How to HEAR Modes

Lessons and courses at www.BenLevinMusicSchool.com
Backing track - www.dropbox.com/s/ir9xhz6fkuj...
/ benlevin

[@Keilnoth]

6:36 looks like Dorian mode is incorrect, there shouldn't be an Ab there. This was quite confusing.

[@BenLevin]

This is true! It should be C D Eb F G A Bb when the letters turn blue at 6:36

[@donander1]

@@BenLevin so can you please fix the video so people don't have to refer to the comments to find out why it doesn't sound right?

[@frostjack5456]

@@donander1 that's not how KZbin works

[@spaghettiopizza8686]

@@donander1 no, he can’t lol

[@donander1]

@@spaghettiopizza8686 KZbin Works however creators want it to work. Any Creator can edit their video and republish it if they want to.

[@jonnyleeg4058]

I predict Ben will become the Bob Ross of music education in time.

[@MyNameIsNeutron]

Better in time than out of time.

[@kikomori]

we have true cuckoo already, but I reckon there can be two Bob Rosses

[@juanchigroovemillar8142]

ooooooo

[@cleekersneaker]

I have a public access television show and Ben Levin is welcome anytime

[@alexczech8468]

ok boys and girls, wow great guitar color Suzan, ok lets just go ahead and flatten that second mhm that's nice huh? how about this one, the 3rd lets flatten that one too. Oh why not, lets go just flatten the sixth AND the seventh! wow! great job, that's the phrygian mode, now you're really shredding some tasty licks now!

[@ETLettuce]

The album "Ice Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava" by King Gizzard (ATLW) has 7 songs which each use these modes in the same order. So they're a great ear training tool to get into the sounds of modes

[@Sockem1223]

Dude and they use a lot of the same sounds as the ones in this video. I wonder if Ben inspired the album

[@gratefulpipeandcigar3239]

I went and listened to a little bit of each song right now. Pretty cool stuff, not what I was expecting at all with a name like that.

[@sksii]

@@Sockem1223 I'm pretty sure the album was recorded before the video came out so just a fun coincidence!

[@kevinrezek9788]

GREAT album cannot recommend it enough

[@danielmazzotti7528]

@@gratefulpipeandcigar3239 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

[@tfofurn]

I love this explanation of parallel modes vs. relative modes. I get the impression that most people only learn one way of conceptualizing the modes, but it's incredibly valuable to see it from both perspectives.

[@MisterMunkki]

When learning music a lot of stuff you need to intellectualize in order to be able to understand and use, but then you have to go back down and "feel" it to make music, but a lot of people get stuck up there :'(

The parallel interpretation really pays off when you start looking at the modes of the harmonic, melodic, harmonic major and double harmonic scales. Instead of remembering "parent scales" and "note order", all you need is a list of notes to change. Lydian b7 for instance, just take your regular Ionian (or neutral scale) and change your 4 and 7 to #4 and b7. Voilá. You can also start "creating" modes by just randomly adding flats and sharps to the Ionian mode

[@MisterMunkki]

@ The advantage of doing this is that you will know what notes specifically makes a mode sound like it does. For example if you're in dorian but you don't play the 6th there's actually no way to tell from your playing that you're not in aeolian, lydian is all about the #4 etc

@@MisterMunkki our points do not exclude each other. This is also a really good pro of using the parallel interpretation. A third reason to use this system is that it reveals which scales go with certain chords, which is great for jazz improv. For instance, a C7 goes well with Mixolydian or Lydian b7 because both have a major third and a flat seven.

[@ToneSherpa]

that seems to be the sticking point for most people understanding and getting the modes in their ears.. it's kind of difficult to hear what a mode is without it's context relative to it's parent major scale.

[@MRGO0OSE]

I loved the part where you pat doggo at 9:03 while playing in time and bending the note. A beautiful demonstration of modes. Thanks Ben!

[@ijemand5672]

Are you implying I meed to own a dog to become a musician?? 🙄

[@onemoremisfit]

Dog was thinking about demonstrating snoot harmonics.

[@jonsible]

How am I supposed to hear the Depeche Mode, though?

[@josh34578]

You turn the volume all the way down and... enjoy the silence.

