How to Find All Major Modes

By Rod Ferreira

Thursday, October 6th 2016

Learning the modes can be confusing, especially if you don't have a solid foundation. I highly recommend studying the modes little by little and that means that first you should be able to just find them on your fretboard. For example:

Let’s play a C major scale (also known as the Ionian mode) - C D E F G A B C

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G--------------2-4-5--------------
D-------2-3-5---------------------
A---3-5---------------------------
E----------------------------------

Now in theory, a Lydian mode is a major mode with the fourth note raised a half step up.

C D E F G A B C
C D E F# G A B C

We can get there a little faster, but just thinking of the fifth note of C major and applying the same shape now starting on that note (G).

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G-------------------9-11-12-------
D----------9-10-12----------------
A---10-12-------------------------
E---------------------------------

For the Mixolydian we have a major scale with the seventh note lower by half step:

C D E F G A B C
C D E F G A Bb C

We can use a similar trick but now count four notes from C which will get us to an F note. Then we can apply the same shape starting on F and have the notes from the C Mixolydian:

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G-----------------7-9-10----------
D---------7-8-10------------------
A---8-10--------------------------
E---------------------------------

Now of course when we just play those shapes, with no backing track or root notes to compare, they just sound like major scales! YES, a C Lydian shares the same notes as a G major scale and a C Mixolydian shares the same notes as a F major scale - The big difference is always application!

Let’s use a different example to hear the sound of the modes. Let’s pick the E major scale and use the low E as our root note.

E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G---------------6-8-9-------------
D--------6-7-9--------------------
A---7-9---------------------------
E-0-------------------------------

E Lydian: E F# G# A# B C# D# E

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G-------------------13-15-16------
D---------13-14-16----------------
A---14-16-------------------------
E-0-------------------------------

E Mixolydian: E F# G# A B C# D E

E---------------------------------
B---------------------------------
G--------------------11-13-14-----
D----------11-12-14---------------
A---12-14-------------------------
E-0--------------------------------

Work on those shapes and sounds as much as you can. When you start feeling comfortable book a lesson with your favorite teacher to talk about creating solos with modes!

Next time I will write about the minor modes ; )