If you like this lesson, definitely check out www.zombieguitar.com/ . It is a one of a kind site dedicated to teaching guitarists to understand the fretboard inside and out!!
Just brilliant Brian, so many people myself included really struggled to get their heads around modes. By studying your videos I have finally tumbled and have a wee grasp at least. Thanks again your teaching has been a Godsend to me.
Best take on modes I've seen recently on YT. One of my favorite teachers, slightly in jest, said, "modes were created to confuse guitar players". I never find it *necessary* to think about modes while playing. I pay more attention to tonal centers and chord tones, and the catalog of phrases, lines and licks I have learned over the years. Most of those have come learning from other great players, much better than me.
You could say a mode is an orientation of a key. The only significance I can see in emphasizing it is to illustrate that the focal point is a different point with the key. It also has a difference when you're playing scales as opposed to keys, as scales imply a fixed order while with keys, the same notes are played in customizable orders
You're awesome Brian! I think what I got out of it is the mode is the tonal center of the key you are playing in. So if I am in the key of C and I focus on the Dm, I'm playing Dorian. If I'm in the key of G and I focus on the Bm, I'm playing Phrygian.
While making D the tonal center, as you mentioned is correct, you also need to highlight the flat 3 and flat 7, as they are what gives Dorian it's unique sound.
Brilliant video Brian!! I'm so glad you took on board my suggestion to turn the Facebook post from several days ago into a detailed lesson ..... I really loved it. Having said that, the more videos I watch on the subject of "MODES", the more I'm convinced that the guy who gave them that name was unfortunately just dyslexic .... and he meant to call them "MOODS" ..... it would have made life so much simpler (for us all!!). 🧟♂️ .
I totally agree with your interpretation Brian, you can play the 'Aeolian' scale pattern or any of the others all you like over a I IV vi V progression but it'll still sound Ionian. Keep up the good work dude, have learned so much from your lessons 👍
In a new jazz tune i immediately look for how many key changes are taking place in the chart then I feel safe about mapping out a soloing using modes for flavor and most importantly integrating the relationship to the MELODY......thanks for you videos
Brian..excellent overview of the modes debate. Actually hearing the modes used in a progression as you did at the end really emphasized the difference between them. All depends on what notes or notes you as a player choose to make your home base. They all are from the same scale. Great job!!!
Hi Brian, another lesson very interesting and light up 🆙 once more the world of music 🎶 to people wishing to learn step by step. Thank you! Have a Great and healthy 2021!
Thanks Brian appreciate this video. I am a zombie guitar member. I agree modes are best thought of as a sound or mood of a chord progression. I also think however, that memorizing a mode pattern can help you memorize where the chord tones are located within that pattern without having a complete knowledge of what every note on every fret and string is. Thanks
Good job! Next step is playing a C lydian scale all over the freatboard not as an “inversion” of a G major scale but more as a C major scale with the #4 (à la Frank Gambale), paying attention to the most important intervals. And so on for the other modes. About chords: for the jazz players make sense because they change the scale, for example: Dm7 (D dorian) - G7#5 (G superlocrian) - Cmaj7 (C lydian). But if you have a progression like “Bm - C - Bm” it is a B phrygian progression. To avoid confusion you can put the tonal center in the bass as “Bm - C/B - Bm” (à la Frank Gambale again). Ciao!
I tend to agree with your approach since the word "mode" means application, it would stand to reason that it would be the "application" of a given scale over a chord progression as opposed to its position on the fretboard or which note is used to begin the scale.
Ha, I was in the first group mindset for years, 7 patterns, 7 modes... it became so confusing at some point that I gave up trying to figure it out, then saw your previous modes videos which cleared it up for me. Now Im in the group 3 mindset too... great vid... 😉
Ive been trying to understand modes for quite a while, with little success. Finally after watching this video, success!! you are correct, its the tonal centre! Thanks!!
Comprehensive and didactic as usual. Regarding "patterns", it can help at the start, to get the ear familiar with the specific successions of intervals. Understanding modes comes instantaneously when playing the seven patterns one after the other from the same starting note. The "jazz" apporach may help locating the chord tones: it is easier to spot the location of the minor third and fifth of D "thinking" in D Dorian rather than thinking in C major?.
