Scales Vs Modes: What's the Difference?

[@jamesd2220]

Phrygian = boldness, exuberance, passion, courage, leadership, but in excess pride, rashness, irascibility, violent anger. Lydian = good cheer, optimism, subimity, friendliness, laughter, love and song. Dorian = sleepiness, lethargy, laziness, slowness, mental dullness, forgetfulness, calmness, internal equanimity, well being. Mixolydian = solidity, firmness, steadfastness, rhythm, but with a certain indolent tenaciity.

[@patfix]

I always enjoy those awkward first seconds when Rick is still idle.

[@Dm3qXY]

hm... are they many enough for a montage ?

[@ross3818]

"Hey, everybody!"

[@isdochere]

Collins McCollin Fact: Whatever anyone does, someone will make fun of it.

[@ross3818]

@@isdochere Who's making fun? I dig it.

[@isdochere]

Collins McCollin It’s still true...

[@nyzhl284]

I always teach modes as keys, rather than scales. A C major scale is still a C major scale if you start it on a different note. It's the tonal centre that matters. Think of a mode as a sonic environment and it makes a lot more sense.

[@LosantoBeats]

Its all relative to the spaces between each note and thats what gives each scale its feeling. Is that what you are saying?

[@Submersed24]

Modes still don't make sense to me because I was under the impression that a mode is just playing all the keys in a scale(c major) except you shift down (start with F) . But that sounds off key.

[@KenDWebber]

@@Submersed24 A mode needs a modal center that it plays against, usually in the bass. So if you're playing the G Lydian sound you'd take the D Major Scale it comes from and FOCUS on the 4th, which is G. You have shifted the tonal center in the bass to a G drone. Both D Major Scale and the G Lydian sound have the exact same notes, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C# is D Major. Shift to the G as the modal center and you get the Lydian mode, G, A, B, C#, D, E, F# - so long as you emphasize the G drone or vamp in the background. If you were to focus on say the D in the background then you'd lose the Lydian sound as your ear is telling you that now you're playing D Major.

[@shahin75pf97]

Good point!

[@rickhood]

This may have already been said in other ways, but isn't a mode simply a scale of some kind but using a different root. For example, C Major Mixolydian (b flat) is really F Major scale (also b flat) but using C as the root? Or, another way to think of it is that a mode is a "deviation" of a scale, so C Major Mixolydian is a deviation of C Major (what I call "deviation" Rick is calling a "subset" in this video).

[@RickBeato]

For everyone asking about the discount code. 'RB16' should work now, as well as 'RBMODE'. If one code doesn't work, try the other. They're both for 35% OFF anything in my store @rickbeato.com/

[@tomjones6190]

Love your videos Rick! Great information! So first, this is not an argument or a debate, simply a thought based on my knowledge as an educator. There is no difference between a scale and a mode. By definition, modes are scales: "any series of pitches, ascending or descending", as you say, from the Latin word, scala... Since traditional Western music scales are based on a set series of whole steps and half steps within an octave, each mode simply represents a different placement of the half steps within that octave. E.X. Major (also known as the Ionian Mode): WWHWWWH. Natural Minor (also known as the Aeolian Mode): WHWWHWW. Lydian Mode: WWWHWWH. You are correct that contemporary musicians don't think this way, certainly when improvising on a chord symbol. When I think natural Minor, I think "flat 3 and flat 6 (degrees of the major scale)", or Dorian ( Flat 3 and 7 in the (D) major Scale). It all has to happen in a split second! Anyway, my point remains the same...they're all "Scales". Maybe the title should be "USING Scales vs Modes"... Keep up the great vids!!

[@johnulrich5572]

First rule of Beato Club...never talk about the Beato Club! Love the videos. I've learned more in the last year than the rest of my life.

[@TheCorrectAnswer56]

Just watched the Peter Frampton interview. One of the best interviews of a musician I’ve seen. In depth, intelligent questions about details without getting too nerdy. And he let Peter actually talk unlike most interviewers. If Rick can somehow do this with more artists (particularly legends like Peter) asking about how they wrote something and discussing it in detail, that would be amazing!

[@BeadsByAria]

Rick. There is a pervasive source of confusion in talk of modes (not in this video but in general) that would be great for you to address. When we speak of tonalities and composition, modes are very distinct providing tonalities and chord movement beyond everyday major and minor keys. As such the distinction for example between say dorian and Lydian is unambiguous and decisive in this context. But in the beginning study of Jazz Improvisation they concept of mode is used in a very different sense. An example makes this clear. Suppose we have a ii V I cadence in C maj. No we are told that the ii chord - D m7 - takes D dorian. Now I remember as an early student of Jazz thinking: “You mean I have to play ideas built on the root using the white keys from D to D?!” But of course this is not case, as saying D dorian over Dm7 simply means utilizing the “pallet” of note choices that is the white keys on a piano. (Pat Methany first made this clear to me in one of his videos). As such against Dm7, playing an idea built on those white keys but starting on F could also be conceptualized as D Dorian. But, and this where students get confused, it also could be seen as F Lydian over Dm7. So in so-called jazz chord scale theory (ala David Baker/Jamey Aebersold) It is simply a matter of convention and simplicity that we say, for example, that m7 chords take the dorian mode built on the root of the chord. But we could also say m7 chords take Lydian built on the minor third of the chord, or Ionian built a b7 above the root., etc. as these are all the same note sets! (For simplicity I’m setting aside the issue of where chord tones fall relative to the beat) But of course the easiest thing is simply to think of dorian built on the root, and so we proceed this way by convention. And of course the same goes for Mixolydian over V and all the rest. But what we DON’T mean in this cord-scale context is that the the ii lives in dorian “tonal space” (I.e. where V chords are m7ths!) or that the IV chord lives in Lydian tonality. And similarly for modes of mel min where can talk of playing super locrian over an altered chord built on the root or equivalently of playing mel min built from a half-tone above the root. So it seems that the application of the concept of “mode” in jazz chord scale theory is more arbitrary and based on convention, where as in the realm of tonality, composition etc the distinction between modes - e.g dorian bs Lydian - is more absolute. I would love to hear you elaborate on this at some point: “modes vs modes! Joseph P Cannavo (Physician by day, modern jazz clarinet by night!) PS. Wished you lived in Denver!

