What Are Modes?

[@CurtisAlfeld]

I will always remember what my guitar teacher of six years taught me to remember the modes: I own the house (Ionian). I go to the fridge (Phrygian), and open the container's lid (Lydian), and mix it (Mixolydian). I look out the window and see an alien (Aeolian), so I lock the door (Locrian).

[@AlessandroAzara]

What happened to the Dorian?

[@faydo2787]

@@AlessandroAzara "I open the front door (Dorian)" between Ionian and Phrygian should work.

[@igallagher4]

@@AlessandroAzara He dead

[@lizzyrhoads555]

The aliens took him duh 🙄

[@eisb.24]

@@AlessandroAzara You open the fridge and the stench of a Durian fruit permeates your nose

[@samuraiguitarist]

Couple notes: 1. In English speaking countries we use "Ti" as the 7th solfege degree. 2. There has been some confusion as to why the modes have sharps or flats. Think of it like this. The information we are looking at is how the the intervals and spaces in a mode compare to a major scale. If we look at ONLY the spacing of the notes in a major scale they are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, in a mixolydian mode the spacings are 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7. So, if we look at the key of C major, our notes of the major scale are C D E F G A B C. If we wanted to make that scale a C Mixolydian, we would need to have a flat7, C D E F G A Bb C. But, if we wanted the mixolydian mode from the key of C we need to look at the 5th note (G mixolydian). G A B C D E F G. If we look at the spacing of these notes compared the G which we will now re calibrate as the 1, they are 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7.

[@launder0]

THIS is what I've been lacking about modes for the last 6 years or so. I was always thinking "but dude, when I'm playing a solo I'm not using the notes in the scale sequence, am I changing modes all the time without even knowing what it means?". And finally it looks like it wasn't that way. I'm still a bit confused but I hope sleeping over it and watching the next videos will clarify it. Thanks a lot!

[@patfix]

samuraiguitarist YES! Thank you, this was my missing link!

[@Ghost.Spit.]

Fernando Mecca Say you're playing a solo in the key of CMaj the chords built off of the Cmaj scale would be CEG, DFA, EGB, FAC, GBD, ACE, BDF. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 are all your chord degrees (modes) C ionian, D dorian, E phrygian, F lydian, G Mixolydian, A aeolian, B locrian. When you switch to each of those modes you are still playing in the same key.

[@sevreal4]

This got confusing real fast

[@EnterMusicSG]

I have a basic understanding on music theory and even I find it confusing as he went on . I can imagine people with no basic understanding of music theory like how intervals work, scratching their heads now in confusion. LOL

[@haf816r]

Arturo Sánchez I'm with you

[@SoulGuitarMetal]

Just compose a few pieces of music using the concepts you study and you will get it willing or not. After a month of intensive basic theory study and projects, this got easy to understand real fast.

[@SoonerTruth]

This dude has no business teaching anything ! Seems to be a Good player ...But

[@PinkFloydrulez]

i blacked out halfway through and woke up with my nose bleeding 3 hours later

[@Noobshire]

Modes. One of those things that once it clicks, you'll wonder how you didn't understand it in the first place. :)

[@notpresobama1553]

HELP

[@MrNotYet1]

well thats the only topic im afraid of / looks and sounds hard , but i hope ill get it someday soon :D

[@calebstevens8269]

@@MrNotYet1 do you get it yet

[@devdesdiddly]

I’ve got a degree in music composition and you’re the first person to explain the “2” vs “9” to me in a way that I understood. Thank you.

[@alessandro9740]

i have some basic theories, and the only think i didnt understand is 3:53 explain pls🥱

[@montsen808]

I have been a lot of years having struggles trying to understand modes, this is the first time I have really understand this concepts without getting crazy, VERY USEFUL VIDEO Thanks a lot Samurai Guitarrist!

[@corychurch91]

Amazing. I've played guitar and a few other instruments for almost 20 years. I've read magazine articles and such and I memorized and forgot patterns and chord names. I've never understood any of this until this video. This is amazing, thank you Samurai.

