4 Steps to Understanding Modes - Part 1 | Steve Stine Guitar 

Thanks for this very helpful video Steve. 17,086 views... people should make an effort to like your vids so you know how good they are. This is GOLD, I cant wait to view the next parts.... which I am going to do right now. Thanks, man!

Unless your holding an acoustic and he starts out on the 15th fret.

It's true, Verdigo, most acoustics aren't set up for soloing in the higher frets. So a lot of what Steve plays here couldn't easily be played on most acoustic guitars. BUT... if, for example, Steve is playing notes around the 15th fret, you can move that exact same pattern down to the 3rd fret, and try creating some melody and licks there. You'll just be playing one octave lower. And yes, it will sound different an octave lower on an acoustic, but you can still get some good out of this lesson, even if you can't play it exactly the same way. Thanks for the feedback! And if you enjoy Steve’s RU-vid videos, you'll definitely want to check this out: guitarzoom.com/join When you become a GuitarZoom Member, you get instant access to over 40 of Steve’s best guitar courses, plus access to new courses as long as you’re a member. The courses cover a variety of topics. And there are courses for every skill level, from "just picked up the guitar" to advanced soloing techniques. Plus courses that are all about playing on acoustic, and how to get the best sounds from your guitar and amp, if you use one. Also, each course goes into much more depth than what's available on RU-vid. So you can truly understand the concepts and use them to create real music with your guitar. Make sure you check out the membership, and no matter what, keep playing! :-) -- Mike from GuitarZoom

Thanks for all the kind words, Amir! It's awesome that you've taken up the guitar again! :-) Just wanted to give a heads-up, if you enjoy Steve’s RU-vid videos, you should definitely go here and check out the new GuitarZoom Premium Membership → guitarzoom.com/join Members get unlimited streaming of 40+ of Steve’s best guitar courses, including ✔️ CAGED Made Simple ✔️ Barre Chords Made Easy ✔️ Ear Training 2.0 ✔️ Unlocking The Fretboard Connection ✔️ Music Theory Made Easy ✔️ Play Guitar For Life ✔️ Blues Guitar ✔️ Rock Licks ✔️ Acoustic Guitar ... and many more. The courses cover a wide variety of guitar subjects, and there are courses for all skill levels. No matter where you are in your guitar journey, you’ll reach the next level FAST as a GuitarZoom Member. :-) If you want to know more about music theory, Music Theory Made Easy is the perfect place to start. Go here to watch free preview videos from the course: guitarzoom.com/products/music-theory-made-easy-2 Make sure you watch all the videos, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to check out video reviews from GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Also it’s great how you teach in a fashion where you say it’s ok not to get everything in one go and let people take what progresses them from the lesson.

Thanks for the kind words, Will! :-) Make sure you tune in to today’s LIVE Rock Licks Limited Edition Workshop if you can. Steve’s going to answer questions about playing rock licks, so feel free to ask your question in the chat. It’s happening today (Monday, May 24) at 10 AM Pacific. During the workshop, Steve’s going to give away 5 GuitarZoom Memberships, totally free. But you have to attend the live workshop in order to win. Go here to sign up if you haven’t yet → guitarzoom.com/workshop Today is the last time Steve will be giving away free Memberships, so be sure to tune in if you can. Also, you can go here if you want to learn more about the GuitarZoom Membership → guitarzoom.com/join Hope to see you at the workshop! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Go here to grab Rock Licks Limited Edition on DVD (while supplies last) → guitarzoom.com/rocklickslimitededition/promo/

Thanks for the kind words, Recabite! And thanks for sharing your experience! :-) Just a heads-up, if you want to play songs in half the time and the most jaw-dropping solos of your life, check out Steve’s super simple Fretboard Framework course → guitarzoom.com/fretboardframework/promo/ Hundreds of guitarists have already signed up. Click the link to check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! - MIke from GuitarZoom P.S. Not sure? To watch video reviews from real GuitarZoom Members, go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Thanks for watching, Jimmy! Glad Steve's mindset helped you get into modes! :-) Just wanted to let you know, the GuitarZoom 4th of July Freedom Sale is in full swing. From now through July 4th, you can get lifetime access to Steve’s best courses at super-low prices. Go here for all the details → guitarzoom.com/springsale/ Check it out, thanks again for watching, and no matter what, keep playing! :-) -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Make sure you use coupon code FREEDOM50 to get 50% off at checkout!

