Tom Petty, or the intro & verses of “Freewill” by Rush. Some very recognizable Lydian melodies are the very first few notes of the theme songs from The Simpson’s or The Jetsons cartoon shows, or the song “Maria” from West Side Story. Even "Oceans" by Pearl Jam may be yet another cool example featuring Lydian mode.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the fourth degree - or Bb Lydian scale ... our chord progression viewing it as relating to F major would be IV, V, vi, vii°, I, ii, iii (and in chord progressions and songs constructed in all modes except Ionian or Locrian, the diatonic diminished chord is almost always skipped or another chord is substituted in it's place in the progression). So a Bb Lydian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: Bb, C, Dm, (Eb or Em), F, Gm, Am ... So if you're in a song where Bb is the I chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: I Major (or Augmented), II Major, iii minor, minor #iv (or #ivDim, both built on the root 1/2 step below the root of the V chord, or a substituted Major IV 1/2 step above the iii - which is more commonly used in this mode), V Major, vi minor, vii minor -- think Bb Lydian! ... The most reliable indicators of Lydian mode will be Major I and a Major II chord, and almost always, the presence of a minor vii chord 1/2 step below the Major I chord.

(Note - there is also a fairly common & oft-used variation of the Lydian mode which involves not only #4 but also substituting a b7 for the 7 of the scale. Which is used as necessary to accommodate chords requiring this b7 note change, like, for example, where a Major bVII chord is substituted for the minor vii chord.. This common variation is called the Lydian b7 scale: http://gosk.com/scales/lydianb7-scale-for-guitar.php )

<center>Mixolydian</center>
The Mixolydian Mode, or the fifth mode, will work over any Dominant 7th chord, since you're merely flattening the 7th degree of the major scale associated with that chord to accommodate the b7 necessary to the Dom7 chord. Further, mixolydian is often used where the progression moves from a major chord to the major chord a whole step (two frets below it) ... for example, where the progression moves from I to bVII to I to bVII and cycles back & forth - you get the idea. It's also used in folk or country progressions (or rock or blues) where the progression immediately moves from the I chord to the V chord particularly where there is also a IV chord in the progression - this is due to the mode being built on the major key of the V chord and there being a whole-step move down to the IV chord, characteristic of the I to bVII movement of this mode.

For a good example of the unique sound of the mixolydian mode, listen to The Grateful Dead's "Fire on the Mountain" which moves from B to A to B to A -or- I bVII I bVII and is played in E Mixolydian – which you might also view as a V to IV progression in E Major. Other Mixolydian examples include a traditional folk tune "Old Joe Clark," “No Rain” by Blind Melon, “I’m So Glad” by Cream, the jazz standard “On Broadway” by George Benson, the main riff from “Third Stone From The Sun” by Jimi Hendrix, “1999” by Prince, “Cinnamon Girl” by Neil Young, “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour, “Franklin’s Tower” by the Grateful Dead, “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers Band, “Lowrider” by War, “Free” by Phish, “Get Down Tonight” by KC & the Sunshine Band, “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsman, “Possum Kingdom” by the Toadies, “What I Got” and “Wrong Way” by Sublime, “What I Like About You” by the Romantics, "Dear Prudence" by the Beatles, the intro & verse sections of "Norwegian Wood" by the Beatles, or even the verse section of “Tequila” by The Champs.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the fifth degree - or C Mixolydian scale ... our chord progression viewing it as relating to F major would be V, vi, vii°, I, ii, iii, IV (and in chord progressions and songs constructed in all modes except Ionian or Locrian, the diatonic diminished chord is almost always skipped or another chord is substituted in it's place in the progression). So a C Mixolydian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: C, Dm, (Em or E), F, Gm (or G substitution - more likely), Am, Bb, ... So if you're in a song where C is the I chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: I Major, ii minor, iii minor (or iiiDim, or even a III Major), IV Major, v minor or V Major (a Major V is almost always substituted in Mixolydian mode!), vi minor, bVII Major -- think C Mixolydian! ... The most reliable indicator of Mixolydian mode will be the presence of the Major bVII chord a whole-step below the Major I chord, coupled with the presence of a Major IV chord.