[@jonsible]

@@josh34578 can you help me listen to Modest Mouse, too?

[@bassman9261995]

Here ya go kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3i2fKV5bMl6mbs

[@thelion9976]

“Carefully.”

[@tedhanlon7822]

What about the Edna Mode

[@GizzyDillespee]

I never realized how effective it is to increase tension by progressing thru the modes in this order. Your track reminds me of racing to the end of a video game level or trying to defuse the time bomb (in a movie, I mean😮) and the tension keeps building til the

[@ezeke959]

R.I.P.

[@benjaminlazar8363]

😂😂rest in paradise

[@dancoroian1]

THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME, TIL THE WHAAAAT?!?!

[@TKSnatch]

end. I had to sorry it was really messing with my OCD.

[@jamiroquaiordie]

Can anyone tell if Adam is ok?

[@erorographic9152]

The sound of C Locrian very cool in my ears. it feels mysterious yet majestic. Thanks Ben for video, apreciate it!

[@mirrortarget5729]

I wish Locrian was used more, but it's very unstable due to the flattened 5th. Songs using Locrian are incredibly rare.

[@ericswearingenmusic9967]

I originally learned modes from the relative approach, which is just a theoretical idea that I really didn’t understand why anyone would care about. Once I learned it from the approach of parallel modes, it became one of the most significant tools I ever learned in music lol.

[@epsilonzeromusic]

same here bro! it was so incredible when it first clicked. like, all my years of dissmisal of the relative approach was justified but i also simultaneously understood why I'd been wrong in dismissing modes altogether

[@DAN-nk1xt]

@@epsilonzeromusic I’m also just starting to feel like modes are not trivial. I thought it was just the major scale starting from different note, but it always sounded the same to me

[@carlodave9]

The word modes was intimidating me so I ignored them. If they were called ‘flaves’ it would have hooked me sooner. “Key of C? Okay, what flave?”

[@Posiman]

Yeah, the relative approach is easier to grasp when you first learn about them, but the parallel is way more useful as a music-making tool...

[@denrico777]

I've been trying to find a good explanation from the "parallel" perspective for like 15 years lol. This one is pretty good.

[@hrebolledoc5159]

the experience between relative and parallel modes is so enlighting , from 6:50 onwards, you can clearly hear echoes from Tony Banks chord progressions.....,

[@coasterairtime]

6:40 Its like going through different levels of a computer game, from the first level, leaving your pristine home in Ionian mode, via encountering some "difficulties" in Phrygian, then some chill time to fill up the batteries in mixolydian to face the final boss in locrian.

[@ywenp]

Yeah modes are a pretty big thing in video game music just for that reason... and in prog rock.

[@notwithouttext]

if you do it in order lydian, ionian, mixolydian, dorian, aeolian, phrygian, locrian, then it gets "darker" each time

[@jessecapra2350]

This is the most educational episode of Tim and Eric I've ever seen. Love it!

[@moosey7165]

HAHAHA

[@awhaleandadeer8785]

6:40 the examples part is so good!!

[@ster2600]

I just come back here to listen to it.

[@coasterairtime]

5:00 These jams really went hard. Love it how this kind of limitation really does something

[@ToneSherpa]

go write a song using locrean. GO!

[@ShermanKyle]

7:11, man Phrygian just speaks to my soul. Thanks for the lesson doc!

[@SepticFuddy]

The most blessed mode

[@stulora3172]

Ben! Wow! Thank you. I always thought that modes are taught in a very unintuitive way, practically saying, "D Dorian is like C major (sic!) but starting on the D" and you will never here the Dorian in that. Instead you hear a major scale that start and ends on the wrong note. I understood and heard modes much better once I compared all the modes in the same key. And this is the first time I see an educator do that. Thank you!

[@mattkaz9604]

That was fascinating. The sound of some of those modes makes the music sound strangely alien, and a bit scary.

[@Swordshreader]

You make learning so easy and understandable. Just the way you conceptualize music and break it down without being complicaticated or too dumbed down and slow that it makes it condecending. The pace is JUST right. And OH! The video itself is so well made, these past 6 videos have really been top tier. You're improving so rapidly!

[@braedonavants]

seconded!

