Yeah But How Do I USE The Modes?

You’ve learned about the modes for years - but somehow Dorian, Lydian, Locrian - these groupings of notes with their strange names haven’t quite MADE SENSE for you - until now. Let’s go beyond music theory and talk about how these modes make you feel - what emotions they evoke and how you can use them in your own composition and improvising.
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[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

For me the problem isn't that "we always use C Major". The problem is that we go C Ionian, D Dorian, etc. In my opinion, the way to teach the modes is stay with your nominated tonic note: C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phrygian, etc. This way, you truly get to hear the different qualities of each mode, plus you also get to hone in on those notes which make each mode different. So I appluad this video.

[@londislagerhound]

Exactly this.

[@MusixPro4u]

Agreed!

[@TherealShabbadang]

The answer would be to recognize where the half and whole steps are placed, or rather which degrees are lowered or raised in comparison with the ionian, major, scale.

[@wyattstevens8574]

@@TherealShabbadang Exactly: the "shift one note a half step" only really works for major and major pentatonic (or for that matter minor and minor pentatonic)

[@Debangshuification]

Exactly. For the first few days i kept wondering, if we are deriving it from the C major scale, why do we call it D dorian and not C dorian

[@JPADavies]

Here's the thing that took me AGES to get my head around about the modes as a (pretty bad) guitar player. When I started out improvising, I realised that generally songs are "in keys". So I'd play licks from, say, an E blues scale or an E major pentatonic scale or whatever, but I would use that scale over the WHOLE CHORD SEQUENCE. Like - I would think of the song (or normally just the chords that you're improvising over) as being in "E pentatonic". And you can kinda get away with that thinking. But when I first started trying to understand modes, I didn't get that you generally play in a certain mode JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT - like, over a chord or two, and then you might switch to other modes over other chords in the progression. So you wouldn't really describe an entire song or solo as "being in E Lydian" or whatever, but instead you'd use that mode for maybe just a couple of bars. Then maybe you'd use F# Dorian for the next bar (depending on the chord), followed by a bar of B Mixolydian, or whatever. So a song isn't really "in a mode" in the same way that it's "in a key". Once I could separate those two concepts, everything made a lot more sense. And yeah - Phrygian is totally ballsy :) Great video, Aimee!

[@abraxian7090]

^ this comment is more helpful than most popular music theory videos on yt

[@camtaylormusic]

Some songs really are "in the modes", they just tend to be rarer than the ones in the popular tonalities of major and perhaps minor. Plenty of pop songs in aeolian (Adele - Hello), dorian (Gary Jules - Mad World), mixolydian (Coldplay - Clocks). Much fewer in lydian, phrygian, and almost none in locrian.

[@AtomizedSound]

@@camtaylormusic there’s some truth in this

[@jacksonmanning5477]

Great comment

[@anthonysmith9257]

Ssss Dms

[@AndrewWatsonChangingWay]

Congrats to the student who asked the question, and to you for being so approachable that they felt able to ask you. Sometimes many students hesitate to ask a particular question, but really help the whole class by asking it.

[@matthewsenior1508]

55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5555t5555t5tt55555555t55tt5555t555555555555555

[@JoshuaDb_The_Witness]

This was super helpful! Thank you!

[@jasonsignor7237]

I’m going to have to watch this over and over and also work on this myself to make use of it. I think that the reason this is not taught thoroughly (beyond the basics) in music school (I have a bachelor of music degree), is because it IS time consuming to learn; we have all we can do to get everything else right! But it’s a shame because so much emotion can be derived from the modes. I’ve always wanted to dig into them and haven’t. Listening to this, I actually do not know how one could be a great film composer without knowing these well. Because of the fact that so much emotion can be derived. I love the focus on reflecting on how each mode feels! I’m super appreciative of this video and it is exciting to find something that will help me learn and engage with this!

[@static-and-rust]

Respectfully, I believe there is a better way to learn the modes. Students should first familiarize themselves with the major and natural minor scales in 12 keys. Then, think of the modes as alterations of these scales, as follows (from brightest to darkest): Lydian is major with #4, Ionian is just major, Mixolydian is major with flat 7, Dorian is minor with a natural 6, Aeolian is just natural minor, Phrygian is natural minor with flat 2, Locrian can be ignored because it’s only important theoretically and is too tonally unstable for practical use.