[@mtrotterdammusic]

This came out just as I was starting to dive into modes. Excellent timing!

[@TheFunky57]

Well then. Guess I'm going back to ye old blues scale.

[@david-ky7rt]

learn all the blues scale, skeleton notes, then fill them in to become major scales

[@staysmuth]

LMAO!!

[@Mosaic_Mirror]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I cant fucking escape it

[@SoonerTruth]

This dude has no business teaching anything ! If your attempting to understand Modes you chose the wrong video! He never once mentioned that what makes a Mode sound modal is exclusivly the chords underneath... The guy who wants to plat Blues scales or pentatinic ? Sir your exactly rignt PLEASE DONT THINK YOU CANT PLAY THOSE SCALES AS MODAL ! Find a Jam Track in A Dorian and play a blues scales all over it .. you will be shocked !

[@foodtastesbetterthangasoli9815]

Drummer learning bass and a relatively new subscriber here. Dude, this video series on modes produced a lightbulb moment in my understanding of music theory. Thank you so much for this!

[@58isaac58]

You're my favorite guitarrist on youtube. Keep it up, man! Your videos are very entertaining and creative, and the sensei series is a nice way to teach some of what you learn with your studies. Greetings from Brazil!

[@Twice_Marvel]

Whether these educational vids are popular or not please keep posting them. It's important for people to learn.

[@samuraiguitarist]

Part two coming later this week and here are the documents I mentioned! gumroad.com/l/NXgil#

[@FernandoCuadro]

Waiting for it!!! i'm a drummer that is learning electrig guitar on it's own, i made patterns based on the major scales for the neck, now i'm making drawings of A LOT of chords and making a list to match in which of the previous patterns they appear. When i have all i'm gonna practice one pattern at the time and all the chords that come up from it. wish me luck!

[@adammcdowell7652]

Thank you Samurai. I'm studying music right now and this has helped pushed my music theory ahead of others in the class.

[@danielh5621]

This is one of the most helpful mode / cord videos I've seen yet given that I watched one other one unloads covering a much more basic approach

[@mrstrypes]

Jake Lizzio (KZbin channel: Signals Music Studio) created a series on the modes after this video came out. He goes way more in depth but has a way of communicating that is pure genius. Things that took me years to wrap my head around were explained neatly and succinctly in one or two videos. This video would make a great recap after going through all of Jake's videos on the modes.

[@pietart3596]

doing that right now lol

[@arcadedomination8006]

This video is so much clearer than most mode videos

[@calvinfeng5357]

This is great content with appropriate depth to the subject. Comment section seems to be confused but I think everything after 05:00 mark is when the whole picture comes together. There was a lot of flexibility in the beginning, when the song stayed in one major chord (3 mode choices for a major chord and 4 choices for a minor chord). Once he introduces a chord progression, I can see how the progression puts a constraint on which mode to use.

[@Matty_McRad_Actual]

So stoked for these vids. I've been trying to wrap my head around modes for months. Thanks for the content

[@chocomalk]

Great info. Just a caveat here since I have seen a lot of people confused by modes: You do not have to learn any new scales, just the major scale and how it relates to the underlying theory. In other words, you play C major scale over A minor chord and it becomes Aeolian, no need to change anything but your musicality. Dmin chord can be accompanied by C Maj(Dorian), F Maj(Aeolian) and BflatMaj(Phrygian)

[@adam.blacksmith]

Thanks for letting us know how long it took you to learn each concept. I found that really helpful.

[@rickc2102]

I feel smarter already. Great lesson, thank you! I've always soloed by intuition, and have run across these sorts of tonal relationships naturally, but it's good now to develop a vocabulary!

[@tiffanyonwudinanti]

Was definitely looking for a video that explained the modes in a more practical way! Thank youuuuuuuuuuu :D

[@JoelSilva-bs3zz]

Honestly, this is one of the best videos I've seen about modes. Great job!