Thanks for watching, Richard! :-) Just wanted to let you know, if you enjoy Steve’s RU-vid videos, you should definitely check out the new GuitarZoom Premium Membership → guitarzoom.com/join Members get unlimited streaming of more than 40 of Steve’s best guitar courses, like CAGED Made Simple, Music Theory Made Easy, Play Guitar For Life, Blues Guitar, Rock Licks, Acoustic Guitar, and many more. The courses cover a wide variety of topics, and there are courses designed for all skill-levels. So wherever you are in your guitar journey, you can get to the next level FAST as a GuitarZoom Member. :-) If you want to know more about music theory, Music Theory Made Easy is the perfect place to start. Go here to check it out: guitarzoom.com/products/music-theory-made-easy-2 Make sure you check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to check out video reviews from GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Thanks for watching, Mark! :-) Just a heads-up, Steve’s brand new course Guitar Improvisation is now available: guitarzoom.com/improvisation/promo/ ...and it comes with some pretty awesome bonuses you’ll have to see to believe. Including Rock Licks Limited Edition on DVD, at least until they sell out. :-) Click the link above for all the details, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to hear from real GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Hey neighbor, I'm studding Steve's guitar course south of you here in Moscow, Idaho.

Thank you 🙏

Thanks for watching, Pilgrim! :-) Just wanted to give a heads-up, if you want to play new songs faster, write better songs, and sound more authentic and musical when you solo, make sure you check out Steve’s new Ultimate Song Bundle → www.guitarzoom.com/ultimatesongbundle/promo/ The Ultimate Song Bundle includes: ✅ Acoustic Guitar ✅ Chords Made Easy ✅ Strumming Made Easy ✅ Acoustic Picking Styles ✅ Song Secrets ✅ Songwriting Made Simple ✅ Blues Basics ✅ Slide Guitar ✅ Fretboard Mastery ✅ Ear Training 2.0 …all in one bundle for 95%-Off the regular price. You get Lifetime Access to the courses above, so you can come back to them any time you want to jumpstart your guitar playing. Go here for all the details → www.guitarzoom.com/ultimatesongbundle/promo/ …and no matter what, keep playing! - Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to check out video reviews from GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Thanks for watching, Bend TheAtom! And thanks for sharing your experience! :-) Just a heads-up, Steve’s new Fretboard Framework webinar is now available on-demand. Go here to check it out: guitarzoom.com/fretboardframework/webinar/registration/ You’ll discover… ✅ How to combine triads to create satisfying guitar solos. ✅ An easy 4 step method to ignite your soloing creativity so your solos don’t sound like a scale. ✅ How to break out of the pentatonic box and understand how to solo using your entire fretboard. ✅ And a few cool licks you’ll want to add to your arsenal. Be sure to check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! - Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Go here to check out some free preview videos from Steve’s brand new Fretboard Framework course: www.guitarzoom.com/fretboardframework/promo-2/#videos