[@magnvm6210]

yeah, idk why its SOO HARD for every other music theory information channel to execute in the way Ben did here. everyone is soo greedy and shady trying to sell you paid lessons so they aim to make very confusing videos talking about nothing and wasting people's time who actually want to just learn the fundamentals for god's sake.

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

This was really good, the animations were fantastic, gave me like false nostalgia. Lesson was very understandable.

[@phyein4815]

Yep definitely get some slight 90s computer vibes from this, I love it. Like the kind of thing youd find on the Gateway 2000 system CD. I spent so many afternoons as a kid playing round with all the random stuff on that disc haha

[@Koettnylle]

5:40 My dude is shredding the ionian scale like there's no tomorrow

[@chandraiyer1710]

Essentially it seems that modes are basically like highlighting the vadi swara for ragas. Music is so universal, damn

[@hypersonic12]

Ok, we need more education like this! So engaging, and frankly borderline absurdist at points which I think makes it a lot of fun. Awesome work!

[@memetherapy]

Ben's music theory videos are the only ones I watch even though it's covering theory I already know very well. The style and the presentation alone is enough to draw me in and keep me watching. I think that's a great sign because I know how spooky theory can be to newbs. Fantastic job again Ben!

[@renarddesneiges]

This video was spooky too...... but in a good way.

[@debeshyouveheard1987]

I've been making music for 3 decades and, even though I felt like a 5 year old watching this, it has been the most helpful and useful thing I have come across for grasping modes. Thank you!

[@flake8382]

I really love LYDIAN mode. Sick mode. Dreamy Af. Thanks for your videos Ben, always informative.

[@DCaseyTucker]

This is really good, I feel like modes didn't come up nearly as often as they should when I studied theory, and this video does a great job of filling in those gaps in an intuitive way.

[@lazzarello]

Thanks for this. Spent 20 minutes at the piano after watching. Came up with some fun sounding runs. A great break from all the classical harmony I've been swimming in.

[@ChrisBlohn]

8:07 this locrian jam is sick af.

[@GarbageDood]

Wow! His shred at the end was so casually brilliant and beautiful. Didn't even have to stop to pet his dog!

[@MikeArchangelo]

Pulling off the "Bob Ross of music" character exceptionally well. Loved this vid man!! I remember asking my music teacher in high school to give me homework that would teach me about modes. I became obsessed with learning to recognizing them by ear. This vid is such an excellent teaching tool!

[@user-kf7zd8jr6h]

Love the addition of your blendr animations next to the music school stuff! As always extremely helpful and a great simple way to conceptualize complicated concepts, thank you!

[@JonathanBarouch]

The backing track is also an excellent example of how to make a really cool piece of music within constraints!

[@ShoddyMussels706]

Those duck models are too good. Great video!

[@marrow94]

Man I'm so happy I subscribed to this channel

[@mindovermatt]

Wow, I've seen so many videos trying to feel rather than understand modes clearly and this just opened my mind! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

[@CommunityArchiveRecords]

You're content has been so good from the start, and it keeps evolving into new forms. That's why I don't post KZbin videos teaching it because you already have the best teaching method out there.

[@jkid1134]

The little dudes playing the sickest Pokémon battle type music got me pumped up

[@freeman7079]

I’m so glad I watched this. It’s amazing how much more I learned from this short video than I have in a two decades long attempt at teaching myself music theory. 🤦‍♂️ You sir, have a gift! Not to mention, you have the cutest animations I’ve ever seen! I’ve watched the outro song of the “Polyphia Riff” video like 400 times!

[@OAmeen]

i guess where the confusion comes when talking about modes is because not everybody points out that there are relative modes and parallel modes , they just say " modes " .

[@DingusMcBrungus]

I lucked into internalizing modes this way by accident lol. The way I learned any new scale as a self-taught guitarist was just making the lowest open string the root and building the scale up on that string to the 12th fret, figuring out scale shapes on the rest of the neck from there was secondary. Also gave myself a better understanding of intervals that way

[@mistersounds2006]

This is GENIUS!!!! having the ACTUAL note sounds to reference!!! The cheesyness isn't even a factor lol. So good man!!! 5 stars....2 thumbs up....