[@fabienjeunejean2193]

A scale is defined by intervals. And modes are different views of a scale. I finally understood ! Thank you Rick ! I appreciate your videos !

[@velvet373]

You and me both brutha!

[@CyrilViXP]

How it could be the different view if it consists of different notes?

[@YHWHthegreatIAM]

@@CyrilViXPI don’t understand either. I guess it’s like a piece of wood can be a door stop and a stool? It’s the same notes and same chords. No matter how you slice it. It’s the same stuff in a different order.

[@craigbutterfield592]

May give up my musical aspirations, and tackle straightforward rocket science instead.

[@benjaminchartier6458]

There's a lot of underlying math to composing and recording music,and rocket science uses math in a similar fashion,quantifying,for instance, the force of sound waves against an object (decibels increase in force on a logarithmic scale). Sound waves at 110 db/u can cause some microphones to distort, but sound at 180 db/u can break up a spaceship launching from a launch pad (The booster rockets from the space shuttle put out a sound pressure in excess of 180 db/u,that's why they used to pour water jets into the pit underneath the booster rockets,to break up the sound waves so they didn't break up the ship).

[@craigbutterfield592]

@@benjaminchartier6458 I knew that.

[@Submersed24]

I think most of the confusion with music theory is how interchangeable the words are. All the terms are greek and such a simple thing turns into such a complex one because of how it's all labeled.

[@urideemer4333]

I always replace how your comparison to Rocket Science with chasing Quantum Physics / Chaos Theory and a pinch of the Mandelbrot Set down the rabbit hole. However playing music even at my level is fun, fun, fun and makes me appreciate those that excell at it even more. I understand that Lennon & McCartney could not read music - their theories were applied with their own formulations and a little help from their friends.

[@beachbum4166]

Tell me about it. I'm a surgeon and I feel the same. That is why I left music school. None of my professors was any good at playing their instruments save one. They knew all the formulas though. Rick is different in that he has both ability to play and has the formulas. But, he knows the first key to becoming a good musician is being able to play an instrument first. Then possibly tackle the formula perspective of music but not necessary to be a great musician. A child learns to speak first and then read; not the reverse. Through history the vast majority of humans didn't read.

[@cflowers69]

I think the single constant throughout my guitar teaching years, was that there are always students who understand how everything works, and why everything works, but yet they can't paint a picture with the information they have on hand. You can explain every last color in the paintbox, but some folks just can't figure out that, in the end, it all comes down to your creativity. It is that "leap of faith" thing that you saw in the third Indiana Jones movie. lol. You have to smear the paint around on the canvas and see what works. Otherwise you are just running scales and modes against textbook safe spots. And I am not talking about just flailing away, hoping that everything works out. lol. No, there is a fine line that you cross from learning music theory to creating, and I always believed that it was the sheer audacity that humans (artists) convey when creating that allows this to happen. Tell a story about a shipwreck, and in the middle of the story, also tell of dogs playing poker. Is that what you want to tell about? Good! What would the soundtrack to THAT story sound like? Tell us about it........

[@mrstrypes]

This is really good! I'm a music teacher who LOVES theory; so much so that I often leave students in the dust because my brain goes down a trail that their not yet prepared to travel. Oftentimes, after a short jaunt into Theoryland, I will say, "But let's start painting now. Even if you 'scribble' at first, let's just create some pictures together." Love it!

[@cflowers69]

@@mrstrypes I love theory as well, and I took to it in grade school while in orchestra and playing cello/viola. Music theory provides the roadmap for how it all works and affixes together, and it will certainly push your creativity because knowing theory unlocks most if not all of the colors in the paintbox. That freedom allows for unobstructed selection of where your creative impulses will take you. Concur with the scribbling! Love it right back!

[@johnvictor1650]

Sounds like whom the 🐝 tolls

[@ross3818]

An observation using the circle of 5ths to aid visualization: your root tone remains the same. Lydian is immediately on the right of C Ionian (eg: the mode of C with the sharp 4th), and C mixolydian to the left. Left again gives you C Dorian. Another left, C aeolian. 1 more C phrygian. Last step you get C locrian. Note that skipping letters will give you the next mode. Also note Dorian is symmetrical- it's intervals are identical stepping up or down from the root. Either side of Dorian those modes' assymetries are shared but inversely. Just a little learning aid.

[@jakehendriksen2841]

It was theory videos that first brought me to your channel, Rick. I still have a long way to go, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate your passion as an educator and your joy as a musician. You're doing important work!

[@scotmdeal1605]

¹à

[@leesguitar1]

A Mode is really a key centre within a scale. Forinstance G7 Am7 Dm7 is a chord progression in D Dorian. The way you are describing them is what I was always taught were chord scales.

[@pancakepunch1011]

this guy is a musical god. professors are great but were not all bachs. it's still complicated but made very obtainable. or at least gave you that feeling you can learn it... love it

[@rorylondon9534]

Indeed! The education you can get from Rick is phenomenal, and this is partly because he's able to take any musical concept, no matter how simple or complex, and explain it in a way that's pallattable and relatable.

[@ianmorton1799]

I've had multiple knowledgeable people over the course of at least 15 years try to explain modes to me and this is the first time I've actually understood it.

[@Warp_Head]

I'm really glad you're going to be revisiting the scales / modes / chord theories. Also your great videos on modes and composers, where you show progressions on the keyboard are amazing and I'm glad they're back too!

[@mcgrawreek]

I've learned by ear all my life. Your work is making me want to change and learn what I've been doing all this time. My son knows music theory. Can't wait to spring some of this on him. Ha!