Thanks for watching, John! I think you're definitely on the right track! And you're right, the leading note before the tonic (or root note) in a scale makes a big difference in how the scale sounds. In major diatonic scales, there's a half-step between the 7th note and the tonic. And in minor diatonic scales, there's a whole step. And you're absolutely right, that changes the sound of the scale a LOT. But don't forget, there are 3 changed notes, going from a major scale to its minor counterpart. For example, here's the C major diatonic scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - (C) ...with a half-step between the 7th note B and the tonic C. And here's C minor diatonic, with a whole step between the 7th note (Bb, which has been flattened one half step) and the tonic C: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - (C) ...but the E has also been flattened a half-step to Eb, and the A has been flattened to Ab. And like you said, that requires us to use the accidentals Eb, Ab, and Bb. But here's the thing: there is one minor diatonic scale that has no accidentals, the A minor diatonic scale. It's the relative minor scale of C major, which means it uses all the same notes as the C major diatonic scale. Remember, this is the C major diatonic scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - (C) Here's its relative minor scale, the A minor diatonic scale: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - (A) You can find the relative minor scale of any major scale by starting on the 6th note, then playing the notes in the scale. And conversely, you can start on the 3rd note of any minor diatonic scale and find its relative major. Going back to C minor: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - (C) ...if you start on Eb, then play all the notes like this: Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D - (Eb) ...that's the Eb major diatonic scale. I mention all that to illustrate that all of these scales are based off of one pattern, the C major diatonic scale. The pattern of "whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step" is used for all major diatonic scales. The difference is in which note you use for a tonic, or root note. Which means, if you start on C and play that pattern, it's the C major scale. If you start on D and play that pattern, it's the D major scale, and so on. Shifting this pattern around is what creates accidentals. You can see this on a piano keyboard easily: for C major, you play all white keys (no accidentals), but then to play D major: D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - (D) You need 2 black keys. As a matter of fact, there's only one major diatonic scale that uses all white keys: C major. All of the other ones use at least one black key. Hope this makes sense! :-) Just wanted to let you know, if you enjoy Steve’s RU-vid videos, you should definitely check out the new GuitarZoom Premium Membership → guitarzoom.com/join Members get unlimited streaming of more than 40 of Steve’s best guitar courses, like CAGED Made Simple, Music Theory Made Easy, Play Guitar For Life, Blues Guitar, Rock Licks, Acoustic Guitar, and many more. The courses cover a wide variety of topics, and there are courses designed for all skill-levels. So wherever you are in your guitar journey, you can get to the next level FAST as a GuitarZoom Member. :-) If you want to know more about music theory, Music Theory Made Easy is the perfect place to start. Go here to check it out: guitarzoom.com/products/music-theory-made-easy-2 Make sure you check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom

Thanks for watching! :-) Just wanted to give a heads-up, Steve’s 6-Week Soloing Challenge webinar is now available on-demand → guitarzoom.com/6weeksoloingchallenge/webinar/registration/? The webinar is an introduction to Steve’s new 6-Week Soloing Challenge, which starts May 2. You’ll discover how to… ✅ Play creative solos with jaw-dropping speed and fluidity even if you don’t know your fretboard… ✅ Confidently solos over any style of music without sounding like scales… ✅ Effortlessly combine scales, triads, licks, the CAGED system, and modes together without getting lost or confused, and ✅ Synchronize your fretting hand with your picking hand so you nail every note of your solo. It’s guaranteed to help you take your solos to the next level, plus it’s going to be a lot of fun. :-) Go here and check it out if you’re interested → guitarzoom.com/6weeksoloingchallenge/webinar/registration/? …and no matter what, keep playing! - Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. For more details about Steve’s 6-Week Soloing Challenge, go here → guitarzoom.com/6weeksoloingchallenge/promo-2/?

just a guess but... pentatonic doesn't really require knowledge of where you're at on the fretboard. It just translates anywhere and has larger jumps. It repeats 5 notes instead of 7.

The courses are well-structured and perfect for self-paced and self-taught guitarist like me. I play more or less for 20 years and learned alot because he filled knowledge gaps

Learn every mode as different scale . That will end ur puzzle. Just remember the shape like Dorian, Phrygian etc. If u play like this u will find the difference . For example if u play Phrygian look the flat 2nd note creates the Phrygian sound.

The key is this: The modes are the same NOTES of the parent major scale. They are not the same SCALE. The reason for that is the difference in structure you get when playing, for example, from G to G in the key of G, or from E to E in the key of G (the minor scale, or aeolian mode). If you change positions, and play the E minor scale rooted from the low E string at the nut or the 12th fret, you are still playing the same notes as the G major scale, you are still in the key of G. The note names haven't changed, but the pattern of tones and semitones, the intervallic structure, the function of each note, is different. A different note is now home, where all the others are measured from. There are 2 ways to look at modes. One is relative, where you look at the modes in terms of their parent major scale. So, G major, A Dorian, B phrygian, etc, all share the same notes - G-A-B-C-D-E-F# The other way is parallel, where you look at each mode from the same root. So, G major, G Dorian, G phrygian, etc. When you do this, YOU ARE NOT IN THE SAME KEY. That is the piece that gets lost, I think. G major is in the key of G. G Dorian is in the key of F (G is the 2nd note of the F major scale), G phrygian is in the key of Eb (G is the 3rd note in the Eb major scale). So, in terms of note names, G major is: G-A-B-C-D-E-F# G Dorian is: G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F (same notes as the F major scale) G phrygian is: G-Ab-Bb-C-D-Eb-F (same notes as the Eb major scale) Any scale fingering can sound like any mode of that scale. What makes it sound major, minor, lydian, etc is the context. Once your ear resolves a set of notes to a "tonal center", that is when the collection of notes becomes a mode. Otherwise, it is just a collection of notes that fit within a key. I hope that helps!