<center>Aeolian</center>
The Aeolian Mode, or sixth mode, is the exact same thing as the natural minor scale! For any major scale, find it's sixth degree, and build a natural minor scale over it (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7) & you get the Aeolian mode. Any song which features a i iv v, like a minor blues or rock progression using the i iv v, can be played in the Aeolian mode. You might also see a V7, or a bIII, bVI, or bVII chord in songs in this mode. Certainly, any song which moves from the minor i to minor iv is most likely in Aeolian mode & will sound good against the natural minor scale.

For a good example of songs featuring the Aeolian Mode, listen to the guitar solo in Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” or "Achilles Last Stand," or any variety of minor blues or rock songs using all minor chords for the i iv & v - note sometimes a Major V or V7 is substituted for songs in this mode, but the minor i to minor iv change will give it away. You can also listen to these classic songs: “All Along the Watchtower” by Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix, “Black Magic Woman” by Fleetwood Mac or Santana, “Maria, Maria” by Santana, “Building A Mystery” by Sara McLachlan, “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac, “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, “Mr. Jones” by the Counting Crows, “Two Step” by the Dave Matthews Band, “Thank You” by Dido, the main riff to “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica, “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath, “Buddy Holly” and “Hash Pipe” by Weezer, “Last Resort” by Papa Roach, “First Tube” by Phish, “ATWA” by System of a Down, “Schism” by Tool, “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits, “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics or Marilyn Manson, and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit, which uses power chords derived from the Aeolian mode.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the sixth degree - or D Aeolian scale ... our chord progression would be vi, vii°, I, ii, iii, IV, V (and in chord progressions and songs constructed in all modes except Ionian or Locrian, the diatonic diminished chord is almost always skipped or another chord is substituted in it's place in the progression, although in blues songs in this mode you will sometimes see a ii° chord). So D Aeolian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: Dm, (Em or E), F, Gm, Am (or A), Bb, C, ... So if you're in a song where Dm is the i chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: i minor, ii minor (or iiDim, or even a II Major), bIII Major, iv minor, v minor (sometimes the V Major or V7 Dominant is substituted), bVI Major, bVII Major -- think D Aeolian! ...The most reliable indicators of Aeolian mode will be the presence of both a Major bVI and Major bVII below the minor i chord, & a particularly tell-tale identifying giveaway will be the presence of a minor iv chord.

<center>Locrian</center>
Finally, the Locrian Mode, or seventh mode, will be immediately identified by the presence of a diminished chord at the root or heart of the progression. This mode is based on the root of the diminished chord. Consequently, it has a very exotic sound. Some might describe it as a Japanese or even Hindu type flavor. This mode is not generally used for song construction, but there are rare examples. You will most likely encounter it for a short passage or progression, or more often when it is used to emphasize a diminished chord.

Frankly, there just aren't many songs in Western music written entirely in the Locrian mode, but if you're a masochist, you could listen to the march from Three Fantastic Dances by Dmitri Shostakovich, which is one of the rare examples of a whole piece written in mainly Locrian mode. You will hear this mode used over diminished chords & diminished jazz progressions.

Advanced Theory: In the key of F major starting on the seventh degree - or E Locrian scale ... our chord progression would be vii°, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi. So E Locrian chordal progression (remember we're in the key of F) would feature the following chords: E(dim), F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, ... So if you're in a song where E(dim) is the i° chord, and you see/hear these other chords in this relationship to each other: i(dim), 1/2 step up to bII Major, biii minor, iv minor, bV Major, bVI Major, bvii minor -- think E Locrian! ... The most reliable indicator of Locrian mode will be a diminished i chord and/or the very noticeable diminished sound of the song or progression.