[@ultra_toxic3131]

This is how I learned

[@jimhughes1070]

But, just like the video... I'm left not knowing when they're supposed to be played😢

[@static-and-rust]

@@jimhughes1070 Play Lydian mode any time you are on a major chord that's not the I chord (so if you're in key of G and the chord is Cmajor, for example)- Or you can just use Lydian on the I chord sometimes for an exotic feel. Mixolydian can be played on any dominant 7th chord, except for on the V chord in a minor key- for that, an altered Dominant with at least a flat 9 is better. Aeolian and Dorian are basically two flavors of minor. Dorian is brighter and Aeolian is darker- and to know which one is more appropriate you have to listen to the context of the whole tune or section you're playing. Dorian is more common in rock and pop music and would be played in any minor key jam that has a major IV chord in the progression- so for example an A minor jam that hits the D major chord sometimes- the F# of the D major chord indicates that you're in A Dorian. If the IV chord were D minor, with an F natural, that would let you know you're in A Aoelian. I always think of Carlos Santana solos when I play in Dorian, he uses it a lot. You can message me!

[@jimhughes1070]

@@static-and-rust You guys are the best!! Went to sleep in a mysterious fog.... This morning ..."this is the best coffee I ever had!" Thanks at least a Million!! 🙏

[@Isalick34]

That’s a rip because Locrian is one of my favorite modes

[@activemelody]

Really well done Aimee. Modes are such a difficult concept to articulate and you did the best job I’ve seen.

[@scotthillman5084]

Modes are about feeling and emotion...why play Phrygian? to emote a sneaky dark feeling...what to party -- play Mixolydian ! etc. From there its about the "tone center" and "the note of interest" For example, when playing Lydian, feature the #4 as the note of interest.

[@ErikNonIdle]

This has been a frustration of mine for years as a music teacher. Everyone seems to be confused about modes and it mostly stems from them being taught to just play C major but start on the different degrees. That's a fine way to help memorize the patterns, but it is far from practical, especially because people always play them sequentially (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, etc) so your ear just keeps hearing C as the key center and it winds up just sounding like a scale exercise. You really need to do what you did here to understand the individual characteristics of each mode. Play them with the understanding that they are their own keys! F# dorian is NOT just E starting on the second note, it's a wholly unique key on it's own. You didn't go this far in the video, but the next step for me is to start thinking about the other chords in the modes starting with the 1 to 5 progression in each mode. You really start getting a sense for the flavor of the modes when you hear how the other chords relate to the key center in the different modes. Anyway, excellent explanation as always, Aimee! Thanks!

[@markd4292]

I too always thought the chord and the chord progressions has much to do w/ playing modal than playing modal. Too much to think about. I like Allen Holdsworth visualization of scales, basically as one organic structure that you can do whatever you want with, especially while employing chromaticism.

[@gugelhupf8955]

Bullshit! If you play Dm7-G7-Cmaj7, *nobody* hears "dorian", "mixolydian" and last "Ionian". *Everybody* hears C-major.

[@jimhughes1070]

Dang... Started reading your post and thought you were going to explain when to use a mode😭... 😢😢... I guess the search continues😂

[@ErikNonIdle]

@@jimhughes1070 The question of "when" is mostly preference. If you think of the modes as a bucket of notes you can pull from, then it becomes clearer. If you want the notes to strictly match the progression you are playing in, find all the different notes in the progression and match that to a mode that contains all those notes. E.g If you are in G and the progression is G-F-C-G, then G Mixolydian has you covered. If you want to play some "outside" notes, go with a mode that includes notes that aren't in the underlying chords, or notes that imply different harmonies, or borrow from other scales, just like how playing minor pentatonic runs fits well over major chords in bluesy styles because it borrows from minor harmonies. Hope that helps a bit, and of course this is all just advice from one person. Everyone is going to have their own take on it.