[@mrclarksix]

Rick, thank you for the disount on the book. I've been wathcing your videos for a little over a year and I decided it was long overdue to learn the basic principles of real music. Thank you for the inspiration and resources you provide.

[@alfredbell736]

I just bought the Beato Book 3.0. (what a great text for getting your basics and theory down). It's the least I can do since I've watched and learned a lot from Rick (all for free!). Everyone should support him so he can make a good living as a musician, teacher, producer, etc. He has such passion for music. He'll continue to give us great content.

[@KiralearnsNorwegian]

Perfecto. Again, great content. After my whole life of struggling to play any instrument, I'm finally feeling motivated to learn music theory and I can already see how useful it is!

[@tednugentlives]

Start with Smoke on the water or Freebird.

[@kimerswell7643]

@@tednugentlives Inspired!

[@KiralearnsNorwegian]

@@tednugentlives Thanks, I'll give it a go :)

[@irti_pk]

So you're learning Norwegian AND music theory? You've got a lot on your plate!

[@KiralearnsNorwegian]

@@irti_pk Too many goals :S Such little time!

[@davidcastelein2137]

A mode of a scale is relative to the tonal center that is played, or suggested by our brain ! That’s why people sometimes hear different version of the same lick , when tonal center is not clearly played !

[@ELMARQUESO]

You need to put the mode in a harmonical context, if not, I will just sound like a bunch of notes without sense

[@ChristianPaulDelage]

I'm still going through your book, but learning that you're going to go through every mode over again is the best news I've heard this year so far!

[@apga1998]

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that obtaineth understanding." Proverbs 3:13 Thank you for your videos. Best wishes!

[@billsybainbridge3362]

Rick, I started (back in 1985) using the term System to refer to a superset of Modes, reserving the term Scale for step-wise construction of a collection (or set) of notes (in contrast to Intervals), so a System = a Scale + its Modes, i.e. the Diatonic System (Major + minor Scales and their Modes), Melodic System, Harmonic System, Dynamic System, Contratonic System, Kinetic System. Diminished System, Chromatic System, in that order of Dissonance. This way of thinking always makes it clear that a scale "never lives in isolation" but is part of a "community" of sound.

[@malethouk1106]

Thank you RB. Even though this stuff is so technical and I have tried so many times to teach myself this stuff you take it next level because you truly love music the way you appreciate every facet of it. Especially in your what makes this song great series. I run music workshops to get the most damaged and marginalised kids in Melbourne Australia and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping me inspired to share music in a therapeutic way to explore their emotions and activate their brains in a unique way that rekindles a trust for adults that has sparked and transformed their interest in learning music. I aspire to one day understand a quarter of the stuff you know so I can share it with these young people. You are a masterful teacher and I thank you so much for impact that you have had on my life. I try to emulate you in my session with the young people but I mostly love how you always pay tribute to the process of music making and collaboration of each musician and producer and you do this with no ego but are driven by the talent and artist just being in the moment and making something special. Thank you so much. Love watching your vids. Don’t stop! Much love and appreciation. 🙏🏻

[@robertanderson1043]

IMO: modes *are* scales. They're scales that happen to be derivable from inversions of another scale. But it would probably cause less confusion if you didn't even know that's one way to obtain them, or learned it after the fact. The view as alterations of a scale is the more useful way to think about it.

[@kylec2761]

Wow it's weird, I so disagree -- I find the most useful way of thinking about modes is to think of them as being in a key other than the tonal center.

[@robertanderson1043]

@@kylec2761 For a jam in Am, do you think of this as "key of C with tonal center A"? To me, that seems confusing at best, if not misunderstanding what "key" means. Same reasoning applies to any other mode of C major.

[@kylec2761]

@@robertanderson1043 Basically yes, I do, because I'm old and was taught in an era before we understood modes as "keys." For a simple M/m (C maj/Am) I wouldn't think that way, because I can hear a minor key, but if I'm playing C lydian I absolutely do think of it as sitting in the 4 of G major, because I wasn't taught that lydian is a "key." If I'm in Dorian minor, I absolutely do find it more useful to think of myself as "at the 2" rather than to memorize scale intervals a different way.

[@callahanburke8486]

Of course they're scales. This doesn't make it appreciably clearer, but: Lydian and Ionian Modes are used in happy and spiritually uplifting music. Mixolydian and Dorian Modes are often used in blues and gospel music. The Aeolian (minor) Mode is defined as melancholy and sad while Phrygian and Locrian Modes are the go-to Modes for scary, dramatic, and otherworldly sounds.

[@jamessbca]

@@kylec2761 ... you're my brother from another mother... seems sooo much easier... There are only 12 keys. Done. (not all of the different major scale variations of every key - that seems like an insurmountable thing to memorize).

[@gregoirebrenon]

I've been watching this channel for a long time , and this is my first comment (I think), so first I would like to thank Rick for his amazing job. This channel made me discover so many great artists I didn't know and rediscover artists I already knew. Thank you! Regarding the modes. I've been struggling with these concepts from the day I started to learn harmony for guitar / piano and this video unfortunately doesn't really adress my questions as it doesn't really talk about harmonic context. Some of the other RIck's video provide hints and some of the below comments too, but it's hard to bridge the dots. I studied basic classical harmony/composition, that I will call below "tonal harmony", whereby I'd have a scale from which to build a melody and a set vocabulary of classical/clichés cadences to harmonize over that melody. Tonal center is on the root (let's say C), the musical theme builds tensions (e.g. supported by a G7) and everything unfolds by going back to the "home/center of gravity" sound (C) providing a sense of resolution. Pretty basic but robust. With this knowledge, by reading a sheet music (let's say, a Bach choral) one can analyse the cadences, give the tonality, modulations, etc. The issue I have with modes is that I find them so different from this theory and I cannot really formulate my questions into a single one. A list of questions I have (not MECE) and would love someone to answer would be : - By reading a melody line, can I tell whether it is in C ionian vs D Dorian without actually listening it? - When I'm listening to the beginning of Let it be (C G Am F), am I hearing C Ionan then G mixolydian then A aeolian then F lydian melodies or just a regular C major melody with tonal harmonization principles? - If I change the bass note from the Indiana Jones theme (Ionian) from a C to a D drone, does it become a D Dorian melody? - How can my ear tell when I' modulating from a D dorian to a G mixolidian sound ? - For each mode, is a there a "usual" set of cadence that are a "signature" of this mode (a bit like the perfect V7 > I is a strong clue of the underlying major tonality)? If so how can one learn this? (i.e. how can you build your repertoire of cadences in DOrian for example if that makes sense...) - In the end is there a real difference between modal composition and tonal composition ? If so what is the best way to summarize it? If anyone can bring light on this, this would be much appreciated. Apologies if this is already adressed in one of Rick's videos I may not have watched yet!