<center>--------------------------------------------------------</center>
(Advanced Diminished Theory Note -- there is one more 7th degree root mode mode which is commonly used in jazz - the "Super-Locrian Mode." A Locrian scale has everything flattened but the root 1 & the 4th. The formula is 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7. However, the Super Locrian mode scale, goes one more, and also flattens the 4th: 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7. The Super Locrian is also called the jazz scale, or altered scale, or diminished whole tone scale. Super Locrian is the "offical" name of the 7th mode of the melodic minor scale. It is called the altered scale because it contains the most important jazz alterations (b5, #5, b9, #9) used with altered dominant chords. Since it has all those alterations, it is frequently used over altered dominants, hence it's shortened name - the Altered scale. A quick look at the way it lines up will give you an idea of why it is also referred to as the diminished whole tone scale.

As my friend bassist Kelly Tomlinson, who majored in music theory, describes: In standard four-part harmony, the vii7 chord is half diminished if it stays in the key, and it usually does, unless it's being used as a pivot chord to change keys. Then it's a fully diminished chord that utilizes the flat submediant (i.e. a b4). That diminished chord utilizing a flat submediant (b4) built on the major 7th degree of the original key/scale can then become the leading tone into a substitute V7 of the new key built on the major 2nd degree of the original key/scale - i.e., the 5th degree of the new key/scale - and resolve nicely to change keys in the middle of the song down a minor third, or up a minor third if the process is reversed moving from the V7 chord of the original key/scale to a diminished chord built on the 2nd degree of the original key/scale to the I or i of the new key/scale. This process of using the diminished chord to change keys up or down a minor third works over both Major or minor keys. Consequently, when soloing over diminished chords of all varieties, rather than concentrate on the Locrian modal scale, which has a tritone as its own tonic and dominant rendering it atonal, it's just best to know where to end up next! All the theory in the world won't save that trainwreck!)



<center>Final Thought: Practical Tips on When & How to Combine Modes</center>

In deciding which mode to use, you should always start with the scale or mode which best fits and includes all of, or at least the most, notes from the chords in the song or progression and which best suits the mood of the song or the mood you're trying to create. You might first start by remembering that one of the three Major modes – Ionian, Lydian & Mixolydian – will likely work better as a choice to play over an entire Major key progression or song, whereas one of the three minor modes – Aeolian, Dorian & Phrygian – will likely work better as a choice to play over an entire minor key progression or song. The reality, however, is that unless you're dealing with a fairly simple chord progression or one which exclusively uses diatonic chords all built only from the notes of one underlying key, then you are going to have to make adjustments as necessary to pick up chord tones which are "outside" the notes/tones of the modal scale you initially choose. You might simply adjust your modal scale to pick up any outside notes over the outside chord when it appears in your progression or by choosing to play a different mode, or arpeggio, which better fits the outside chord when it comes up. And remember that you can always bend up to chord tones, or use chromatic notes to walk or slide up or down into any chord or scale tones, to make things even more interesting. There are many times, like in using both minor and major scales together over a blues progression, where you may want to combine modal scales to create your own unique sound.* This article is designed merely to give you a good idea how & where to start.

<center>--------------------------------------------------------</center>
(* Advanced Theory Note on Combining Modes -- Let's take a typical Dorian progression with a minor i chord and a Major IV chord, like Gm to C. While using a G Dorian modal scale will work over both modes, sometimes it's even more pleasing to use the G Aeolian mode over the Gm half of the progression emphasizing the b6 of the G natural minor scale, but switching to G Dorian mode (i.e. raising the 6th) over the C (IV) chord to emphasize the Major 3rd of the C chord. If the progression moves to a Dm for the v chord, G Dorian will continue to work, but so would G Aeolian, since both of those modes also contain all of the notes of Dm (D F A) in their scale. Another way to look at it is that diatonic chords of G Dorian and G Aeolian modes contain a minor v chord (Dm). ... If instead, the V chord is D Major, neither the diatonic G Dorian or G Aeolian modes fit since D contains an F# in it's construction [D F# A]. Well, we could just use an D Ionian modal scale - D Major scale - over the D chord, but that takes our minor sounding progression and temporarily makes it sound Major and, in this case, not in a good way! So instead we might try to find a minor sounding mode that also works. A Aeolian contains an F or b6, not an F# 6, so that won't work particularly well. However, an A Dorian scale would raise that 6th from minor b6 to Major 6 and catch the F#, but it also contains a b7 (G), which is the root note of both our G Aeolian and G Dorian modal scales that we have found to be very pleasing and better fit the "mood" of our progression. [And here's another helpful hint: as in our example, it's actually a very common technique to simply move the very same type same modal scale being used over the 4 chord up a whole-step when playing over the 5 chord - particularly where both chords are Major; as in our example, moving G Dorian over the IV chord up to play A Dorian over the V chord].

