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Guitar Modes

The document discusses guitar modes and how they relate to the major scale. It explains that each mode starts on a different note of the major scale and has a unique pattern of intervals. The seven modes - Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian - are demonstrated through their finger patterns on the fretboard for the key of C major. Understanding the modes helps guitarists think in different tonalities when improvising or composing.

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Julián Cañaveral
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820 views2 pages

Guitar Modes

The document discusses guitar modes and how they relate to the major scale. It explains that each mode starts on a different note of the major scale and has a unique pattern of intervals. The seven modes - Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian - are demonstrated through their finger patterns on the fretboard for the key of C major. Understanding the modes helps guitarists think in different tonalities when improvising or composing.

Uploaded by

Julián Cañaveral
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modes

The modes can be confusing for guitar players because we can use them in different
ways. The easiest way for a guitarist to learn the modes is by learning their finger
patterns.
Theoretically each mode starts and ends on the seven different notes of the major scale.
C major is the easiest scale to work with so let's start with it.
The C major scale consists of the notes C D E F G A B C.
These are the names for the seven modes (you might see other names for some modes,
but these are the most popular):
1. Ionian
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolian
7. Locrian

C
D
E
F
G
A
B

D
E
F
G
A
B
C

E
F
G
A
B
C
D

F
G
A
B
C
D
E

G
A
B
C
D
E
F

A
B
C
D
E
F
G

B
C
D
E
F
G
A

C
D
E
F
G
A
B

major scale

natural minor scale

You might be saying, what good is that? It's just the major scale starting on different
notes; that's easy. At first glance it is, but to think in each mode as you play is a
challenge.
Heres a list of the intervals for each mode:
1. Ionian
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolian
7. Locrian

P1
P1
P1
P1
P1
P1
P1

M2
M2
m2
M2
M2
M2
m2

M3
m3
m3
M3
M3
m3
m3

P4
P4
P4
4
P4
P4
P4

P5
P5
P5
P5
P5
P5
5

M6
M6
m6
M6
M6
m6
m6

M7
m7
m7
M7
m7
m7
m7

P8 major scale
P8
P8
P8
P8
P8 natural minor scale
P8

Later you will learn the relationship of the modes to the chords in a key, but for now we
just want to learn the finger patterns.

Finger patterns
You might find other ways of playing the modes than shown in the following diagrams,
but I recommend this way. They are all consistent by starting each mode with the 1st
finger.

-37-

1. Ionian mode (major scale)

2. Dorian mode

E
B
G
D
A
E

E
B
G
D
A
E

-|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--

-|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--

3. Phrygian mode

4. Lydian mode

E
B
G
D
A
E

E
B
G
D
A
E

--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|-

-|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|--|---|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--

5. Mixolydian mode

6. Aeolian mode (natural minor scale)

E
B
G
D
A
E

E
B
G
D
A
E

-|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|---|---|-2-|-3-|---|--|---|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-2-|---|-4-|--

-|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|---|-4-|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--

7. Locrian mode
E
B
G
D
A
E

-|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|---|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|--

For all these modes in the key of C major:


Ionian starts on the 8th fret (1st finger, 6th string).
Dorian starts on the 10th fret.
Phrygian starts on the 12th fret (also starts on the open 6th string).
Lydian starts on the 1st fret (also on 13th fret).
Mixolydian starts on the 3rd fret (also on 15th fret).
Aeolian starts on the 5th fret (also on 17th fret).
Locrian starts on the 7th fret.

-38-

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