1. Ionian - Very clean sounding, almost to the point of sounding sterile.

Your
Grandma would love this one.

2. Dorian - Can sound smooth and soulful or hip and bluesy, depending on
how you use it.

3. Phrygian - Has a very Middle-Eastern or Spanish sound.

4. Lydian - Very clean, like Ionian, but the #4 gives it a more spacey,
unresolved quality.

5. Mixolydian - "Funky" or "folky", depending on how it's used. This mode

has been used for everything from old sea chanteys, to a lot of '70s rock tunes.

6. Aeolian - Dark and sad like those old cowboy songs, or tough and mean as
used in a lot of heavy-rock songs.

7. Locrian - The real ear-twister of the bunch. Can sound Spanish like
Phrygian, but much darker and more unresolved.

Modes Part IV
Applying modes to chords and chord progressions

Parallel

A parallel approach to chords and chord progressions is probably the best

place to start, although, in the long run, this approach is more applicable to
jazz and country-style playing than it is to rock or blues-style playing. Players
of jazz and country tend to take things one chord at a time, utilizing different
scales for each chord in a chord progression. Rock and blues players, on the
other hand, tend to utilize one scale that fits the entire chord progression.

Be that as it may, it is important to have a thorough understanding of which

chord types can be constructed from each of the modes.

Chords
Mode Tria 7th 9th* 11th* 13th*
d

Ionian Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj11 Maj13

Dorian min min7 min9 min11 min13

Phrygian min min7 min7(b9) min11(b9) min11(b9b13)

Lydian Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj7(#11) Maj13(#11)

Mixolydia Maj 7 9 11 13
n

Aeolian min min7 min9 min11 min11(b13)

Locrian dim min7(b5 min7(b5b9 min11(b5b9 min11(b5b9b13

) ) ) )

* 9th, 11th and 13th chords are covered in the Extended, Altered and Other Types of
Chords Lesson. (not posted yet)

Knowing which chord types can be constructed from each mode will help you
to apply the modes in an actual playing situation. Let's say for instance that
you encounter a Bmin7 chord. According to the chord chart, three different
modes can be associated with a min7 chord, Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.
This means that for Bmin7, you could play the B Dorian mode, the B
Phrygian mode, the B Aeolian mode, or any combination of the three
possibilities.

There is an entire universe of harmonic and melodic possibilities waiting to be

discovered within the modes of the major scale. This chart is only a place to
start.

Derivative:

A great majority of the popular songs that you are likely to encounter have
been written around modal chord progressions. In order to understand this
modal structure, we have to take a look at the chord scale.
Just like modes, the secret to using the chord scale is which chord you resolve
the progression to. (which chord the progression seems to come to rest on)

Below is a set of progressions using only the chords of the chord scale. Each
progression, in turn, resolves to a different chord from the chord scale.

I - IV - V - I

ii - iii - IV - I - ii

iii - ii - vi - IV - iii

IV - vi -V - iii - IV

V - IV - I - V

vi - V - IV - V - vi

You will, undoubtedly, notice that I have failed to include the vii chord in any
of these progressions. The vii chord is a difficult chord to use, and practically
impossible to resolve a chord progression to. But that doesn't mean that you
should just forget about diminished chords. Have a listen to the intro to Jimi
Hendrix's Purple Haze, and you will hear a very effective use of the
diminished sound.

So, what does this chord scale stuff have to do with modes?

It's really quite simple. All you have to do is match the appropriate mode to
the chord that the progression resolves to and you have it made in the shade.
Just remember:

chord number = mode number

If the progression resolves to the I chord, the best mode to use is Ionian from
the same root as the I chord.

For example, a I - IV - V - I progression starting with C would be:

 CMaj - FMaj - GMaj - CMaj

The progression resolves to I, and the I chord is CMaj. Therefore, the best
mode would be C Ionian.

If we do the same thing with a iii - ii - vi - IV - iii progression starting with C,

we get:

Cmin - Bbmin - Fmin - DbMaj - Cmin

The progression resolves to iii, and the iii chord is Cmin. So the best mode to
use is C Phrygian.

The hardest part of all this is to identify the chord of resolution as belonging
to the chord scale. This is why you have to know the order of the chord types
and how they are arranged via whole-step and half-step.

Let's say, for example, that you encounter a repeating pattern of CMaj -
BbMaj - CMaj and are expected to solo over those chords. By virtue of
repetition, it's a good bet that CMaj is the chord of resolution. The only thing
left is to figure out which scale to use.