[@jimhughes1070]

@@ErikNonIdle hey! thank you very very much!!! Like shining a light in a dark room! 🤣🙏... Love and happiness to you and yours!! 🙏

[@zazoomatt]

Wonderful Presentation of Music MODES. I am learning both Piano & guitar. This IS my Lesson of the year(s). Thank You Aimee SO So much. I have worked HARD to be here to Understand to this Point 5 years in the making from nothing,

[@gitpickins763]

Dear Aimee, thank you for putting a "face" to these modes; and going into how it affects the human soul. I knew all these things solely by ear (back in the day), and used them to color and shade the songs (sparingly, though). Now that I am retired, I hope to have the time to digest all these wonderful things you have shared. God bless you, for caring enough for us folks! ☺

[@DojoOfCool]

I think people get confused because so many teach modes and not talk about what is the sound of that mode. Like Dorian is a minor with a natural 6th. What chords would you use over it. If you're comping in Dorian what triads are you using to imply the dorian sound. What is the formula for a Dorian mode so you can build one from scratch and not think in shifting a major scale around. Really get into the sound of the mode and both chordally and melodically. Then apply that to all the modes. Then move on to the modes of the Melodic Minor the other scale with very useful modes for modern music. Music is sound and should always be taught from a sound perspective and avoid formula and tricks like shifting a scale around. Shifting a scale is helpful when trying to create fingering for scale, but not helpful for learning the sound.

[@pickinstone]

Another Toortog sighting? What would Peter and Adam think? Hehe, kidding! Toortog, I think the same way and it's taken me years to realize that you need to really HEAR your theory in order to make music with it. That means you have to re conceptualize everything into a medium that you can sing and hear, both on your instrument and away from it. The primacy of sound helps us internalize tunes as well--at least it is with my own studies. Memorizing and recalling chord names never quite worked for me when I played jam sessions, so I'd bury my head in the Real Books. In the last couple of months, I've totally changed how I learn tunes. I sing the melody. I sing the root movement. I sing the thirds. I learn the lyrics as much as I can. Sound sticks better than sight. Makes sense because it is music we are talking about, after all. Unfortunately, this type of dialogue always seems to get me into trouble. I guess it ain't worth it if you always play it safe, eh? Aimee knows where it's at. Maybe Adam will bring her on for a Guided Practice Session? Wait, did that already happen?

[@DojoOfCool]

@@pickinstone Before I switch over to piano from guitar I spent a couple years getting hang on the Steve Coleman conference calls talking about all kinds of music and music history and on and on. He talked a lot about things he learned from the early Jazz masters from talk to as many as he could. One of the main things I got out of it that ears was everything to them and part of why they didn't tend to answer questions verbally they would play you answers. The one of the things Coleman talked about that really stuck with me was how the old master didn't talk about scales and such they would talk about pitch collections. The reason was as soon as you say major, minor, dorian, and so on, you are now limiting how you think by thing "what major lines or chords do I know". By not putting putting the label major on and just looking at something as a collection of pitches you use your ear and think what can I do with these notes. Every thing needs to be learn from the sound first then later learn there is a label for it.

[@politereminder6284]

True

[@Turboy65]

What many people fail to understand about modes is where they originate from. And the answer is that they come from taking the pattern of whole and half notes, which in the Major scale is WWHWWWH (Whole and Half steps) starting from the root note, and changing where you start and stop on that pattern. That is Ionian mode. Next is Dorian mode. Which is WHWWWHW. Same pattern just shifted over by one. Shift it over again by one more, and you're in Phrygian mode. Every shift of the pattern takes you to another mode.

[@MsRockn88]

WOW! After playing piano for 50 years or so (whoops, I'm revealing my age HaHa!) You have helped me finally understand how the heck to play around with the modes! You're the best Aimee, I wish you had been my piano teacher when I was growing up! XO

[@rik-keymusic160]

You can also look at these modes like from “light to dark” in which the lydian mode is the brightest because of the raised forth and the locrian mode the darkerst because all these flattened notes which create more tension…

[@gillianomotoso328]

This is how I always think of them.

[@electrosonicnebula]

Exactly, that's a super important point. People who are interested in this aspect should check out the New Jazz lesson on this. It's pedagogical perfection. Aimee Nolte is no slacker of course.

[@gpwaltz]

This is one of those "technically true" details which people reference with modes, that I think ends up contributing to the confusion. The concern in this video is "How do I *use* modes" - so the "lighter to dark" concept ends up being interpreted as a choice you can make in practice, in the moment, while you're improvising. What ends up happening is people (usually guitarists), playing over a progression in C Major...and deciding to take it "darker" by playing up and down an E Phrygian scale. And then darker still by playing B Locrian. But...it doesn't *sound* darker! The modes-confused person first needs to understand tonality and that we're really comparing C Major to C Dorian to C Minor, etc...and not the C-to-C, D-to-D, E-to-E stuff. And critically: if you're playing over a C Major progression, cranking the "darker" lever usually isn't really a valid move, sound-wise. Wrong tool applied at entirely the wrong time.