[@TheCrowHawk]

I finally found a lot of info I've had trouble finding on KZbin about modes in this video. Good stuff!

[@m.cuellar2443]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have been struggling to understands modes. You explained it very clearly and simply. Thank you again so much.

[@thomasmcdevitt6172]

Dude this was like a fricken light bulb turning on for me, the dots are connected! Thanks!

[@lowstringc]

Nice video in simple speech. Thanks! You organized your presentation to make something many over complicate and treat as black magic into something pretty easily accessible and concise. Excellent job.

[@alejandrotorres9193]

This dude is god sent......instant follow. I'm taking you with me on my guitar journey. THNKS!

[@senorjefe]

I've been trying for years to make sense(i) of this. This is by far the clearest explanation I've heard!

[@midnightbrewers5368]

The background music on this channel reminds me of a mission in the game "Spyro the year of the dragon". The one where there are shit loads of fireworks, surprisingly enough its based in Japan. Decent vid, cheers bro

[@theraywestband]

this was very helpful and now i need the second half before i think i know all i need to..i appreciate the information and the hard work it takes to do these videos..

[@fret2fret221]

I Don’t Particularly Like Modes A Lot

[@darrenspokane]

Thank you for your content. I’m a new subscriber. I have had all this theory knowledge in my head, but I did not know how to truly apply it. These videos are giving me the tools I need to apply what I know. Thanks again!

[@zacharyanaya2490]

thanks you so much for making this video and taking the time to write it all out! I've watched multiple videos on modes and most of them are to lazy to be able to teach modes efficiently!

[@georgelbmusic]

I remember watching this like 6 months again and thinking I understand stood it then I’ve now gone back today and learned soo much more thank you

[@damonbrown5424]

Great video. You did an excellent job of showing the practicality of using the modes on guitar in real world situations. I think people get intimidated by "modes" before they understand anything about them. They're often seen as "exotic" or complicated. But, in reality, modes are simply scales/keys just like Major/Minor. I've found it helpful to emphasize that Ionian=Major and Aeolian=Minor. This can give novices a sense of progress from the get-go, as they already "know" how two of the seven modes "work". Also, understanding the nature of enharmonic keys/scales is useful. For instance, most people with a basic level of music theory understand that C Major and A Minor (scale/key) use the same notes but have a different feel compositionally. The other modes are simply an extension of this same concept.

[@danielhughes3758]

Damon Brown In addition, it's good to know and remember all 7 modes are really just different starting notes of the same scale. So learn one of them thoroughly and the others become easy to learn since they are really just different starting positions.

[@mymusings1293]

I've been a beginner guitarist for 40+ years because, at least for myself, trying to learn all the theory and then attempting to send it from my brain, down my arm, to my fingers, and make it sound somewhat pleasant has been akin to trying to put together a giant, complicated puzzle of chaos, or getting complicated directions to a bus stop from somebody on the autism spectrum. I get burned out and just start playing CAGE cords in different variations.

[@lawrencefidel4228]

Your sensei series are the best! Sub from the Phils! Keep these videos coming!

[@bodhisattwachanda3436]

very very very helpful...u jst clear the confusion about modes that confused me for many days.... so so so thank u sir....

[@GandaPrakasa]

Excellent content once again, Sensei!

[@EveryBreath29]

I think you are the perfect guy to start my music theory knowledge! Thank you for this video!

[@GurszkiMate]

Basics of improvisation, beautiful!

[@dougneighbors5878]

Thank you so much for this video! This is something I've been interested in, but have never learned

[@alldud13]

You and music is win are my favorite music channels thanks for teaching me all this cool stuff

[@kanyitakanyita]

Nice and simple explanation of modes. Great lesson. Keep it up.

[@khakzilla7867]

Ughhh this was exactly what I needed in my life thank you!!!!!!