Yes, that is the main benefit in thinking in terms of 'D type of scale' over a 'D type of chord'. My argument is to just simply call it a "scale" instead of a "mode" when thinking that way. Otherwise the modes debate will keep on going forever!! 😀
That was a super awesome lesson and it seems to me we both share the same perspective on this idea of modes sometimes I play in other churches and the older players usually play in a jazz style type of modes and I find myself playing a lot of C scales over what they are playing and it sounds great to me and everyone else so what you are saying is a 100% true your super awesome dude and A great teacher I highly recommend to anyone to jump on the website and take these courses 👍
The best guitar channel on youtube! I would like a video of your conception about changes of tones in the middle of the music, like Hans Zimmer, Guthrie Govan, Yngwie Malmsteen and much others do. Your vision on this subject will be fantastic! Cheers from Brazil, and and thank you very much for the high quality content.
Hello Brian i just want you know that i never heard teacher like you, who explain very detailed and clear.. i'd watch all you videos in you tube because its so helpful to me. I stop watching others! Goid luck to yoy i hope wont stop uploading videos about guitar theory.. God bless you!
Niiiiiice. Seems that the guitarist community is fast and loose (sometimes) with terminology creating confusion due to a lack of a strict definition. A mode due to a tonal centre shift definitely creates mood, new voicings and expression imho. I suggest you could also author a written “definition” of a mode and other controversial / unclarified terms to spawn a “standard” in the industry. Just ideas! Keeep Rockin’
For anyone who doesn't understand modes yet, watch his 3 part videos on it. After I watched them I clearly understood them, this was after months of watching other videos that left me confused.
Thanks Brian. I don't understand how people an see them in any other way. The mode is the selected tonal centre within the key, surely. Centring the progression around the IV chord is a Lydian progression, which would be F as the home chord if using the chords in the key of C. You then use the scale notes from the C Maj scale but focus on F as the root. The phrases naturally resolve to F as F is the tonal centre, and the intervals between the notes of the C Maj scale resolving to F give it the Lydian sound. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that.
I'm getting yelled at pretty hard right now for posting this on this one music theory group that I'm involved in on Facebook. This really pissed some people off!!
Really? Would be interesting to hear what they say. I guess when playing a dominant 7 chord, you play mixolydian over it to outline the b7. Could be construed as a different approach.
"Each of the modes are dependent on which of the 6 keys you dictate to be you tonal centre" Theres a fine quote lad! Hes a poet and doesnt even know it!
@@zombieguitar Never mind if you dont know Modes right now you never will many songs are written in modes and you learn them.... Well you are playing in the modes... Every pentatonic Shape you learn a song in is found in a modal shape its 5 of the notes and missing the 2 and 6 BUT ANYWAY MODES ARE A FACINATING MATHEMATICALY MAPPED OUT THROUGH SHAPES AND FORMULAS ITS THE LISTENERS "BRAIN RESPONSE" TO YOUR FINGERS PLUCKING A NOTE ON TOP OF A GIVEN TONE OR CHORD....
can you do a tutorial on melodic pattern to practice on these modes. As im getting bored of playing because whenever I practice it sounds like practicing scales. Same also for chord tones or arpggios. I need some sequence patterns like you are playing to enjoy playing
Try practicing by playing the scale in thirds. Play the first note, skip a note, play the next note. Then play the note you skipped, skip a note, play the next note. Etc. Etc.
I’m with you brian the third the only one that makes sent to me! I just play A major scale when I want a B Dorian sound and it seems to work for me. I’ve already spent way to much time that I could have been practicing trying to understand modes as if it will make me some great musician 🤣 ahhhh guitar players are weird
Yes that kinda works, but you do have to make the B note the tonal center. Also the half tones of the C# to D, and G# to A are what gives Dorian its unique sound, and should be highlighted. This is what most people don't understand when playing modes.
hay bri it would be nice if you did a video on vocalulary in terms to guitar cause it would make things eaiser explain what these words your saying and if youve done this im sorry always grateful jimmi
"why not just use scales and throw modes in the trash?" Because modes originate from wayyyyy back in the day as "church modes" and utilized heavily in church music to create different harmonies just like today. Thats where the word mode comes from. Im sure you knew this.
Modes are the result of the sound produced as a result of a CHORD plus the associated scale. The scale portion alone is not a 'mode'. That was my point! 😁
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