[@gillianomotoso328]

@@gpwaltz Indeed! And in fact, if you change to, say, E major and then B major instead of the modes diatonic to C, you actually brighten the atmosphere by sharpening notes!

[@gillianomotoso328]

@@gpwaltz It’s also worth noting that light-to-dark is a very linear concept that doesn’t always apply linearly due to modulatory spaces.

[@edelcorrallira]

As someone who's barely getting started with keyboards... This sounds like a fantastic way of warming up. A few tweaks to beginner excercises and you've got modal studies

[@hahabass]

'That's what they're for... each of them [modes] have their own mood'. Wonderful explanation, Aimee.

[@soniah4821]

Phrygian mode is exotic, mysterious and sometimes eerie. Growing up with Greek music, I heard it a lot and it’s still my favorite mode. It’s in eastern music, flamenco, surf guitar and metal. What a range for one mode! Aimee, you make me want to take out my keyboard and try it again. Thank you.

[@wyattstevens8574]

What about the double harmonic scales? Sometimes songs using those are mislabeled as Phrygian or Phrygian dominant.

[@williamrowe7648]

I've watched a number of videos on the modes. Your is the best.

[@takerasjta3528]

You have a really soothing sounding voice , it makes listening and concentration a lot easier

[@Treblemaker888]

I like thinking about modes as bright -> dark, or Lydian to locrian. In that reference frame, Ionian is Lydian with a flat 4. Then mixolydian, Dorian, aeolian, Phrygian, and locrian in that order. Adding a flat to the 4th scale degree first, then 7th, then 3, 6, 2, 5. Thinking about modes like that unlocked them for me.

[@mcorbett01]

Thanks for a very straightforward explanation of something many of us struggle to understand 👍🏻

[@paulwade1763]

'Locrian's your buddy'...love that! From the UK I've gotta say that you've produced a great video lesson...I've been following Rick Beato for a while now and you have the same,great teaching style! 😁👍

[@tiemanspace7679]

Music is like the language of emotions. How to speak with our emotions extended through patterns of vibrations that feel good and agreeable or sensitive to emotions. You, as a good example, speak music as easily as you speak words.

[@GrahamSanders]

This is a great video! It really helped deepen my knowledge on modes and where they fit into improvisation. I think the initial thing that really made it click for me was when my music theory professor framed it in terms of the church modes either being minorish or majorish. Basically that each of the 7 modes could be broken down to a major or (natural) minor scale with modifications. Lydian would be Major w/ a raised 4th, Ionian is Major! Mixolydian is Major with a lowered 7th, Dorian is Minor with a raised 6th, Aeolian is Minor! Phrygian is minor with a lowered 2nd, Locrian is Minor with a lowered 2nd and lowered 5th. This instantly made it way easier to peck out the modes for me instead of trying to do the mental gymnastics of thinking that Ab Lydian is the fourth mode of Eb and tracing back to Eb to find the notes. Instead I would simply play the Ab Major scale and # the 4th!

[@bobdeyoung7261]

Just scratching the surface here. Frank Gambale had a DVD about 30 years ago entitled "Modes: No more mystery". I started learning this stuff before I knew they were called modes over 50 years ago. After hearing musicians saying Dorian this and that, I eventually checked out a book (on scales) from the library. Hopefully, this will soon become old hat for everyone watching this video.

[@popsarocker]

Teaching modes is often pedantic because it's a relatively simple concept couched in "exotic" pythagorean nomenclature. Excluding locrian for a moment there are two groups of modes: one group anchored by a major triad (ionian, lydian and mixo) and one anchored by a minor triad (dorian, phrygian and aeolian). The salient differences between the modes within these groups boils down to just 2 notes in each one. For the major modes the differences are the 4th and 7th steps. For the minor modes it's the 2nd and the 6th steps. These differences imbue each anchor triad with a different tonal modality. That's pretty much it. If you want to really see and hear the differences try building them off the same root note. This is called "parallel modes". Bonus to doing it this way: harmonize each parallel mode for a nice introduction to modal interchange. Locrian is its own special weirdo because of the flat 5. There's whole swaths of KZbin videos of people trying to make sense of locrian but it's only a conundrum if you insist on abiding by the formality of its structure. This it true for all modes but locrian is instructive because (unless you're David Liebman - or maybe because you are) it insists on alteration. Use your ear. If you want that sweet locrian flavor why not just add the 5 back in and call it phrygian #4? Or you know, you can also just ignore it - that's really okay to do. To extend that idea ("you're allowed") all of this is a way to formulate what some might call "sensible theoretical frames of reference". And the common diatonic modes are potentially useful as that frame of reference to communicate while collaborating. If anything, that's the real meta-sauce to the understanding the modes.