[@donald-parker]

Steve Vai - The Riddle. Back when that was released there was no internet. No KZbin. No seeing your artists unless they happened to be performing locally. When I first herd this I had no clue about modes ( in fact, I had no clue about much of anything. My main guitar influence was Johnny Winter, and without knowing anything about pentatonics I just picked up on the patterns of "notes that sound good".) But then Steve came alone (again, with no musical background to be aware of "modes" I thought of these as "magical Steve Vai" scales that I assumed he invented. For years). Years later I came to regards this song as a great introduction to learning how modes feel. And I love your dog.

[@RuptimusPrime]

Definitely the best and most easy to understand explanation of modes I've ever heard. Thanks!

[@frankblackburn]

One way that helps me to visualize it is using the intervals. For example: C Ionian: C D E F G A B (C) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (8) P1 M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7 (P8) C Dorian: C D Eb F G A Bb (C) 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (8) P1 M2 m3 P4 P5 M6 m7 (P8) etc.

[@marcusrange5509]

I find this approach to be very useful too. Makes memorizing the structure of the modes way easier too. Most of them have 3 or fewer alterations from Ionian, so it's as simple as remembering say "Dorian is flat 3 and flat 7" or "Lydian is just a sharp 4". Then you have some super basic instructions for quickly changing the mood and feel of any piece of music. Want it darker? flatten the 3 and 7 to get Dorian. Darker still? Flat that 6 as well for Aeolian. Want it brighter? Throw a sharp 4 in there for Lydian.

[@erniewa1ker]

wwhwwwh etc

[@helloween76]

That mode jam is freaking awesome!!

[@arxaaron]

I love your entertaining cabbage brained duck rabbit cow character! 🙂 And huge appreciation for a most excellent, compact, concise, and tactile explanation of exactly what modes are and how to both appreciate and implement them. THANK YOU! I can't wait to employ this as I explore my recently acquired Linnstrument MPE midi controller. Subscribed to watch for more uToob gems (while hoping for more David Bruce colabs) and will be scoping the music school offerings.☮&❤

[@6810]

Well, this would have been useful 25 years ago. Thank you, Ben, in 10 minutes you put together all the disparate understandings I've had into a coherent, easily grasped... thing. Beautiful, as always.

[@ToneSherpa]

yeah I only really understood this intellectually (rather than just instinctively) like maybe 5 years ago when I bothered to memorize the formulas and stuff for all of these

[@douchecraft3113]

wish there was a "love" button. You explained in 10 minutes what my guitar teacher couldn't explain in years

[@TROGULAR10000]

This is by far the best explanation I've come across. I was like who cares that you can find all the modes by just starting on the next note of the scale, what you really need to know what they sound like is to hear them all in the same key.

[@sublimejre6061]

Forget the subject of this video, the editing and humor are on another level

[@irokdayellup]

I first sub'd to you way back when you did the zelda modes video. That was such a good lesson. I feel like this new motion graphics approach to showing the relationship's is dope. Nice way of merging your 3d stuff.

[@kayleebaginski]

This man deserves FAR more subs. Incredible content and engaging animation.

[@amandapiskefertig7170]

ok this way of explaining modes is just incredible

[@doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog]

The final comparison was SUCH a jam!

[@midplanewanderer9507]

Gonna have to watch this again, with my bass in hand. This is extremely useful and enlightening! Very well done!

[@bigbroiswatchingyou2137]

The explanations, animations and especially music are amazing! This is definitely top tier music theory content

[@juliecostello42]

I really love how everything sounds like a bad infomercial from the 90's, it wasn't lost on me. Good job, stay golden

[@horrorshowbass]

This is awesome love the 80s aesthetic. The dog pet mid solo was a boss move

[@Jamie_kemp]

I feel like you could very easily take a song from mario kart for each mode to perfectly capture its feeling

[@awhaleandadeer8785]

Beautiful video!!! I think this is one of the best explanation y saw about this topic!!, the animation and editing made it so good!! Wonderful explanation and examples, thank you for this!!!

[@greg55666]

Okay, I've only watched 15 seconds of this video, and already this is the greatest channel I've ever seen.