[@theonlyduge]

that's when I dropped out of music theory. my brain hurts just listening to it. it seemed to take the fun out of playing music for me. but I envy people that know this info as they can move around on the fly. I have to find the notes and it takes time.

[@EnterMusicSG]

Spoiler alert, people don't just "know this info" out of thin air. Their brains hurt and they hated it too, but carried on with it, and it helped them. Don't give up mate.

[@theonlyduge]

Bendecir Ben, thanks man. been working on some pentatonic scales.

[@owlrose9802]

I understand this is from 7 months ago and you've probably moved on from pentatonics, but the reason you may find modes difficult to overcome is simply that you're trying to build that house on foundations you haven't got yet. Take some time to understand what a pentatonic is, how it relates to the major and minor scales, and then approach modes - you'll find it considerably less of a jump :)

[@eutytoalba]

As a noob myself I personally blame whatever garbage-heads named sound frequencies after letters of the alphabet (and a bunch of figurative agetives) in the first place. Forget note names, I think I'd actually get further with music-theory by just addressing the tones in hertz. Then I could probably math them together and see what their physical relations to each other are, as actually conveyed through the air.... But.......no musician entrenched in longstanding musical tradition explains anything that way..... 🙁 Evidently I'm a left-brained nerd seeking explanations that exist only in right-beained artistic terms.... Not a happy or productive mix. 😝 I'll get there someday..... Then maybe I can be the one to start explaining it in the Physics terms that I for one needed.... 🤷😝

[@BrownBagSB]

Good videos! Really like your music theory ones!

[@FabrizioPeretti]

also, a modal progression have no tension coming from the V resolving in the I. that helped me a lot in understanding this concept, it was way easier to spot a modal progression against a tonal one

[@simonjoudon]

Incredibly helpful and very well-put. Great work, thank you very much

[@skatingwoodenguitars]

This was life changing for me. Thank you.

[@rickleon159]

I've been waiting a long time for this

[@mereskimade]

I wish I saw this when I first started playing guitar. Excellent way of explaining, thanks!

[@tonyz2551]

thanks man! u simplified this for me so well!

[@GeorgeSPAMTindle]

The title is accurate, which is rare on KZbin. That is about all you need to know about modes. Then as with any sort of knowledge about anything comes the hard bit, the understanding of it.

[@zundap100]

Fantastic, thanks Samurai.

[@nathanbotha1199]

Really hope I get to the point with soloing one day where I can recall an appropriate mode on the spot that corresponds to the underlying chord progression, or even to get to a place where I'm doing chord tone soloing instead of thinking only from a song key perspective. At the moment my soloing formula is writing and playing simple phrases but with good articulation and usually slow, like a David Gilmour type of thing, usually 3 or 4 note phrases that tend to involve some level of repetition. I normally use minor/major pentatonic, or Aeolian for soloing (sometimes if the songs in a minor key, I'll switch to the relative major pentatonic and vise versa). After almost 20 years of exclusively rock/indie/acoustic rhythm playing I'm happy to now be able to play a decent, confident solo...but as long as it's slow and soulful that's called for...I just have that one gear at the moment but it's better than previously not being able to solo at all. Great lesson Samuraiguitarist!

[@jamesdouglas6468]

Great tips to help better understand modes! Thanks...

[@nicolasramos1734]

First? Oops I mean Ionian

[@richardburn8691]

Learning the major scale then discovering modes was the best thing I ever did with guitar. Hours of noodling!

[@sandysingssongs]

Very clear explanation of a potentially confusing topic.

[@vickeyser2975]

Holy shit, it all makes sense now!

[@_Dive_Bomb_]

Thank you! Found an answer here I've been looking for!

[@jayzaroda5196]

mind blown.... just when I thought I was getting modes. I need to watch this a few more times...

[@ryanrobinson2300]

This really helped me get out of my pentatonic rut

[@larrie9483]

Thank you so so much... This is the only thing I needed

[@promitroy95]

This is an amazing lesson, thank you!

