You describe one of several ways to begin thinking about it, Scott.

If that method helps you to remember and retain, keep moving with it, as it is going to gradually become more and more familiar to you from that particular standpoint, and, once known as almost second nature, you will begin to see what they are truly called from within the kay signature of the tune or the key signature implied during a modulation such as the grand old two five one modulations where the key signature remains the same but the actual key changes only during those particular measures.

However, you need to correct some things here.

Let's look at this from the standpoint of C Major for the sake of simplicity:

Lydian = V major scale

The Lydian mode starts on the 4th of the Major Scale.

You describe the Mixolydian mode but have it under the Lydian header.

In the C Major scale, the Mixolydian scale is found from the V up, but it is NOT the C Lydian scale. It is the G Lydian (Major Scale but with flatted 7th).

Ionian = I major scale

Good old faithful you already know, but likely only in the context of the root, hence a C Major scale over a C Major chord. Also may work well over the iii (Rm) or the vi as well as the ii. in C.

Mixolydian = IV major scale

The IV, as described above, has been switched by you here.

The Lydian scale is from the IV up.

Dorian = VII major scale

Dorian mode is a minor mode. and is from the 2 up. D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D in key of C.

To say it is a Major scale built from the 7 up, it would have to be in a different key sig to work. In this case, B Major, which would throw in all sorts of accidentals (#'s in thia case) which would take it out of the key.

Aeolian = bIII major scale = I minor

Again, out of key. bIII ain't in the key of C. Aeolian must be starting on the A in C, not the Eb. The Aeolian mode is also known as the Natural minor scale.

Phrygian = bVII major = IV minor

No bIII possible from within the key.

Locrian = bII major = bVII minor

Where do all these FLATS come from?

Let's take a look from this standpoint:

The Major Scale consists of the following intervals,

1,1,1/2 - 1 - 1,1,1/2

This forces us to think in terms of the spaces between each note rather than the notes themselves and works very well no matter the key, the notenames, whatever. It is kind of like negative logic, where we are viewing the actual steps or the spaces in between the notes rather than memorizing the notes themselves. Of course, a day should and likely will come when the note names become a matter of rote due to the familiarity of practice and repetition.

Now let's look at the modes generated by the Major Scale:

Ionian -- This is the Major Scale, from 1 through 8, old faithful. If we are in that same key of C, it is from C to C.

Dorian -- This is from D to D of the C Major scale, and is not necessarily always in the key of C, but can be. Carlos Santana's favorite soloing mode is the Dorian mode.

This is the D Dorian scale, not the C Dorian scale. Try "Black Magic Woman" soloing when song is in key of Dm to see.

Phrygian -- From E to E of the C Major scale, the Tonic Triad for it is Em and thus it can work over Em chord.

Lydian -- The tonic triad for the Lydian chord is the 4th of the key we are in, so in C it would be F. The Lydian mode works well over the Fmaj7 chord.

Mixolydian -- From 5 to 5, here we generate the scale that plays over the typical turnaround chord. In C that would be a G7 chord. So in C the scale spelling is the G Mixolydian. Tonic Triad is of course, G triad.

Aeolian - This is 6 to 6 of the Major scale and is also known as the Natural minor scale. But the Nat minor isn't used all that often over minors in practice, opting for the Harmonic or Melodic minor scale instead. Modern jazz, you must learn the Melodic minor scale as well or better than you know the Major scale, BTW, as it can be the basis for much of the thing once you get more familiar with which one to use and where. Interestingly enough, the Dominant Triad for the Aeolian mode is based on the iii chord, so in C it is the Em. Works great over Em7 or Am7.

Locrian - Tonic Triad is B diminished, but its Tonic 7th chord would be the Bdim or the B half dim (Bm7b5).

Try the C Locrian scale over a 4Maj7 chord, in this case that would be the FMaj7.

So we see that while modes are *generated* by the steps of the Major scale within a certain key signature, the real trick is in knowing that each one actually has another unique key of its own.

Confused enough yet?

The path to overcoming lies in not looking for shortcuts.

Take it one mode at a time, not only do the headwork, memorizing the note names, the steps between the notes, but also practicing it over the chord as well as practicing not just in linear fashion but try skipping every other note (arpeggios happen then), playing it up and down in thirds, forths, three note climbs and descends (123-234-345-456, etc. and when moving downscale, then would become 987.876,765,654, ETC).

I hope this helps get you started, and I may have made mistakes here, just typing fast off the top of the head and all.


--Mac

PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here

You must be Audiominds.
www.audiominds.com