Modes question

[dtaylor]

If I know:
1. the major scale as a moveable "shape" such that it can be shifted to play in any key,
2. the number of the notes as steps of the major scale...

can I play in the different modes simply by starting a mode on a certain step of the major scale and treating that step as "home"?

(If this is a ridiculous question please don't mock a simple "no" will suffice) :laugh:

[daryl]

I think your question is quite reasonable.

Here's what I don't get:

Let's just talk about the C major scale here. C D E F G A B C

If you want to play the C major scale (I think that's called the ionian mode) then you play C D E F G A B C
But if you want to play in the dorian mode of the C major scale then you play D E F G A B C D.

But here's what I don't get: THEY ARE THE SAME NOTES! I suppose the difference is the "home" note.

So, my follow up question to Dean's is when does one play the C dorian scale (if that is what it's called)?

Modes confuse the hell out of me.

[dtaylor]

daryl wrote:

So, my follow up question to Dean's is when does one play the C dorian scale (if that is what it's called)?

I'd think it would be more correct to think of it as D Dorian, but this is the blind leading the blind... If so, should it be played over a song in D, and how would the mode affect the chords in the key? :S

[TGNeil]

dtaylor wrote:

daryl wrote:

So, my follow up question to Dean's is when does one play the C dorian scale (if that is what it's called)?

I'd think it would be more correct to think of it as D Dorian, but this is the blind leading the blind... If so, should it be played over a song in D, and how would the mode affect the chords in the key? :S

You are correct Dean.

D Dorian is D E F G A B C D
It could be considered the relative Dorian to C Major, like A B C D E F G A is the relative minor or Aeolian to C Major.

Every key signature has one of each mode included and all are considered relative to each other, meaning same notes with different starting points (home).

So a follow up question, or two...
What are the notes in C Dorian, G Dorian, Bb Dorian?
And what are the seven related modes that have four sharps in them?

Neil

[dtaylor]

What are the notes in C Dorian, G Dorian, Bb Dorian?
[/quote]

C Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb C
G Dorian G A Bb C D E F G
Bb Dorian Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Bb

?

[TGNeil]

dtaylor wrote:

What are the notes in C Dorian, G Dorian, Bb Dorian?

C Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb C
G Dorian G A Bb C D E F G
Bb Dorian Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Bb

?[/quote]

WINNER!!!

Great work Dean. I think modes are unjustifiably regarded as complicated.

Neil

P.S. And why are you up in the middle of the night fretting over this???

[dtaylor]

[/quote]

P.S. And why are you up in the middle of the night fretting over this???[/quote]

The things that keep a guitarist up at night!

Thanks for the feedback,
Dean

[unclewalt]

oy, just forget it.

[dtaylor]

unclewalt wrote:

I think it's when you're on the chord that's named for the modal scale, but you're in the key that's named for the I. So, if you're playing in the key of C, and you go to the F (IV) chord, you can play notes, like in a solo, in F Lydian (FGABCDE), right? And then on the V, you can play in G Mixolydian (GABCDEF) yes? And you think about the underlying modal pattern as you're playing, rather than, say, the C major pattern.

My follow up to that is: if you are soloing over a progression in C and are using the notes of the C major scale as you describe, is this 'changing modes' or just following the changes and using the chord tones of the new chord (or is this a distinction without a difference)?

I am asking these questions as someone who is starting to learn scales in order to improvise over backing tracks, I today saw a progression in Gm which gave the G Dorian mode as a suitable mode to use to solo over the progression. I don't know why or how this is correct...