[@JayVeerayano]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[@REPS-kb7up]

This was excellent. Thanks.

[@Hello-pl2qe]

Noone ever mentions Freddie Hubbard! He has always been one my favorite trumpet players. You have some great videos.

[@bendonkin9449]

What unlocked the modes for me was the realisation that I was perfectly willing to accept the minor key as it’s own sound. I wasn’t seeing A Minor as just C Major starting from A. I was seeing A minor as a mood, a sound. So why was i not applying that logic to the other modes? D Dorian isn’t just C major starting from D, it has it’s own mood and emotion. E.g. A Dm7 to GMaj progression isn’t a 2,6 progression in CMajor, but rather a 1,4 progression in D dorian. Treat every mode like you do for natural minor.

[@jonswoveland]

OMG! I think I finally understand! Thank-you!

[@AimeeNolte]

Glad it helped!

[@peramundsson2006]

Aimee knows music and she knows what she is talking with. As i play the piano and am interested in jazz i will have to check out the rest of her videos and watch this one again.

[@brucedarling4751]

Hi Aimee, thank you again for your very generous spirit. Much here to absorb! 21:46 I love this chart. I’ve seen the top half, but your sorting by type of seventh chord on the tonic of the mode is fresh and helpful. I see a lot of comments questioning why modes are named the way they are, and why they are useful vs just thinking in the relative major or minor scale. For those folks, here’s my understanding, maybe it will help. All of the modes are named after the note that is their tonic or “home” note (the 1 in this chart). Two of these modes are the classical major and minor scales (Ionian and Aeolian, respectively). Looking at the collection of modes all together, they fall into a pattern of light to dark as several commenters noted. My version of this is that if Ionian is the “standard” major scale, the Lydian is a little brighter or “more major” and the Mixolydian is a little darker or “less major” while Aeolian is the ‘standard’ minor, the Dorian is a little “less minor” and the Phrygian is a little “more minor” as evidenced by the sharp or flats relative to the parallel major scale. The Locrian is the “diminished” or “super minor” mode. As to how they are used, everything we play has a melodic and a harmonic aspect. When we compose we often think of melodies within a harmonic progression like ii-IV-V-I. If we play the same melody and harmonic progression in a different mode, it changes flavor because of the added or reduced major or minor qualities of the mode. Modal jazz, especially, but other genres as well, playfully move from one mode or scale to another using a chord that is present in both the current and the subsequent mode or scale as a pivot point in the piece. In all this, keep in mind that we are simply being playful in a classical music sandbox that is constrained by selecting 7 (diatonic) sounds out of 12 potential (chromatic) sounds or notes to use at a given moment. Playing in a nonstandard mode (i.e., not major or minor) or moving among modes allows us to expand our sandbox to add variety and flavor to our music. It’s all just play.

[@thenatureofsound2414]

Love the Dorian sound on Riders on The Storm by The Doors (or as one of my good gitarist friends calls them The Dorians) 🤣😁

[@johntrojan9653]

Morrison's Bartenders ...? "MIX"olydians ✔️✔️🤣🤣

[@GizzyDillespee]

Morrison's groupies... enigmatic minor mode V

[@joshcann]

This is brilliant! It's taken me years to begin to understand the modes but this clarified it all for me in 4 minutes! Genius!

[@rhein2000]

I always knew you are a very good teacher. Thanks from Chile

[@kirkwoodcoakley8416]

I just want you to know appreciate your talent and your disposition as a persin

[@kirkwoodcoakley8416]

That should have been how much I appreciate your talent and you as a person. Not just a great teacher but a great disposition. Sorry for the previous text, I pressed send by mistake while trying to correct some stuff. Wishing the best for you and your family in this New Year.