[@kronosecw]

Rick you really need to cover chord progressions to go along with the mode that keeps the feeling of the mode. Without that people will be stuck with only having a drone note. Gambale did a great job in his modes video. I'd like to hear your take on it too

[@krystledawne]

kronosecw This!!

[@Ryan-ji3xk]

Have you looked through all his videos? I ask because he has SEVERAL videos on modes and has examples of progressions focused on 'Modal playing'. Unless he's taken them down, which I doubt. Actually go-to his channel and look.

[@kronosecw]

@@Ryan-ji3xk Rick has 100,000 videos. I'm sure he's covered the topic before. However, since he did say he wanted to redo his mode videos now that he has better equipment and a bigger following, I'd like to see him talk about to the bigger picture. In this video, that aspect obviously wasn't present.

[@Dbm7b5-p7y]

Exactly, this and please make the distinction between modal harmony and chord-scale-theory (example of the latter: when they say you play G-Mixolydian over G7 when when you are playing a song with tonal center of C-ionian).

[@codedesigns9284]

You are awesome Rick! Love your help. You are very thorough and have helped me tremendously to understand many of what the greatest would call 'fundamentals'. I have played an LTD/ESP/Mesa Boogie for close to 25 years now. Even though I can pick up a song by ear... now I can say that I have a deeper understanding of the theory...especially with modes, scales, and finding proper key of songs (from another of your videos). This is priceless and helps to spread the love of music. Two thumbs up!

[@PeterJDeVault]

Hey Rick - I'm really excited to hear you say you're going to be doing new videos on all of the modes. I've enjoyed all of them so far - looking forward to it. Thank you.

[@lewisheller2636]

Rick is the most likable genius I've ever had the privilege to admire... even when he goes over my head, I still enjoy watching him... eventually I begin to understand what he's explaining 😉

[@jackh577]

The Ionian mode "is" the major scale. Aeolian "is" the natural minor scale. These two facts should be the very first things that every mode lesson should start with. Rick teaches great Mode lessons, although some videos may be too complex for total mode beginners. Most mode videos on line lack some basic facts and make modes seem overcomplicated. The biggest misconception on line, is that a mode is one scale with a new root note. Instead, the Biggest fact about Modes which constantly gets overlooked (except by Rick) is that each mode is a major scale with one or more half tone adjustments. Focusing on those half tone adjustment is what gives each mode it's unique sound. This is most often left out of most KZbin videos, yet is the the MOST important fact one needs to recognize if they truly understand modes. Just highlighting the A note while playing the G major scale does not create the sound of the Dorian mode. Soo may people learn this from mode videos, and think they now understand modes. What creates the sound of Dorian is highlighting the half tones between the 2 and flat 3, and the natural 6 and flat 7. This is very easy to understand and learn if taught properly. One needs to have a firm knowledge of intervals, and how the major and minor scales work before trying to learn modes.

[@freefinancialadvice]

Thanks man

[@comajoebuck999]

Your video work has never distracted from the subject at hand. That in itself, is an accomplishment.

[@jayelshaddai]

Happy new year Rick ! keep up the good work...you're the best teacher on the net !

[@playguitarlikeapro828]

''What is the Difference between a Scale and a Mode in Music? '' By MODE it is meant a very specific scale, i.e. a GREEK mode, which came into use in the West during the Middle Ages by the Church, whereas a SCALE comprises ANY scales, including the modes. The term 'mode' is related to the term 'scale' in the same way, as say, the term 'apples' is related to the term 'fruit'. A mode is ALWAYS a scale, whereas a scale is NOT necessarily a mode, in the same way as an apple is ALWAYS a fruit, but 'fruit' is not necessarily just apples.

[@ECxTheMaster]

@USA men yeah it is

[@thearno2885]

No you can use the concept of shifting the starting note of a scale to ANY scale, so modes apply to all scales with a few exceptions, for example the whole tone scale does not have any modes.

[@chadfavre]

Play Guitar Like A Pro that made more sense than anything in this video. Thanks.

[@Milewskige]

I agree - after all, the relative natural minor scale IS the Aeolian mode. If THAT mode can be called a "scale" the the other modes can be as well.

[@chriskastelic1491]

So all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs? Lol

[@briancase6180]

If you're old enough, you can recognize lydian in the theme from the cartoon called The Jetsons: "meet George Jetson!" "His boy Elroy!" Etc.

[@StoicThePoet]

You have changed my life with your videos, and book! Now, time to purchase the ear training course!

[@davidhoxit4274]

I'm looking forward to future modes and scales videos, and many thanks Rick and friends!

[@johnmcminn8288]

this is really great someone on Ricks level is benevolent enough to teach the masses on Yotube I always picture Rick Putting his Cello in a case at a Boston conservatory, then walking down to a local club to play Jazz on guitar

[@frenchef7]

I would say that for practical use a scale is any devision of the octave with notes in between. From a mathematical stand point it's practical to use the term mode as a RELATION between scales. To be exact, if the sequence of intervals in scale A is a shift of the sequence of intervals in scale B (continuing over the octave) we say that A is a mode of B (and also B is a mode of A). The practical use if it is the ability to construct one scale easily by using a scale you already know.

