Modes are often taught as a collection of scale shapes, leaving players with plenty of information but little understanding of how to actually hear and use them. In this course, we explore the modes using a musical approach, progressing from bright (Lydian) to dark (Locrian). Through performances, practical breakdowns, ear training, harmonic orientation, arpeggios, voicings and improvisation exercises, you’ll develop a clear understanding of all seven modes both linearly and harmonically. Rather than simply running scales up and down the neck, you’ll learn to hear, visualize and express each mode through tasteful musical ideas, giving you the tools to explore them with confidence and musical direction.
Course Highlights
What you will learn
The course begins by exploring derivative and parallel thinking, giving you two different ways to understand the relationship between the modes. You will then learn how to organize the fretboard through the Eight Fret Neighborhood and how to find the extensions that give each mode its individual sound.
We then go through all seven modes: Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, and Locrian. You will learn how to position each mode across the fretboard, understand the unique intervals and extensions that create its sound, and see how it can be used in a musical context. Each mode includes a detailed breakdown and a performance demonstrating the different colors and musical possibilities available within it.
You will also learn how to create modal arpeggios, single note lines, scale fragments, and special voicings that are unique to each mode. By connecting these melodic and harmonic ideas, you will develop a deeper understanding of each mode and learn how to use its individual character naturally in your improvisation and playing.
Full lesson preview: Lesson 27, Phrygian Demonstration
Lessons
01. Intro (1m 01s)
02. Ionian Mode Chordal Demonstration (0m 56s)
03. Modal Outline from Bright to Dark (2m 25s)
04. Derivative & Parallel Thinking (2m 30s)
05. 8 Fret Neighbourhood (6m 08s)
06. Outlining the Functions String 6 & 5 (2m 48s)
07. Lydian Breakdown (2m 43s)
08. Lydian 5 Positions (2m 35s)
9. Lydian Ear Training (2m 58s)
10. Ionian Breakdown (2m 33s)
11. Ionian 5 Positions (2m 50s)
12. Ionian Demonstration (0m 51s)
13. Mixolydian Breakdown (2m 42s)
14. Mixolydian 5 Positions (2m 40s)
15. Mixolydian Demonstration (0m 49s)
16. Mixolydian Demonstration #2 (0m 44s)
17. Dorian Breakdown (5m 21s)
18. Dorian Chordal Demonstration (0m 41s)
19. Dorian Chordal Demonstration #2 (0m 52s)
20. Dorian Breakdown Take #2 (1m 34s)
21. Dorian 5 Positions (2m 01s)
22. Aeolian Breakdown (2m 57s)
23. Aeolian Chordal Demonstration (0m 43s)
24. Aeolian 5 Positions (1m 55s)
25. Phrygian Breakdown (3m 25s)
26. Phrygian 5 Positions (2m 06s)
27. Phrygian Demonstration (0m 47s)
28. Locrian Breakdown (3m 19s)
29. Locrian 5 Positions (2m 22s)
30. Locrian Demonstration (0m 39s)
31. Locrian Demonstration #2 (0m 52s)
32. Scale Permutations and Intervalic Patter… (1m 20s)
33. Thirds (1m 08s)
34. Modal Arpeggios Breakdown (1m 46s)
35. Modal Arpeggios Practice (3m 09s)
36. The Fluidity Crab Exercise (2m 51s)
37. The Fluidity Crab Practice (1m 04s)
38. Diatonic Harmonies & Triad Fingerings…. (1m 12s)
39. Major Diatonic Triads (1m 11s)
40. Diatonic Triads One Up One Down Triple… (0m 45s)
41. Diatonic 7th Chords One Up One Down… (1m 07s)
42. Methods for Modal Harmonisation (4m 20s)
43. Am Dorian Groove (1m 19s)
44. A7 Mixolydian Groove (0m 55s)
45. A7 Mixolydian Groove #2 (1m 01s)
46. A7 Mixolydian Groove #3 (0m 36s)
47. A Lydian Groove (0m 58s)
48. A Lydian Groove #2 (0m 40s)
49. Modal Chord Compendium (2m 25s)
50. Parallel Modal Scale Workout (2m 12s)
51. Closing Remarks (1m 53s)
£59.97, for lifetime access