[@dessiplaer]

This was a very informative video! In music theory class, our instructor tried to explain the modes with some kind of weird chart that I can no longer remember. It was not at all intuitive, and as a result, most of the students were confused by his explanation. Fortunately, one of the jazz players in the class explained the various modes the way you did in this video, and it all made sense. It's so much easier to think about modes in the way you explained it. But no one explained to us when to use the various modes. That was indeed very helpful, especially when comes to using the locrian mode. Thanks again Professor Aimee!

[@georgehiggins1320]

at 3:46, another way to explain what Aimee is saying is if you're going to use the alphabetical rule, You wouldn't call them Ab and B, you could either call them G# and B, or you could call them Ab and Cb. This is just because those letters I just gave are actually six apart. Ab and B would be thought of as a type of 7th apart.

[@AimeeNolte]

Good call George! I have a video about how to notate chords and scale if anyone is interested in going more into depth on this!

[@aagevaksdal]

Smarter every day with this fantastic musician. Thanks for letting us pick your brain.

[@joseph4756]

I think that the real problem with understanding/utilizing the modes is NOT that people don't understand the CONTENT of the modes. That is explained sufficiently by the realization that the each scale step in the major scale leads to a different harmonic ordering of the same set of tones. The problem as I see it is that we are NOT taught that the mode is a different set of relationships to a particular TONIC. The modes should be understood in relationship to the TONIC! A Dorian mode in D is NOT just a shift within the C Major scale, which does in fact describe the tonal content and order, but is a different set of relationships to the tonic "D." The POINT of a mode is that it's a different color palette in relationship to a tonic! Practice the mode over a tonic drone and LISTEN to how the tones refer back to the tonic! That is the point of a mode, the relationship to the tonic, NOT knowing what tones make up the mode. You MUST teach yourself the relationship to the tonic in order to effectively utilize the modes compositionally or improvisationally! 😀

[@BillSeipel]

Great video. My two cents: the reason why modes are confusing is because we're taught key signatures very early on. While this is somewhat helpful, it tends to ingrain in students that there's ONE set of notes you can play over an entire song. But a lot modern songs (post 1920) don't stick to diatonic chords. So without even mentioning 'modes' you're kind of left scratching your head. Add to this: modal composition really doesn't follow the rules of standard harmony (ie: the cadences are different). Thank you for the video!

[@oldestmate5836]

I think it's a lot easier to think about modes in digitals rather than building them from relative major scale. If you know your major and nat minor (ionian/aolean) then you can just build modes by altering one or two notes raised 6th in minor for dorian, raised 4th in major for lydian, flat 7 in major for mixolydian etc. I think that's a lot quicker.

[@JonHarris77]

I agree that knowing how they differ from the parallel major scale is much more useful in understanding their moods and quickly how to use them. For the minor modes, I remember how they differ from the natural minor/aeolian scale instead of major since there are fewer modifications. To me "C dorian is C minor with a sharp 6" makes a lot more sense than "C dorian is a Bb scale that starts on C." So my mental model is: Lydian - major with #4 Ionian - major Mixolydian - major with b7 Dorian - minor with #6 Aeolian - minor Phrygian - minor with b2 Locrian - minor with b2 and b5 (rarely used anyway)

[@bluegoose555]

you obviously missed the whole lesson

[@AimeeNolte]

This is also how I think of them. But I was trying to appeal to a different set of people with this video who might need an alternate way of thinking about them.

[@oldestmate5836]

@@AimeeNolte Absolutely! Definitely lots of great ways to consider concepts. One thing I really like to do with students is work from the minor/major pentatonic scales then add 6ths and 2nds based on what kind of sound we're trying to imply. E.G. raised 6th with minor pentatonic to get that dorian sound.

[@dckmusic]

I do love when you play and sing, but these lessons are what makes your channel so good. Another "A HA!" moment watching this. I know what modes are, but this simple demonstration of how to apply them is a bit of a game changer for me. Don't get those too often, so thanks, Aimee, for doing these videos.

[@abrotherinchrist]

That was the most concisely informative and inspirational explanation of the modes I've ever heard. Thanks!

[@alexisgs8800]

That is precisely the video I was looking for. Glad you made it! One of my friends will be thrilled as well. Wonderful job, as usual 😊

[@p83otfan]

I was really blessed with a guitar teacher that insisted I learn these in my teen years. To think I fought it tooth and nail.