[@devilsdoorbell]

Thank you for the discount, Rick. Just bought your book. Also for the lesson. Modes are still a learning curve for me and this is helpful.

[@trooper326]

I appreciate you enriching the world by freely sharing your knowledge. Most people would pay to learn this stuff.

[@ipbrann2891]

Vous avez une façon d’enseigner, simple et efficace, grand merci. Vous répondez à des questions que l’on se pose. 👍🏻 et j’ai ai eu des enseignants .. Et j’ai aussi compris qu’a force d’avancer, je comprends mieux, ma compréhension est différente aussi. Merci à vous.

[@TaroTimes]

Oui

[@MindsDozer]

I would describe a mode as a pattern of intervals, while a scale is a set of pitches which forms an instance of a mode.

[@BARKINGattheMOON100]

John Moore Where the Fuck did you escape from. I ain't leaving the house until you gets caught.

[@dougdevine27]

This is the most succinct and understandable statement regarding the scale/mode conundrum. At least for my tech-oriented brain.

[@KenDWebber]

The difference between a mode and a scale is that a mode comes FROM a scale, has the exact same notes as the scale it comes from BUT to be a mode you have to shift the modal center the song is grooving on. For example, if you take the D Major scale and you want to play the Dorian mode your bass player would be droning or vamping on E while the guitar player has shifted to E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D with E as the 1, F# is now the 2, G is the 3 and so on to play solos and melodies. Your root note, your modal center, is now E.

[@michaelhazdra4923]

Nope! It is the opposite. Modes are much older than scales. Ionian mode became the Major scale.

[@chadgarber]

WOW! You have a ridiculous amount of knowledge! Impressed.

[@douglasdarrell2083]

Thankyou Professor Beato for your analysis and reasoning of music theory and the relationships to all the spectrums of composed music written or out of your head impros.

[@trollstjerne]

Great live stream Rick! Great to hear that you will redo the the scales and modes videos. If possible think it would be very helpful if you could view them in parallel. When all modes derive from C major scale they can end up sounding very similar and just like C major starting on a different note. But if you show each mode using the same root note the difference will be huge. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@RodrigoMuleyro]

I think that would be great too!

[@timharrington4470]

Your channel makes me excited that I'm going to be learning all kinds of cool stuff about music. Thank you so much for your hard work Rick!

[@kenzeo]

Rick, really appreciate all the valuable instruction. There is one detail about modes that I never find clearly addressed. I understand how they are built, how they have their own sequence of whole/half steps giving a unique sound, understand how chords are built and relative harmony. The thing is, given that D Dorian has all, and only, the same notes as C Major, does playing a C major scale over a Dm7 give you a Dorian sound? In other words, I can't believe that to play a given mode means that you have to start your solo, or phrase, on the root of that mode. So therefore, it's a tricky question so let me try it a few different ways. If you are soloing based primarily on the same group of notes, and you are not necessarly, if ever, playing root to root of the mode, how do you determine whether you are playing D Dorian, or any of the other modes from C Major? What specifically defines your solo as one mode over another in the same key? Is it the chord your playing underneath that determines it? C Major over Dm7 being Dorian, while C Major over Em7 being Phrygian? Or, is it something else? Given a position on the fretboard and seeing all the notes in C major, if I don't specifically play D to D in the key of C, how exactly do I get a Dorian sound? Thanks!

[@hnnymn]

IMHO, this is absolutely the crux of the matter. If you could get a clear and correct answer to this question, that would be a huge leap forward. But I won't hold my breath. It is futile to seek explanations from people who don't actually understand a concept. This is why we seek out experts - college professors, for example. The worst thing in the world is to be “helped” by someone who thinks they understand something but in fact they don't. That's just a prescription for confusion.

[@mindcontrol67]

You are right Ken If you play a D minor chord and you play the C maj scale you are in Dorian Mode. Its the chord that determines the mode. If you just run up and down the Cmaj scale and you play a D minor chord automatically you are in dorian if you play a E minor chord your in Phyrigian Ect. I do see the modes as shapes though.

[@kenzeo]

@@hnnymn Thanks for the reply. I found it tricky to ask the question clearly. I thought I might be missing something obvious, so glad to see someone else seeks clarity on the same thing. Regarding your comment, yeah, there are basically two kinds of people, those that think they know a lot but actually know very little, and those that do know a lot and think they don't know much! Maybe had I posted while the live stream was going on Rick would have seen this. With all that he does, not sure if he'll backtrack to respond.

[@kenzeo]

@@mindcontrol67 Thanks for the reply. I was actually hoping that was the answer, as that maps conveniently to the chord tones being the core notes and the rest of the scale the color notes of each mode. When you say that you see modes as shapes, are you thinking in terms of the arpeggio of the root note? As Dorian being the IIm7 arpeggio?

[@mindcontrol67]

I will make a video on it.

[@directive-4]

So happy that you are remaking all these great videos! Thanks! Michael Romeo from Symphony X likes to use the whole tone scale as well

[@richatlarge462]

Pretty simple: the modes are the major scale shifted. Like what Rick is doing starting at 12:15. Major scale = (root-2-2-1-2-2-2-1). Then if you start from each successive note and use it as the new root, while preserving the intervals and "wrapping around", you get each mode along the way. Ionian (major) = root-2-2-1-2-2-2-1. Example: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C ("C Ionian") Dorian = start from 2nd position as new root and wrap around = root-2-1-2-2-2-1-2 Example: D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D ("D Dorian") = C Ionian but resolving on D

[@DirkRadloff]

Thank you for mentioning the Korngold Violin concert, such a great composition, which is sadly overlooked often. I highly recommend the recording of Jascha Heifetz. I studied it myself, but some parts were too difficult for me.

[@jamesstrater2478]

Awesome video. I have learned more about music theory than I ever thought possible. Rick, you are a genius.

[@brucenadeau5920]

I'd LOVE to see a "putting it all together" video!