I'm still a beginner, so I could be making som mistakes here, but I'm pretty sure you had i correct in your first paragraph. If you have a G major scale and emphasize the G, then it's G major. If you emphasize the E, then it's the aeolian minor mode, Eminor. You use the same notes, but the scale sounds different (dark) because the distances (tones and semi-tones) between the root, 3rd 5th, etc are different compared to when playing it as Gmajor. You already wrote that in your post, so I think you understand that. The flavor of a scale comes from the notes and the distances between them. A dorian sounds different than G Ionian because (among other things) of the semi tone after the "A root", wheres G Ionian has a full tone after the root. So, you use the same notes as the parent major scale but you start on a different note: However, and this is the key, because you play the same notes, the distances between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th etc, changes and this is what ads flavour to the mode. Some people say that they have their own scales, but this it not techincally correct. However, just as the minor scales have exactly the same shape as the major scale (just 3 frets up), the other modes have patterns that "match" other minor scales. This can be easier for some people to visualize because most people learn minor shapes first. For instance, if you want to play D dorian, you just have to play A minor and emphasize the D, just as you could do with C major (emphasize the C). I think many people overcomplicate this when trying to teach, however; I have found that when applying this I often have trouble, but just is probably just because I don't understand how to actually use modes. Then again, I'm not really trying to either at the moment.

The difference is parallel modes parallel modes are c ionian c Dorian c phrygian c lydian c mixolydian c aeolian and C locrian they all start on the C but in reality they are different scales they're all just different major scales that you're using but if you want to start all on C on the 6th string you going to play that ionian scale shape for C ionian then you're going to play the C Dorian shape for C Dorian then you can play the C phrygian shape for C phrygian then you can play the C lydian shape for C lydian and so on so forth and by doing that you're playing in different keys so if you took a cord or just a single note and let it ring out and play each one of those over that note each one of those keys would give you a different sound add a different mood or feel or flavor those are parallel modes the modes He's referring to are in a song based modes which say for instance your playing a progression in a song the chords are moving constantly so say it's a 1-4-5 your playing one 1 a couple bars and then 4 a couple bars then 5 for a couple bars so that major (or key) scale that your song is in is going to constantly be changing reference points your going to be emphasizing the 1 then the 4 and then the 5 that's what he's referring to.

Research parallel modes

Thanks for watching, Pilgrim! :-) Just a heads-up, if you want to play songs in half the time and the most jaw-dropping solos of your life, check out Steve’s super simple Fretboard Framework course → guitarzoom.com/fretboardframework/promo/ Hundreds of guitarists have already signed up. Click the link to check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! - MIke from GuitarZoom P.S. Not sure? To watch video reviews from real GuitarZoom Members, go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

That's a great question, Olivia! But I am not sure Steve even knows for sure off the top of his head, ha ha. :-) Just wanted to let you know, Steve’s brand-new course Guitar Practice Made Easy is now available. Go here to check it out → guitarzoom.com/guitarpracticemadeeasy/promo/ This course gives you a step-by-step plan to create a fun and productive practice routine that improves your rhythm and lead guitar playing in just minutes per day. You’ll play more of what you want to play, and you’ll sound more authentic when you play it. Which means, you’ll have more fun when you play guitar… and so will the people you play for. :-) Be sure to check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Go here to check out video reviews from real GuitarZoom Members → guitarzoom.com/reviews

😂

Thanks for watching! If you want to know more about music theory, Music Theory Made Easy is the perfect place to start. Go here to watch free preview videos from the course: guitarzoom.com/products/music-theory-made-easy-2 Hope this helps! :-) Just a heads-up, Steve Stine’s Christmas Soloing Bundle is still available. It’s 10 of Steve’s all-time best soloing courses for 95% off the regular price. Click here for all the details → www.guitarzoom.com/christmassoloingbundle/promo/ Here’s what you get in the bundle: ✅ Guitar Solos Made Easy 2.0 ✅ Blues Soloing ✅ Unlocking The Soloing Connection ✅ The Creative Fretboard ✅ Guitar Solo Builder ✅ Arpeggios Made Easy ✅ CAGED Made Simple ✅ All About Intervals ✅ Chord Chasing Mastery ✅ Expressive Soloing If you want to take your soloing skills to a much higher level, or even if you’re just making the jump from “rhythm only” to playing lead, the Christmas Sololing Bundle can help you reach your goal FAST. Click the link above to check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! - Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Go here to watch video reviews from real GuitarZoom Members → guitarzoom.com/reviews