Another example of a very common combination of modes is to mix and match licks from C Mixolydian (built from our F Major scale) with C Dorian (built from a Bb Major scale) over a I bVII IV progression in C, i.e., C Bb F. The reason this works is that both of these modal scales, despite being constructed from different parent Major scales, contain all of the triad notes for all three of those chords. Combining Mixolydian and Dorian modes constructed from the same root note in this way works well over any I bVII IV, or I IV bVII, progression.

Finally, since you can use mixolydian mode over any Dom7 chord, it works particularly well to spice up a standard 1 4 5 blues progression which uses all Dom 7 chords - e.g., F7 (I), Bb7 (IV), and C7 (V). We would play F mixolydian over the F7 chord (the fifth mode constructed in Bb Major), Bb mixolydian over the Bb7 chord (the fifth mode constructed in Eb Major), and C mixolydian over the C7 chord (the fifth mode constructed in F Major). So we play the mixolydian mode starting on the root note of the chord over each of our Dominant 7 chords to emphasize the b7 note in the chord. Try it on your blues, you'll like it!

Remember, the point here is that in choosing which modes to use when combining modes, it's usually best try to pick ones that either both contain all the notes from all the chords in the progression, or where that's not possible, and it becomes necessary to choose a different mode to accommodate an "outside" chord tone/note, try to select a mode to play over the "outside" chord which at least creates the same "mood" over the progression being played, e.g., that keeps the same overall all minor, or all Major, modality of the song or progression, ... unless you're purposefully trying to add a tasteful and pleasant sounding touch of Major over an otherwise minor song or progression, or vice-versa, ... purposefully incorporating a blues note or an "outside" note to add pleasing color or to create chromatic or other tension to resolve back into a chord tone or to create/follow the unique melody of the song, ... or purposefully changing the overall minor v. Major modality entirely to support a new key change or new progression intentionally written to create a completely different mood - as sometimes done in a bridge or chorus, or underneath a solo to make it more interesting.)



I hope this explanation was fairly easy to understand & helpful. Maybe it will inspire you to start spicing up your improvisation and soloing by starting to include modal concepts or help you to more quickly identify which modes might work over the chord progressions being thrown at you on stage. Anyway, have fun, practice hard, & perform like a pro! :)

Peace,
Beth Isbell
roxybeast@hotmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bethisbell
Music: Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/bethisbell
-or- Main - http://www.studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=16212
Last edited by roxybeast on July 17th, 2010, 6:13 pm, edited 108 times in total.

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Post by roxybeast » June 19th, 2010, 3:04 pm

A note about the previous article on Modes for Guitar ...

As to the article, the thing that "unlocked" modes for me in doing all this research was the concept of looking at them as ways to connect the diatonic chords, instead of as scales, which is how they are often taught & creates a lot of confusion. Further, almost all mode articles talk about the scale, tab, notes in the scale - distinguishing one mode to another - but they almost NEVER talk about how to actually apply them to a full song or chord progression or how to know how to determine which one to use over the progression. Sometimes mode articles will talk about this mode fits over this particular chord or extension, but it's extremely rare to find articles talking about their application to full songs or chord progressions. So I was looking for answers, scouring the internet & asking everybody I know, and that's when all of the sudden I saw that while they are built on the root of their parent major scale & must include all those notes, that what's really going on is that they are tying all the diatonic chords of that parent scale together - so I just started playing diatonic chords up the scale & tying together notes from the nearest diatonic chords. And WALLA! Huge breakthrough. I know those diatonic chords! I use them ALL the time! We all do.