[@LukeDayInTheUK]

That's very much a DIY situation. I don't think anyone has ever achieved it. To put it ALL together you'd have to be Bach, Mozart or Beethoven.

[@dhira2689]

I just asked my pet croc and he said scales are definitely better

[@luvpants2012]

dhira lol

[@iangardner6064]

Brilliant comment!! Can't stop laughing

[@timothysalfarlie1312]

My wife weighs over 200lbs. She prefers modes.

[@jpwill75]

That sharp 4 creates a strong contrasting sound - there is an edge, a bit of suspense, a feeling of movement...

[@biologicalstepdad9082]

@prod. JWAV if thats the attitude you will have to modes, you'll fail to understand their uses and importance

[@alfredbell736]

Leonard Bernstein used it in West Side Story (Muh -- ree -- uhh).

[@dmccalldds]

It would really help me to see an overhead camera angle of the keyboard.

[@TLMuse]

I think "subset" isn't really the term you want here. Firstly, strictly speaking, a set is an *unordered* collection of objects. Order is important in scales and modes, so "set" isn't really what you want to use (at least formally). More importantly, a (strict) subset doesn't have all the elements of the parent set. Modes do have all of the notes of the parent scale. What distinguishes modes is the *ordering* of the notes-a mode is a type of *cyclic permutation* of the notes of its parent scale. -Tom

[@StKozlovsky]

But we're not talking about notes here, are we? We're talkng about ordered *collections* of notes, called scales, which constitute a set - an unordered *collection of collections* of notes. Within that set of scales there's a subset of modes, which doesn't contain all the scales. Nothing wrong with the words "set" and "subset" here.

[@TLMuse]

Proudly so! 8-) In any case, a little digging around with Google shows that articles in the music ed literature do recognize modes as cyclic permutations of scales.

[@jamessbca]

Rick, I love all of your videos. I'm dying to know, however, why some people prefer to think of modes as sharpening / flattening notes, rather than thinking, say, Dorian means, "Just focus on the ii chord - the scale is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2 and done..." Way less things to memorize this way it seems to me... Lydian... just think of it as 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4 This gives me a fraction of the things to memorize / have to think of on my feet while playing...

[@jaymet6483]

It is because each mode has a scale tone/avoid note which is the characteristic sound of each mode which distinguishes it from the major scale. With the method you are using won't allow you to identify those notes unless you have memorised them

[@robertanderson1043]

Because numbering implies function. 1 is the "home note". If you number starting from 2 you get all those relationships wrong.

[@jamessbca]

@@robertanderson1043 , see it seems easier to me to go, "we're in Dorian, so for this song / section of the song, etc., it's all about the ii chord...". That just seems much easier. "2 is home for this song" - then I know what the other chords are that go along with it. I know all the scale "patterns" on guitar, etc... For example, maybe the chord progression is ii, IV, V, VI, ii... Done. Don't have to think about sharp this, flat that, etc... It seems so much easier to me.

[@jamessbca]

@@jaymet6483 , I hear you. It seems a case of choosing to memorize "this" or to memorize "that". Music is crazy!!!

[@robertanderson1043]

@@jamessbca You can think of it that way. It's musical convention, however, for 1 to be the tonic. Just as you could decide that the English alphabet starts with 'K'. You can still speak and write just fine, the order of the alphabet is more or less arbitrary. But it's going to be confusing when you try to communicate with others about it. That's the main reason to stick to conventions.

[@JCtheROD]

This is cool, brings back memories of when i took music theory in college. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@V21IC]

The 7 modes of C Major 1. CDEFGAB 2. DEFGABC 3. EFGABCD 4. FGABCDE 5. GABCDEF 6. ABCDEFG 7. BCDEFGA As I understand it all the chords of the Cmajor exist in all the modes irrespective of the inversions used.

[@jackh577]

Those notes are correct, but does nothing to help teach a beginner about modes. In each mode the intervals between each of the 1-7 notes changes. The different half tone intervals is the essence of what creates the unique sound of each mode.

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

I thought it was understood that the videos were of very high quality. Yes, definitely big kudos to the cinematography and those who deserve tons of credit for that.

[@GlennFiddles]

Rick, I love your videos on modes as someone who has been fascinated by them since a teenager in the 1990s where I was a huge Satriani/Vai/DiMeola fan and a religious reader of guitar magazines. But all this has me wondering: have you ever explored modes in non-Western traditions, specifically the maqam and dastgah systems, or other eastern cultures that use microtones? These tend towards a very different way of highlighting the role of all intervals (not just the half tones, for example). I feel like these modal systems are much more sophisticated sonically (and by extension, emotionally) than the Western 12-note system, even though they function non-chordally. I notice a lot of your thoughtful analyses of modes tend to focus on what chords will imply a certain mode and what chords result from each degree of the scale. It seems to me that in maqam, musicians and composers are thinking about the specific emotional possibilities of a much greater set of possible intervals for the construction of melodies rather than chords (which don't really work in microtonal systems). Check out Maqam Saba if you want to hear a beautiful but (to me) creepy and disorienting set of intervals. I'm just starting to learn about maqam but I'd be curious to know your thoughts or exposure to these musics and what your takeaway is.

[@CoenBijpost]

Instead of subset, the word permutation is more descriptive. A subset of C major could be not a mode. Permutation is a full subset starting on a different note.

[@jackh577]

I like to use the word adjustment. Each mode is either the major or minor scale with one semi tone "adjustment".

[@Coach_Riles]

I have just found your channel and are loving these educational videos. I took a few years of college music courses before changing my major, but I still love playing music and studying theory. This is really helping me pick up where I left off with some of my schooling. Thank you!

[@billwilliams6338]

RICK BEATO, 1.) When does JAZZ songs use parallel modes from different keys? any examples that you can think of 2.) Whats the rules of using parallel modes in jazz music? 3.) How can you tell if a chord progression is Modal or Tonal? and how can you convert a Tonal Chord Progression into a Modal Chord Progression?

[@karangautam6054]

rick beato you are an inspiration man...