[@dovas90]

Call this a multimedium. The only thing missing is the real life presence of that guy passing the knowledge directly to your existence.

[@dustbunnys]

Thank you so much for this amazing lesson, my only question remaining is: how does building chords and song structures change when using these parallel modes? I assume the chords must contain the notes of each mode but I feel that there is a minutia to this concept that would be most clearly explained by you!

[@sauron7775]

I second this! It would be really helpful to learn this explained by Ben

[@FinnbarrGoesFast]

this video might help! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5W1cmVumMmna8U

[@amaice]

An important concept to know is "modal mixture", the process of borrowing from other parallel modes briefly, most common example is, in C major: C F Fm C you're borrowing from the relative minor with the Fm chord. Fm has an Ab which is found in C minor, not in C major Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn't haha

[@TheSquareOnes]

The short answer is that the chords have the same qualities in the same order, you're just changing which one is "home." Anything you'd normally want to do with chords and progressions is still fair game though, there's no need to force yourself into the most cliche modal box unless you're really going for a very specific sound. For a longer and significantly more rewarding answer I'd highly recommend you go look up Signals Music Studio's series on modes, they've done at least one video for each that really explores how they work and why you'd want to use them in a way that seems like it would be very accessible to beginners while still being full of useful tips for advanced musicians too. Then just go binge the rest of the channel while you're at it, they're easily the best theory teacher on youtube (not to discount Ben either, who obviously does a phenomenal job exploring more experimental topics but also covers the basics very well) and I can't recommend them enough.

[@gustavoberocan]

The dog noticed things got intense with the phrygian mode and went to check out if Ben was ok.

[@GreenGuitarNerd]

Excellent presentation of the concepts. I had some “There it is!!!” Moments listening to the parallel modes. Those visuals crack me up though. And big smile when you just rolled through the dog saying hi.

[@RhythmAddictedState]

Can we take a second to appreciate the effort that went into making this? The video and 3D skills, dam bruh

[@ishimomo7842]

This is what I needed to understand the modes! The other videos I watched had examples of the modes and music notations of those examples, but a lot of those examples were complex and I still couldn't hear the sound they were talking about. But when I heard you talking about how the notes in the Key of C wanted to return home to rhd house of C, even after having returned to D, I understood that sound that the other videos were trying to explain. I love that you actually played what every note sounds like and used wonderful metaphors and musical cues. As someone who is quite new to music theory, the pacing of this video is perfect and the immersion is spot on, mostly because you took the time to make this video as focused on hearing specific tones as possible without confusing the audience. I do wish that in the jam section with all of the modes that you highlighted or animated which notes were being played in the song. I was confused trying to figure out what note each song started on and played throughout, and when the instruments changed, it was a little harder to follow the notes, but the distinct sound of each node was easier to distinguish at the same time. All in all, 1000/10 video editing and teaching skills!! (●´ω｀●)♥️♥️♥️

[@bluesatmosphere4659]

He has the looks, Humor, style, knowledge and of course editing skills

[@MonkeyBars1]

You're confusing the terminology here Ben... keys don't actually related to modes in that way A key, or "tonality", implies very specific relationships and hierarchies between its tones, while modes do not, despite having a "most important" tone. This is the difference between tonal & modal music. Modes are NOT a derivation from keys, rather the opposite if anything. A key is a subset of a mode with a much more defined use structure.

[@nathanfranz4058]

I think you're overthinking this. This video is an introduction to modes that uses the concept of key signatures, with which many viewers are more familiar, to organize different modes and clarify what they sound like. There's no broad claim about which is the more foundational concept. Great video, Ben!

[@skern49]

@@nathanfranz4058 It's not okay to spread misinformation, regardless of who your audience is. Either define mode correctly, or don't attempt to define it at all, it's as simple as that. There's also the implied assumption that the audience wouldn't understand the actual definition of mode (assuming, that is, that the creator of this video knows that definition himself). If educators had more faith in their audience and didn't dumb everything down, then we wouldn't have an additional 8,000 people who now have an incorrect definition of mode and will eventually have to relearn it later (though of course most of them won't relearn it, and will thus continue to spread the misinformation, and on and on and on).