[@BillFlann9]

A lot of this is review for me, but I would like to point out that in spite of understanding the theory, I never felt that I understood modes at all until I realized the point he makes @ 6:34. He sort of glosses over that the 'root note of the mode should be the 'home base' of the mode (just as the A note is in A minor (or Aeoliean). I think this is the central concept which he should have put more emphasis. Think of this as how the difference between playing in C major and A minor. Same notes, scale pattern etc, but a much different sound because of the note which the melodies resolve to. Just my $0.02. Hope this helps some of you. I wish someone had stressed the point to me when I started learning music theory.

[@xxXthekevXxx]

Yes! I always thought the root of the mode should be home base and that everything should resolve around the root.

[@duniaipenza3692]

Thank you! This really helped me

[@gabefrancas5397]

thanks heaps the part about the chord for each note helped alot

[@TWhew4]

Ive been trying to learn bits and bobs of music theory since picking up the guitar for the first time about 18 months ago. I did my gcse is music which didnt really give any basis of theory so youtube has been my friend. I understand all these concepts you talked about and I thought you explained them well Sensei, I just cannot ever remember which notes fit which key. Or how to name the chords when you add / remove notes. That is my crux, I will figure it out soon enough.

[@FirefliesToMaggots]

The most easy way I can break down modes are scales that dont start on the root note that makes your music not boring

[@dylanmark3816]

incredibly helpful thank you

[@reptilesfishandmore]

Finally. Thia video made it easier to understand

[@david-ky7rt]

Excellent lesson, learn't loads, thank you so much.

[@thompsoncrowley7405]

You are awesome man!

[@edsonferraz]

that's great video bro... perfect. super educational 👏👏👏

[@extintion2371]

This helped me so much thank you so much

[@scottmcclure2604]

Thanks for the lesson.

[@bombarde99]

very well explained *thumbs up*

[@nvdawahyaify]

modes can also be used with normal triads. most Scottish music (especially that for bagpipes) is in mixolydian, but uses standard nonseventh chord progressions. a lot of old Irish and English folksongs are in Dorian. I appreciate the information you are sharing, but what I don't understand is why nobody gives tips on writing music in modes without automatically going for the jazz ideas of major and minor seventh chords. I am musician, who has played the guitar for about thirteen years now and have always searched for as much information as I can get. sadly when it comes to modes people in the recent past have all been saying the same thing. so I had to turn to really old music to find different information.

[@kellenmills6622]

Perfect video!

[@giantdouche7642]

Very good video!

[@TheVanders]

very helpful, thanks!

[@ianwheeler8764]

Well done. Thanks.

[@carlospaz28]

Knowledge is Power!

[@forty2888]

I cannot thank you enough

[@timlagrele]

thanks so much for this

[@Brian-sh5ne]

Informative video. How's your heavy metal research coming along?

[@762Faneto]

Great video! One question I have is why do we refer to the extensions of a mode in an octave higher?

[@CamRebires]

Wow, nice! Very informative! :)

[@Turboy65]

The fundamentals of modes explained in the correct way: The Western major and minor scales, and all the other five modes, are all based on something that should be familiar to you: The pattern of whole and half steps that make up all modes. That pattern, for C Major, is Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. Or WWHWWWH. That pattern repeats, WWHWWWHWWHWWWH etc... Where you start in that pattern determines which mode you are in. If you start on the first note, you are in Major mode. If you start on the sixth, you are in Minor mode. All the other modes have their own starting points on that repeating pattern of whole and half tones. For any different scale, such as Harmonic or Melodic Minor, or Hungarian Minor, or other exotic scales, they all have their own sequences of modes that you can derive using the same rules and starting at different points in their own unique sequences of whole and half steps.