[@SuperGuitar38]

The Guitar Grimoire is a great book for guitarists. Helped me alot.

[@xkoamane]

Tanks for the tip. I need that book.

[@RazLightbringer]

This channel is pure gold!!! Loving your videos Rick! They way you talk about music and theory make me instantly get my guitar and rock it!

[@jasonbryant.bassguitarplay3641]

thank you sir.... you are amongst the easiest of teachers on KZbin.

[@cecilharkins6449]

After watching a couple times, I think maybe I'm making some headway. If I start with a major scale, then: Ionian, no change Mixolydian : a major scale with a flat 7 Dorian : a major scale with a flat 3 and 7 Aolian : a major scale with a flat 3, 6, and 7 Phrygian : a major scale with a flat 2, 3, 6 and 7 Locrian : a major scale with a flat 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 Lydian : a major scale with a sharp 4 Is this right?

[@EnkelMiami]

There's a. Easy way of seeing any mode Ionian W W H W W W H Dorian W H W W W H W Phrygian H W W W H W W Lydian W W W H W W H Mixolidian W W H W W H W Aeolian W H W W H W W Locrian H W W H W W

[@teddavidcompositions3744]

I teach modes in several ways. They are, mathematically speaking, the cyclic permutations of a scale: the number of such equalling the number of pitch classes of the scale (e.g., pentatonic scales also have modes). The second way I teach is by the way they feel in composition. The third way is by the way harmonies typically progress. And then there are altered scales - altered by pitch, by number of tones, or both.

[@dhpbear2]

19:37 - The first notes of "Maria" from "West Side Story"!

[@pete5668]

I sang "Maria" out loud as soon as he played it!

[@Phoebedumplings]

1st thing I thought too!,

[@KennethGonzalez]

Great commentary, Rick. Wholly and enthusiastically endorse your approach! 👍👍

[@magicdaveable]

I love your videos. You are a fabulous instructor. I have learned much and particularly understanding what I am playing and why it works melodically.

[@heyou429]

I love you, Rick. You're a living wiki of all things music, each video saturated with links that I can't help but click on. But also humble and kind. Now what was it that I going to do today?

[@zeppelinmexicano]

BTW, that white board rendition with the D to D graphic for Dorian was perfect for the mind to grasp the idea of how the intervals are being tweaked.

[@djn1942]

What is the difference between Mode and Scale? 1. MODE is a tonal system which is related to three things, i.e., 1) scale as the source of notes for melodies, 2) tonal center (or tonality and key signature), and 3) diatonic chords as the source for harmony. • There are basically seven modes in Western music, I.e. Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. • Each of the seven modes has its own sound and harmonic color within a spectrum from the darkest mood (Phrygian, Aeolian, Dorian) to the brightest (Mixolydian, Ionian, Lydian). • Among the seven modes, Locrian is the least used. 2. SCALE is a set of notes arranged in ascending or descending order within an octave. • Aside from the conventional major scales (i.e. Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian) and minor scales (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian [i.e. natural scale], also harmonic minor, melodic minor) there are dozens of other scales, such as, pentatonic scales, six-note scales (hexatonic), seven-note scales (heptatonic), eight-note scales (octatonic). • Each of the scales could be used to create melodies that are based on a particular mode. CONCLUSION If music is the language, then analogically, scales are the vocabularies, whereas modes are the dialects and styles.

[@imaobongukobo1745]

I love you so much right now.

[@edt9666]

For those with OCD, the marker board is not parallel with the top of the screen. You're welcome. hahahahaha. Great video Rick, I'll be watching it repeatedly to get this down.

[@rhk1958]

Once again,, all the best for you in 2020! greetings from Germany!

[@I.M.Guitar-Nerd]

Welp, this is the one that did it. . . I'm now the proud owner of the Beato Book.

[@EnkelMiami]

I feel like this complicates things for people who dont know much theory. There's a much easier way of making any mode if you follow the interval pattern Ionian W W H W W W H Dorian W H W W W H W Phrygian H W W W H W W Lydian W W W H W W H Mixolidian W W H W W H W Aeolian W H W W H W W Locrian H W W H W W W

[@MajorCinnamonBuns]

I'm still learning the theory. Thanks.

[@62zulmy]

Thanks. That's easier to memorise. You just move the 1st letter to the back & it becomes the next mode.

[@EnkelMiami]

@@62zulmy exactly. If youre playing guitar it is even easier. All you have to do is remember the pattern.

[@Kydilee]

K so.. a mode is just a version, or different pattern of a scale? so .. instead of WWHWWWH you move where the half and whole steps are, and boom.. new modes? Thank you!

[@Kydilee]

So then.. what is 'modal', if someone says they like modal tunes... does that mean one of those at random?

[@soulliker6837]

Thank you for the big discount, Rick, very nice of you, now it's in my hand ( at last ). I hope you would appreciate feedback on the pedagogy for the next version, just in case I feel like some remarks could be useful.

[@CrazyLazyDave]

It would be cool if you could add a piano roll on the screen and have midi trigger on screen. Helpful for visual learners

[@CrazyLazyDave]

@picknngrinnin 😅 I get the play on words there. But no....it just would be nice. Obviously not necessary. Just would be nice. Then you could visualize the intervals. People don't all learn as easy the same ways. Some people it wouldn't help at all. But it would help other people

[@YAMISOOLD2009]

@@CrazyLazyDave I agree Dave!