[@bananapooptime]

I've watched so many great videos from great KZbinrs like this one on modes. At the end of the day here's my takeaway: Modes sound different to each other, that's really what it comes down to. They are different scales and they sound different. It's an unsatisfying answer to someone who wants to write their own music and turns to the internet to do what the internet usually does really well: give you a step by step guide on how to do something. The difficulty with writing music is that you can't be taught how to write music, you can only be taught how to analyze musical building blocks (which scales are) and how to analyze music that someone else has already written. If you actually want to use these tools there is no secret, you just have to experiment and get good at refining your ear.

[@robertakerman3570]

As You explain it = crystal clear. Then I realize that it's years ahead of ME. Love that "SPLIT SCREEN" view. So great to watch as well as listen.

[@JonHarris77]

When you demonstrate what a mode sounds and feels like, it's much better to keep with the same root/tonic. Sooo many times I've heard someone demonstrate modes by playing C major, then D Dorian, the E Phrygian, etc. all in a row. My ear just hears C major scale, C major scale starting on D, C major scale starting on E, etc.... My ear gets stuck in a C tonality and doesn't hear them as distinct tonalities. Much more helpful is playing them with the same root starting with the most familiar major and working your way brighter/darker. Also, taking a song and changing the mode just slightly like David's video did is a great way to illustrate the way they feel.

[@xyloeye]

That's exactly correct - bright to dark - lydian to locrian. So, staying on the tonic, adding a flat in each successive mode - mixolydian one flat, dorian two flats, etc. means you can play in any mode just by knowing how many flats are the the scale (excepting lydian). Starting on C major like most of us did is useless. You're right. It just sounds like C starting on D or E.

[@gernblenstein1541]

Lovely talking about music.

[@JerryCherryBand]

I've travels down the rabbit hole of mode video's and lessons for years. You learn a little bit more each time. It's the teachers perspective that's the real treat. Thank you for the great video.

[@mojoefelix]

This video is very helpful and has some great ways to think about modes and especially the great tip about referring back to the parent scale and using it to play in any given mode. Now the incomprehensible part to me is the question: Do jamming jazz musicians really think like this while the chords are rapidly flying past so there is a new chord every second or two? I don't see how that is possible to think "OK, Dorian for this chord," "Now Phrygian for this next chord," etc., Wouldn't that be far too cerebral to be creating anything emotionally appealing or meaningful? I would really like to know the answer to that question as it is directly on the subject of use of the modes in real time.

[@Cap10NRGMusic]

Wow Aimee - I could seriously watch every one of your videos and learn something new. You are an amazing teacher! Thank you for all you do!

[@pedroleal7118]

I don't know that much about 'theory', but , I heard Frank Gambale saying, 'instead of 'modes', I call them 'moods''.Somehow, it helps! It seems to me that each 'mode' introduces you to a different 'mood ' (intervals?).Then I got interested into more 'modal' music (Indian,Japanese, Zappa), and it made sens. Modes,in a way, are like a journey. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@FlipArt57]

Well it seems now you do know "theory" because you ventured into Indian and Japanese and of coarse there is German. (told in theory class), but to make things simple always go back to basics.

[@brucethomas6332]

I've been trying to understand this over forty years. Thank you for your understandable explanation I feel so much better enlightened!

[@gerrymitchell7663]

Love this! I came up with the same chart and played “Joy To The World” in the key of C. Then play the whole song (always starting on the C note) but using the key signatures of Bb. Then Ab, G, F, Eb, Db. Behold - “Joy To The Modes!”

[@harrylanders3779]

Brava! I've probably watched 100 of your videos and this is the winner. You did a masterful job of both explaining and illustrating just what the modes are and how to use them, in a way that I haven't seen before. Everything clicked for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@brunoteixeira5912]

Brilliantly put 🙌 Thank you

[@joemankowski3898]

What an "eye opening" revelation! This is wonderfully explained. It really isn't that complicated. Thank you Aimee!

[@johnhextall1136]

This is an excellent video and beautifully presented. Thanks Aimee!

[@dougplate8234]

Great teaching Aimee. Thanks.

[@OberdaReignbeau]

Great presentation!

[@aidybopification]

You're such a delight to listen to. Keep up the great work. ❤

[@anmathunach]

Beautiful video. A real eye opener, thank you.

[@NateHendrix]

I love this video, Thank you!

[@OrphanPipe]

I’m so happy one of your videos popped up on TikTok! Thanks for posting this.

[@thedigitalsnake]

What a great way to approach modes, and I need to rewatch this as it's helping my brain start to make real sense of it all. Love the style too, thanks.

