Guitar Modes

Guitar Modes Explained

Modes on guitar (beloved of modern players like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai right back to Jazz pioneers such as Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery) are simply put just the notes of a parent major scale (which itself is re-named the ionian mode) played from a point other than the first note of that major scale. So if you play the C major Scale from its second note (D) using the notes D E F G A B C and D you produce the D dorian mode.

The teachwombat materials give guitar teachers three printable handouts for each guitar mode.

The first sheet explains the mode itself through one octave providing a scale formulae (on the left hand diagram) and suggesting a practical fingering (on the right)

The second and third sheets go on to extend the mode into two octaves and then to cover the whole range of the guitar neck encouraging your student to develop the mode over the entire instrument.

Below you can see the teachwombat sheets dealing with modes on the guitar. Underneath the illustration you will find an explanation of all of the guitar modes

Ionian Mode for Guitar

The Ionian Mode defined

The ionian mode is simply the major scale starting from (and ending on) the root (or first) note. Using a parent major scale of C the ionian mode would contain the notes C D E F G A B and C.

Dorian Mode for Guitar

The dorian Mode defined

The dorian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) the second note. Using a parent major scale of C a one octave dorian mode would contain the notes of D E F G A B C and D.
Another way of thinking about the dorian mode is to regard it as being a natural minor scale with a raised 6th note

Phrygian Mode for Guitar

The phrygian Mode defined

The phrygian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) its third note. Using a parent major scale of C a one octave phrygian mode would contain the notes of E F G A B C D and E.

lydian Mode for Guitar

The lydian Mode defined

The lydian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) its fourth note. Using a parent major scale of C a one octave lydian mode would contain the notes of F G A B C D E and F.
It is also possible to think of the lydian mode as being a major scale with a raised fourth note

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Mixolydian Mode for Guitar

The mixolydian Mode defined

The mixolydian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) its fifth note. Using a parent major scale of C a one octave mixolydian mode would contain the notes of G A B C D E F and G.
It is also possible to regard the mixolydian mode as being a major scale with a flattened seventh note

Aeolian Mode for Guitar

The aeolian Mode defined

The aeolian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) its sixth note.
Using a parent major scale of C a one octave aeolian mode would contain the notes of A B C D E F G and A.
It is also possible to regard the aeolian mode as being a natural minor scale

Lochrian Mode for Guitar

The lochrian Mode defined

The lochrian mode is the major scale starting from (and ending on) its seventh note.
Using a parent major scale of C a one octave lochrian mode would contain the notes of B C D E F G A and B.
It is also possible to regard the lochrian mode as being very wierd indeed!

Using Guitar Modes

It is beyond the scope of this page to go into much depth concerning the use of guitar modes by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and othe legends like Joe Pass etc but hopefully you found some of this information useful?

Guitar teachers might like to look at the full range of guitar teacher's handouts avaliable from teachwombat. The material deals with much more than just modes for guitar.

If you did find this page useful then maybe you would like to share the material (and the website?) with your your friends who play or teach guitar?

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