Lots of people say things like "modes are over-rated, I'd rather do this or that". From a theoretical perspective, they are the -only- notes that make sense in a given key. Yes, some scales such as the pentatonic and blues scales are different, but they, for the most part contain all the notes common to the modes.
I can identify a pentatonic player and distinguish him from a modal player. To me, playing modal is the only way to fly. Sometimes I'll add blue notes or chromatics, but knowing the modes gives me a large palette to choose from.
later dude!
p.s.
This month's Guitar Player has an excellent article by Andre Bush on what to play over a major7#11, he starts by showing why a Lydian is the correct mode and then subtracts a few notes and concludes that the major7 chords sound really cool when adding a pentatonic 1 step above the root.
Well, in modal thinking, he's saying play, the dorian for major 7, but don't play all the notes. Yet he arrived at this formula from the Lydian rather than the Dorian. What's correct? Either, it really doesn't matter how you come up with a formula, it's just fun having the knowledge to derive it.
happy picking!