@@stinemusiclessons Awesome. Yeah, I should've been learning 20 years ago but I wasn't writing music until two years ago. I have the speed but I really know where to start a solo, or how to create one.

Thanks for watching! In this case, emphasize means you play that note more than the others. For example, if you play a solo using the C major scale: C D E F G A B And you play the note C more than the others, that means you're emphasizing the note C. It may help to illustrate using chords. For an example, think about a simple chord progression using the chords C, F, and G. To play the song, you strum C for 8 strums, F for 4 strums, G for 4 strums, then start over. You're playing C more than the other chords, and the chord progression keeps coming back to C. So, you could say that you're emphasizing the C chord. And if you used the C major scale to solo, you could emphasize the note C in your solo, and it would sound great. In this example, you would be in the first mode (Ionian) because you're emphasizing the first chord in the key and the first note in the scale. Let's do one more example, for the second mode (Dorian). In the simple chord progression above, instead of playing the chords C, F, and G, play the chords Dm, F, and G instead: Strum Dm 8 times, F 4 times, G 4 times, then go back to Dm. Now, instead of emphasizing C, like in the first chord progression, you're emphasizing Dm. And since Dm is the chord you're emphasizing, you could also emphasize the D in the C major scale to solo. Which means you would play the note D more than the other notes. And when you play the 7 notes in the C major scale, but emphasize D, that's the D Dorian scale: D E F G A B C Hope this helps! :-) Just wanted to give a heads-up, if you enjoy Steve’s RU-vid videos, you should definitely go here and check out the new GuitarZoom Premium Membership → guitarzoom.com/join Members get unlimited streaming of 40+ of Steve’s best guitar courses, including ✔️ CAGED Made Simple ✔️ Barre Chords Made Easy ✔️ Ear Training 2.0 ✔️ Unlocking The Fretboard Connection ✔️ Chord Chasing Mastery ✔️ Music Theory Made Easy ✔️ Play Guitar For Life ✔️ Blues Guitar ✔️ Rock Licks ✔️ Acoustic Guitar ...and many more. The courses cover a wide variety of guitar subjects, and there are courses for all skill levels. No matter where you are in your guitar journey, you’ll reach the next level FAST as a GuitarZoom Member. :-) If you want to know more about music theory, Music Theory Made Easy is the perfect place to start. Go here to watch free preview videos from the course: guitarzoom.com/products/music-theory-made-easy-2 Make sure you watch all the videos, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to check out video reviews from GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

@@stinemusiclessons Thank you. This is very helpfull.

Thanks for the kind words, Alan! :-) Just a quick heads-up, if you want to play better solos and have more fun with your guitar, go here and check out Steve’s Melodic Soloing Bundle → guitarzoom.com/melodicsoloingbundle/promo/? You get Steve’s best-selling course Melodic Soloing, plus 36 Rock Licks, All About Scales, and Guitar Practice Made Easy. So you can solo with confidence and make progress every day with your guitar. Check it out, and no matter what, keep playing! - Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Want to check out video reviews from GuitarZoom Members? Go here → guitarzoom.com/reviews

Thanks for watching, James! :-) Make sure you check out the GuitarZoom Christmas Sale → guitarzoom.com/christmassale/ Because through December 25, you can get up to 95% OFF lifetime access to some of Steve’s most popular guitar courses, including Music Theory For Life (60% OFF), Acoustic Guitar (67% OFF), Modes Masterclass (75% OFF) and many more. Each course includes lots of free bonuses, so you can keep making progress long after you finish the course. :-) Click the link above for details, and no matter what, keep playing! -- Mike from GuitarZoom P.S. Go here to get 95% OFF Steve Stine’s Christmas Soloing Bundle [ENDS TONIGHT] → www.guitarzoom.com/christmassoloingbundle/promo/