question about the modes

hi everyone...

question about the modes... do i have to memorise them all ???

any tip or idea about what to do or were to start will be so helpfull i'm just starting to learn the modes...

You don't have to do anything man... if you're not enjoying it then it might not be for you.

But if you are enjoying it then you should start from the beginning... The Major Scale... the modes (to start you thinking) are just the alternate positions of this scale. so basically you start on the second note of the major scale, then the third, etc. etc.

once i got super comfortable with the major scale and minor (aeolian) scale, pentatonic and blues scales, i found it was pretty easy to memorize the different scales. just memorizing the scales you kind of learn how they are different.

i found that it helped to memorize the major scale both in the standard "box" shape as well as the spread out 3-note-per-string shape. once you know the major scale that well it isn't too difficult. then when you play a different mode, say, the dorian you can "see" the flattened 2nd and 7th as you play the scale.

box shape (using G as an example):

e 23---

B -3-5-

G 2-45-

D 2-45-

A 23-5-

E -3-5-



spread out shape:

3----

3-5-7

-45--

-45-7

3-5-7

3-5-7

so i have to memorise them ???

i wouldn't say you have to but i would suggest it. it helps a lot in the long run

i think my point (which i missed) was that it's not all about memorization.

okay i'm not going to lie --- there is some memorization involved. but at the same time you are LEARNING the modes and not necssarily memorizing them.

so if you learn the spread out major scale pattern above you can clearly see the positions of the root, 2nd, 3rd, ... 7th. now let's say i want to play the lydian mode -- R 2 3 4# 5 6 7 -- well now i'm just playing the same major scale pattern except when i get to the 4th i'm playing it 4# instead of 4.

this is different than simply memorizing the pattern. however, memorizing the pattern DOES help, and you will also have to memorize the modes themselves.

but memorizing them without understanding them doesn't seem like it would be very beneficial.

and remember ....


there are (at the least) 144 chordscales to navigate modally, if you wish.


RAWK!
Cs

Yeah. Like Jazzy says, keep it simple. For now, just learn the major scale. I started with G major, three notes per string starting on G on the top string (use the Guitar Scales tool on this site). Learn all the positions. The positions are actually all the modes but dont worry about that for now. Just learn all the positions of the G major scale.

thanx every one for ur time and effort

Hamad, I would say that you can memorize ( I hate that word in music) by recording your self playing a chord, keeping it simple at first and then go to a page that shows diffrent modes, and play notes with that chord using diffrent modes,one at a time, then your learning diffrent modes not only by looking at them, but also by hearing the diffrence in each. Hence, Memorized with out studying.

i met with da same problem too, but currently is quite familiar with da major/minor n blues scale? hmm...not really pros Zzzzzz

ermm...the main thing is, i have no idea how to apply the modes ROFL
so anyone cna help here? thx ya!

hah, yeah i am in the same boat. i know all of the modes, i'm not quite sure how to apply them yet.

hamad one thing i also kind of realized... you are concerned about "whether or not" you have to memorize the modes (i.e. learn the modes). it's almost as if, if someone told you 'no, you don't have to' you would not even bother with them. if that's the case, maybe you aren't ready to learn the modes yet?

i say this becuase when i was first learning the scales i saw all the modes, didn't understand them, and was intimidated by the amount of different scales i had to learn. so i didn't learn them. but about 6 months later i was just naturally at a point where i had all my other scales down and was seeking out something new to learn, and i am glad i had the modes sitting around because it gave me a project to work on.

i think my point is, if you are looking at it as some kind of chore like "do i have to?" then maybe don't learn them yet, concentrate on other things. then later when you've learned everything (or most everything) else, you will naturally look at the modes as an opportunity to learn something new. so instead of "do i have to?" it will be more "now i get to"

i don't know .... felling kinda lost ....

At first I did not want to learn all the different modes either, since there were 7 of them, one of me... haha seriously though it was a little overwhelming to try to get all these positions/notes/intervals memorized. But naturally, just like GX said, I fell into learning them merely because I had hit the point where you have exhausted everything you knew, and need to expand on your knowledge.

Exactly what GX said though;
If you are still in that "Do I have to?" state of mind, instead of the "Now I get to" state of mind, I don't think that you are ready to study further into modes/theory yet.

thanx ...