[@expatcanuck3492]

Great video and the best explanation of modes that I've ever seen - thanks lots!

[@mikey20is]

Thank_you, Aimee. I will have to watch over and more. Really clear.

[@charlotteshepherd4908]

A great explanation Aimee.

[@matthewgoldberg1461]

Thinking Spanish guitar, Phrygian has the the feel of C major/B. The only black key is F#. In a different key, a standard guitar cliche is to vamp up from open E major to F major, letting the high and low E string sustain as pedal tones

[@JerryCherryBand]

Excellent video. Love the Moods.

[@rayhagihara7258]

Thank you so much! I watched a couple videos on modes, but they only taughe me how to construct them and how each of them sound like! What I really wanted to understand was how I can make use of them when improvising or composing, which you made very clear!

[@luxolontamo4440]

Haven't been thinking about modes in a long time, you have totally inspired me to use them once again. This was useful

[@Musikkeller-Innsider]

Thank you very much for sharing this!

[@jayagopi1]

Great video on modes Aimee. One of my favorite mode lesson on KZbin. Thanks 😊👍💓

[@ricardomartinezbass]

Hello Aimee, this was an extraordinary explanation and practical view of the modes. Thank you so much for your knowledge, your methodology and your clarity. Keep the good work!

[@jimmrvos2930]

Thanks Aimee for a terrific and inspiring lesson. My big takeaway is that I need to try harder to make music with the modes. I’m a guitar player and I know how to play the scales for each of the modes. But they are just scales. Your explorations of those scales showed me how I need to do the same thing in order to truly understand the sounds of the different modes and to learn how to incorporate them into solos. It will be a great way for me to bridge the mechanics of playing mode scales to the goal using modes to make music.

[@meadish]

You've got it. I recommend checking out Signal Studio here on KZbin. Jake Lizzio has some great example videos where he uses a particular mode to compose, and the examples really showcase the flavour of the mode in a big way.

[@bbbower1]

You are truly a gifted teacher Aimee!

[@santosreynaldo1279]

Thank you Aimee. You are the best!

[@captainginyu1297]

This is so inspiring! Thank you ❣️

[@MichaelTripicco]

Perfect timing on this video. I've been focusing on the modes as a means to really understand the banjo fingerboard for a while now, but it's always seemed like a sterile exercise. Playing through them on the piano as you did really makes *hearing* them and *feeling* them much easier. Plus, using the key of G for your explanation makes every banjo player happy.

[@1cleandude]

That was a very peaceful 23 minutes with you Amie! Thanks for your time and expertise! Still a difficult concept to wrap one’s head around!🙏🏻

[@lyndarosborough869]

Thanks so much for this great explanation!

[@akinnon2000]

Outstanding class... thanks.. really..

[@colourtones]

Excellent lesson, Aimee! Effective choice and use of jazz standards/pop tunes to illustrate.

[@braden8924]

This video really helped me to understand modes in a new light and as a practical tool that I can utilize! This is honestly so cool thank you so much for this video! Things are clicking and gears are turning in my head.

[@DarthBalsamic]

Fantastic stuff on the modes. I never truly understood myself for the longest time, and have always wanted to incorporate it, but didn't know how. This helped. Got the juices flowing with this tutorial.

[@katkluczy]

I love your explanation!!! I have never understood how to use the modes. Thank you for your great videos!

[@kencory2476]

Lovely introduction to the modes, Aimee.

[@bobvasseur]

Thank you, having just discovered you a few months ago, you have been really helping me with my jazz and understanding of chord structures, between you and Corey Hall for ragtime music, I have been learning much keep up the good work.

[@Richard195602]

Thank you so much, so inspiring!

[@lakegirlroxy9852]

Very well explained, such a Genius!

[@percussiveseer415]

Hi Aimee! I hope you are doing well! Really loved the video, a refresher is always welcome, and I might exercise on them to feel the intervals rather than the notes, which isn't something I would've thought of! So thank you very much!

[@Gstation9]

Thank you Aimee. I see the light now !

[@dovidlew]

Great video as always, thanks! 💖

[@enterrupt]

This is a top quality explanation. Thank you!

[@Nic72able]

Thanks, Aimee! I'm beginning to understand.

[@brooklynsoundgarage]

What a great explanation, it opens up how note choice and timing combine emotional expression with a touch of thinking.