[@ritiittiii9344]

24:26 to a brief explanation

[@LohPro]

for "modal progressions", it's best to stray from chords that would imply functional harmony. For example, in functional harmony you may go [dm - G7 - CMaj], or predominant - dominant - tonic. In modal progressions, you have no sense of functional harmony or gravity in terms of resolution to the tonic. You want to highlight the root note, the unique note of the mode & highlight the half-step intervals of the mode. So for a [d dorian] "progression", the root note is obviously [D], the unique note would is [B] & the half-step intervals are between the [2-b3] & the [6-b7], so between E-F & B-C, respectively. The chords you choose for the modal progression highlight these half-step movements & their "melodic resolutions". Modal is more about melody & notes, than resolving to "chords". a typical [d dorian] progression could be [i-> ii], the [III] of FMaj could be added. a vamp between [i-> VII] would be nice. People like to use the dorian [i-> IV], which is dm-> GMaj. GMaj works because it contains the unique note of [B], but this is where you should be careful, because if you follow dm-> GMaj with CMaj, your sense of "modality" is lost & the sequence now sounds like a functional ii-V-I harmony. An easy to way to avoid this is simply move back to dm after GMaj, use sus chords or quartal chords, etc.

[@gaggle57]

Don't get me wrong, I love this guy and his attempts to make these videos about modes. When I give it a listen to see how it compares to some of my other favorite KZbin teachers, this is how it goes. First 10 minutes, going along okay, going along okay, going along okay. 11 minutes in turns into a muddled mess. 11 minutes and 30 seconds in, he makes the, "my kid has perfect pitch," reference. 11 minutes and 31 seconds in, I throw up in my mouth a little.& turn it off.

[@CaptZdq1]

Mr. Beato is a real music teacher, not obnoxious like so many others on You Tube. Concerning the specific subject matter here, there's one teacher on You Tube, I can't remember his name, who says that the 2 are completely different, and they don't start on a certain note, which doesn't look like how you described it. Anyways.

[@CaptZdq1]

I did some research n the 2 are certainly not completely different. Like Mr. Beato says, modes are a subset of scales. But they're also characteristic patterns of intervals, so, e.g., the pattern is tone semitone tone tone tone semitone. And they start with a certain note, but can be transposed so can start at any note.

[@betolicks4071]

Without watching this video ill answer in Simple terms ... A scale is just a set of Notes and theres alot of Them Major scale Minor scale Harmonic minor scale melodic minor scale The blues scale the pentatonic scale the Gypsy Scale The Chromatic scale but A mode The modes However is a particular set of Notes deriving From the major scale Ionian and all the notes in this major scale form 7 different modes with those same set of notes to create a certain sound or direction in your music writing

[@frankpicha7180]

LIM DAP Major modes (major 3rd) = L ydian I onian M ixolydian Minor modes (minor 3rd) = D orian A eolian P hrygian

[@electroflame6188]

you forgot locrian

[@brianlyall]

Love your passion. Your willingness to share your knowledge is wonderful. It's starting to sink in here.

[@dustinfields2055]

I love your videos! Going through it on my mandolin while you go over it. Love it!

[@ernabardana1314]

Yay for the Mandolin!!! I'm a noob.. Self taught using You Tube.

[@uneedtherapy42]

Everyone's New Years Res should be to get this channel to 1.5 to 2 million subs. It's a gift from the musical gods!

[@scottyb3b7]

It seems so many are at peace in defining a mode as 'it's just a CMaj scale starting on a different note.' But, that does little to describe how to use them - even though it is a technically accurate way to find the notes. Some refer to those relationships as 'relative' modes: C Ionian and D Dorian are relative modes within CMaj. I never found that useful....When I started thinking in terms of 'parallel' modes: C Ionian vs C Dorian vs C Phrygian, etc. it started to click similar to what Rick says at 14:42: "what notes are important to give you the sound of the mode." I find myself writing/improvising within a key and then looking for a certain feeling/flavor/sound/vibe (...usually stumbling upon = let's try THIS black key and see how it sounds - one or two intervals...) across the choices of modes within that tonality. If I find that the hopeful #4 connects with the feeling I am going for, then, clearly, I am going to explore the Lydian mode (and its derivatives) within that key. But, if I try a darker b6 and it feels right, I am going to tinker with Aeolian. Maybe this is actually obvious to everyone else in here but, for me, that's when modes started to be useful.

[@davey4697]

Wow you know so much it blows my mind - in a good way! Hopefully one day I can understand what you are talking about.

[@bebop425]

Thanks for including the piano for auditory reference of how the modes sound, which is invaluable. When will you cover the "Depeche" Mode? Sorry, bad joke!

[@Nickauboutte]

Bad pun, but a good joke :)

[@zeppelinmexicano]

Was Depeche using Locrian or what? I have no idea and have not listened to them for years, but they were fascinating to me because of the unusual tonal quality. Same with Bjork, always throwing in flat sounds that were fascinating but unknown to me as just a fan and not a musician.

[@clarencevickrot3531]

Piala!

[@finaljesus]

That’s funny damn lol 😂 because I’m reading the comment and didn’t expect the ever so clever band pun joke reference I love Depeche Mode by the way

[@Lisbonized]

What makes this mode so great!? 🤣

[@zingbopdelux]

OK!!!! ... at 27:32, you introduce the notion of using the modes for IMPROVISING ... I have searched the web over (... and there are a lot of excellent guitar instructors out there, none possessing the depth of knowledge as you, Rick ... who have helped me to understand the concept of modes, as being a sub-scale. E.G. start your scale on the second or third interval, and VIOLA! a mode is created, with it's distinctive "flavour",) BUT! ... what I can not find, is a simple way of knowing how to use them to improvise over the changing chords of any particular chord progression ... if C chord is being played, I can play any particular mode over it, in order to create the "mood" of the solo language I want to listener to become engaged in ... but what do I do when the tune changes to the next chord in the key's progression, like to the "G" chord. etc.? Can you point me to a lesson you may have done that addresses this skill set?

[@jontull2045]

Keep in mind, Rick got his Masters at the New England Conservatory -- a traditional music institution -- in jazz. Refreshing to have someone who can jam AND talk the theory.

[@panchopicapiedra1902]

4:29 Rick: "It sounds like it's celestial or heavenly". The actual sound: - scary and tense high pitched diminished interval - Me: ¿¿¿??? Pd: I know, I know...

[@sgilly80]

I’m a terrible guitar player, but I enjoy trying to get better. Thanks Rick!