Frankly, I've never seen any article on-line or in any guitar book that explains it from this angle. But it's easy to grasp & understand and uses the one thing we all know & regularly play to do it - chords.

The other key to understanding why each mode has its own unique sound is that it's not just a scale, but the application of the modal scale against it's parent chord or to a progression which emphasizes the sound or is built around or sounds like resolves to that parent chord. One will not work without the other. It's this combination which produces modes.

I've edited this article well over 100 times so far after writing it to refine it and make sure all the information is correct. I've played through all the suggested progressions to make sure they actually work for the suggested mode & they do. I've tried to use real world & simple examples & given song examples for students to listen to if they want to hear the sound or flavor of a particular mode, and some very helpful tips on how to identify which progressions will support the application of each mode. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. That's hard to do with modes, so I started with my diatonic chord method of learning and working through the modes (create your own modal scales using the diatonic chords, instead of just relying on scale chart pictures in a book), then with modal chord progressions for each mode so that they can immediately begin to apply their study, and then a more detailed discussion of each mode - the first paragraph is simpler and written to give some clear examples of where & why each mode works & some song examples, and then a little more advanced theory on each mode for those that want to know that too. Finally, I've taken the time to include specific examples of popular songs that employ each mode so that you can go listen to the song to recognize how each modes sounds.

I think it's a really, really useful article and a very novel, even groundbreaking, way of teaching modes.
Last edited by roxybeast on July 9th, 2010, 6:15 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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Doreen Peri
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Post by Doreen Peri » June 19th, 2010, 3:08 pm

Hey Beth...

You might be interested in this chord book:

http://www.tomprincipato.com/chord_book.html

It's by a friend of mine, Tom Principato... a very fine guitarist! If you're not familiar with him, listen to him on youtube... you'll be glad you did!

It's a unique chord book.

Also, check out this guitarist, Tommy Emmanual. Are you familiar with him?
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/256453

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Post by roxybeast » June 20th, 2010, 5:46 am

Thanks for the suggestions Doreen. And yes, I'm familiar with Tommy ... I have a friend that runs sound for him. He's an amazing guitarist! He might currently be the best acoustic guitar player in the world. :)

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Post by Doreen Peri » June 20th, 2010, 6:15 am

Tom Principato is also one of the finest blues guitarists in the world. Youtube has many to listen to.

The chord book is very unique! It's an open chord system that Tom Principato developed himself. It's not just regular chords.

Yeah, I only recently discovered Tommy Emmannuel's playing when I heard him on PBS the other night. The guy is amazing! Cool that you know someone who helps him out.

.......

Thanks for sharing your music here at the Studio! Since this thread was about chords and such, I thought this info would fit. :)

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Post by roxybeast » June 21st, 2010, 1:15 pm

Yep, Doreen, after your original message I did go look at the link for Tom's book & saw that ... I can't afford to buy anything at this point - flat broke, but I did bookmark his site so that when I can, I can go back & find it! :)

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Post by Doreen Peri » June 28th, 2010, 9:19 pm

I own the book. I could scan a few pages and email them to you.

Also... Find him on Youtube... you'll be happy you did!

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Post by roxybeast » July 7th, 2010, 6:54 pm

I've been a busy girl! Recorded vocals on a full band track I've been working on last night - a cover of BB King's "Thrill Is Gone" - & created a new Blues band oriented Myspace page & put the song up on it - so listen to it & let me know if you like the vocals! There's no lead guitar on it yet (if you're a lead player & might want to play on it, send me a message!) ... Anyway, hope you dig it! :), ... http://www.myspace.com/bethisbellbluesband

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