Chord scale:

I ii iii IV V vi vii VIII

w w h w w w h
Maj min min Maj Maj min dim Maj

There's only one place within the chord scale that has consecutive major
chords, and those two chords just happen to be a whole step apart. So, the
CMaj is V, and the BbMaj is IV. Since the CMaj is home base, and it's
functioning as V, the best scale choice is C Mixolydian. (V chord = 5th
mode)

But, if we change the CMaj to Cmin, an interesting thing happens.

Progression:

Cmin - BbMaj - Cmin

Chord scale:

I ii iii IV V vi vii VIII

w w h w w w h
Maj min min Maj Maj min dim Maj

Now we have a progression that could fit into two places within our chord
scale:

ii - I - ii or vi - V - vi

That means that you could use either C Dorian (2nd mode), C Aeolian (6th
mode) or both! The choice is your's, but you would do well to consider which
combination sounds most appropriate for the situation. You might find that the
bass player or the piano player are using the Dorian mode for fills and/or
chord extensions underneath your solo. If you play the Aeolian mode over the
top of this, the results might not be quite what you expected. You've got to use
your ears!

Sooner than later, you're going to run into a progression that doesn't quite fit
our chord scale. There are many variations on, and extensions to this basic
structure that have developed over time, but that is beyond the scope of this
lesson. The best thing that you can do is to pick up some books on chords and
chord progressions. There is a wealth of information available on this subject.

Two books that I highly recommend are:

 • Chord Workbook for Guitar Volume One : Guitar
chords and chord progressions for the guitar by Bruce
E. Arnold. This book Teaches you not only the theory
behind chords, but how to use the chords that you learn in
chord progressions. Click here to buy this book at
amazon.com.
• Chord Workbook for Guitar Volume Two: Guitar
Chords and Chord Progressions For The Guitar by
Bruce E. Arnold. This book picks up where volume one
leaves off. If you are serious about learning chords, and
chord progressions, these books will last you a very long
time! Click Here to buy this book at amazon.com.

Also, when it comes to rock music, often times, power chords (no 3rd) are
used in place of major and minor chords (diminished too). In that case, the
only thing you have to go by is the whole-steps and half-steps. This can make
thing more difficult, but it also opens up greater possibilities for using more
than one scale in your solo.

Below, are two MIDI files that are built around the concepts of derivative and
parallel:

The Derivative file starts with C Ionian, then cycles through D Dorian, E
Phrygian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian and ends with B Locrian.

The Parallel file also starts with C Ionian but then cycles through C Dorian,
C Phrygian, C Lydian, C Mixolydian, C Aeolian, and, finally, C Locrian.

I've tried to make each modal shift as distinct as possible, so that there is no
confusion as to when to change modes. It's up to you to make sure that you
have the modes learned well enough that you are not fumbling around for the
correct notes.

Listen to each file all the way through first and familiarize yourself with the
modal shifts. (you'll hear them!) Then, practice soloing over each progression:
 Modes and chord use

Here are the chords in the Key of C

major and all of the relative modes of C
major

C Dm Em F G Am

Here are the relative modes of C major with the tonic chord, and the characteristic
chords of that mode.

C Ionian - a difficult mode to make sound like a mode.

D Dorian - Dm (Em, G)....characteristic note is B(6)
E Phrygian - Em (Dm, F)....characteristic note is F(b2)
F Lydian - F (Em, G)....characteristic note is B(#4)
G Mixolydian - G (F, Dm)....characteristic note is F(b7)
A Aeolian - Am (Dm, F)....characteristic note is F(b6)

Here are what those chords would be with all of the modes build from the root of C.

C Ionian - a difficult mode to make sound like a mode.

C Dorian - Cm (Dm, F)....characteristic note is A(6)
C Phrygian - Cm (Bbm, Db)....characteristic note is Db(b2)
C Lydian - C (Bm, D)....characteristic note is F#(#4)
C Mixolydian - C (Bb, Gm)....characteristic note is Bb(b7)
C Aeolian - Cm (Fm, Ab)....characteristic note is Ab(b6)

In some upcoming lessons we will explore each mode in a little more depth. Keep in
mind that depending on your background in music so far, parts of this lesson might not
be as clear as you would like. Sometimes you have to have a little understanding of a lot
of topics before you can fully understand any of them. So come back to this lesson at a
later time. And at that time you will understand more....and maybe more the next time.

If you have any questions on this lesson, be sure an post them in the Cyberfret.com
Forums.

Here are some basic fingerings of the modes to check out.

Major, or Ionian Mode

Dorian Mode

Phrygian Mode
Lydian Mode

Mixolydian Mode

Natural Minor, or Aeolian Mode

Locrian Mode