[@TheSquareOnes]

He's using the common conflation of "key" with "the notes of the major or minor scale," which is close enough for any practical purposes. This isn't a graded music theory course, nobody is going to test your knowledge of these definitions later. All that matters is that you're coming away with a better understanding of how to produce certain sounds and identify the relationships between them, which it seems like this video is going a good job of doing given all the comments saying things like "wow, this finally made the different sounds of the modes click, thanks!"

[@TheProgGuy]

That's why Dorian is used by so many rock guitarists, it sounds so wicked.

[@jetxmael]

I loved the tone of petting the dog

[@smilleur]

What a fucking stunning example of the sound and feeling of modes. I found myself getting way too into the last jam well done man 10/10

[@Tmp3st]

I liked the characters moving to the jam over the drone Helps getting the feel of the jams across and feel the more "unpalatable" modes

[@ianclayton2365]

He's a living guitar god. Petting the dog at 9:03 haha love it

[@eljestLiv]

I think it's more intuitive to sort the modes after the circle of fifths, so one note changes every time: Lydian Ionian Mixolydian Dorian Aeolian Phrygian Locrian

[@welltatormytots5269]

Just gonna ignore the fact the Ben absolutely shreds on guitar

[@sedoyotec]

This is absolutely the best school I ever saw in my life. Period

[@noslowerdna]

Pretty epic solo at the end there.

[@SeasOfCheese929]

I get major Frank Zappa vibes from the Lydian section at 7:24

[@MisterMunkki]

Props for managing to make Locrian sound good :D

[@chriskreutz1442]

The music fits how those creepy alien duck things look like. My favorite one is the locrian one. Reminds me of a mischievous demon the way it sounds and how he is playing his strange instrument.

[@ApronGirl123]

this was so amazing. the animations are hilarious and the dog coming up during the guitar solo was prime

[@dzz5799]

9:01 very cute how you stop playing with the right hand to pet your cute dog

[@user-bf6gz8ej4o]

This is without a doubt the ONLY video on this platform really explaining what modes are. I've watched all of them, wether they were made by Rick Beato, Adam Neely, Nik Nocturnal etc., nobody explained what modes are. So thanks!

[@notwithouttext]

did you watch the one by david bennett piano? i think it also explains it well

[@liedecay]

ben levin has been my musical secret weapon since 2011

[@MarsLos10]

I'm so in love with the phrygian mode

[@akirataifu8470]

Dude, this video is out of control. He's shreading so hard at the end.

[@mirrorengine]

best animated music theory video ever... a true piece of art

[@kaustik185]

This man's blender skills are actually getting worse and I'm here for it

[@bluesatmosphere4659]

7:12 one of the best solos I ever heard

[@adrian5b]

This video should be displayed in a museum

[@kruzle280]

I understood pretty much none of this, not because the video is bad, but because i'm musically stupid. I just play random stuff I think sounds cool or mimic riffs or songs i hear. But with that being said I will continue trying to wrap my head around this, because I think it would be a useful skill for improvisation and stuff.

[@david-bl6is]

when listening to the parallel mode examples I could've sworn I was just listening to the Risk of Rain 2 soundtrack. good stuff!

[@TheDutchCreeperTDC]

What I find most impressive about this is that you managed to create a bop in C locrian

[@zachb8012]

I put this video on to explain modes and scales to my 5 year old and realized I had no idea how they work myself. I just kinda memorized them without knowing how they were derived. Maybe one of the best explanation of modes to a younger audience... and dumb banjo players.

[@evanistrans-dimentional2092]

Ben, the Universe sent you to me via KZbin suggestions. You're like Bob Ross and Mister Roger's, two of the most awesome humans that roamed the planet. I thank you Ben and the Universe.

[@NedJeffery]

That move with the dog was slick

[@onelovitHD]

i loved how you took few seconds to interact with your dog without loosing your frame (9:01) BOSS :)

[@Eat_Sleep_Game]

That dog makes this video much more priceless!

[@totomhavehat]

how am I finding your channel only now ? both funny and educational, thank you

[@Young-bx2pf]

Thank you for this video! I was stuck with using different modes in the same key because it was easier. However, as a side effect it felt like the modal sound I wanted was missing and I couldn't figure out why. This cleared it up!