[@michaelfeeney9147]

i never understood modes. i watched all these types of youtube videos and it never clicked. it wasn’t until i really practiced knowing the pentatonic major scale ALL OVER THE ENTIRE NECK, that i realized there was a connection between the minor pentatonic and the major. that’s the moment it all clicked in my head. just sharing

[@imaginableAudio]

Hey great video. I understood everything. My only question is how useful do you find them to be during improvising and do you feel like learning them made you a better player overall? My experience: I feel like they are golden. Very useful as long as you play musically and not like a scale. I try to combine arpeggios and with them and found them to be really handy for playing diatonically. The phrasing and rhythm is the part where I feel like it's how you make them shine along with dynamics.

[@BenjaminAndersonMr]

Double-strapped hockey guitar?! my mind has been blown... Curiosity will kill me though...

[@boonthebuffoon]

Them modes, man. They've always been a riddle to me. Never understood the necessity of a different name for a scale consisting of the exact same notes. Well, what you said about non-chord-tones or extensions kind of made sense, but I still need to watch this a hundred times over until I can wrap my head around that concept. Great video, anyway, this was the first time I got a glimpse at any sort of clarity concerning this topic. Looking forward to part two.

[@216trixie]

Most explanations of modes left me blank too....... Now I "get" them. Consider the basic seven modes as seven different moods, or sounds. Three major, including one bluesy, {mixolydian}, and four minor. Each minor key sounds slightly more "minory" that the next. Dorian, they aeolian, they phrygian then locrian. Forget all the math for a minute. Seven "flavors'.

[@216trixie]

The biggest thing I found is: A bunch of new paths around the fretboard. Instead of being stuck in the couple of patterns I knew, now I can roam all up and down in any key. And change flavors as I go.

[@Gongasoso]

Except it's Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian and then Locrian... Adam Neely has a video on modes where he rates them in "brightness" rather them "minory flavour", check it out.

[@TheCrimsonIdol987]

Think of each tone as a mood. In fact, don't worry about the names, and worry about how they sound. Mixolydian sounds bluesy, Lydian sounds darker and more moody than the major scale. Major scale sounds happy. The minor scale sounds sad, phrygian sounds badass (especially phrygian dominant), dorian sounds very jazzy and happy for a minor scale. Locrian is only used in a specific context, and since it has the flatted fifth, it sounds too dissonant to use all the time.

[@scottmcclure2604]

I'm new at this,,, I believe a musician must have a good understanding of how music is made and how it has probably been a part of the human condition since the dawn of mankind. I like to read about human behavior and music is a part of that. I look forward to another lesson,,, thank you.

[@ringchamp6543]

Do a song with the Shamisen in the background plz with your own style. Shamisens are fantastic

[@AnonYmous-lk9qy]

Thanks for finally, a clear explanation of how they are derived. The thing is, are there musicians out there who actually know all the related chords to the mode they are playing, can identify them, identify the key by ear as well and switching between soloing different modes on the fly with key changes happening every few bars? It just seems completely impossible.

[@paradox9551]

It is possible, but it takes a very high amount of effort and experience.

[@gabrielmarshall9132]

In my opinion it’s much easier to relate the modes to their respective major scale. That way you don’t have to worry about memorizing so many shapes and intervals

[@savage_shrimp]

Great video! im looking forward to learning more about music theory. I have one question though; if im playing, for example, in the key of G major, is it ok to solo with G minor pentatonic scale

[@alexanderkorte-stapff6824]

Rule No 1 of guitar playing: You can always use the minor pentatonic haha. Unless you have some really odd stuff in the chords, the minor pentatonic will always work. However, you only get the sound of a minor pentatonic, so if you want to play something with more major characteristics, switch to f.e. the major scale. Or just add some notes from the major scale, f.e. when you play A minor pentatonic over Amaj-Chord, add a F# to your solo, especially when you solo over the 4th chord in the scale, Dmaj. Confusing enough?

[@savage_shrimp]

haha, actually really helpful thanks!

[@xxXthekevXxx]

I would just use the E minor pentatonic since it's the relative minor and has all the same notes as G major. You could also use the pentatonic of some modes like B Phrygian (B minor pentatonic). It also has the same notes as G major.