Not the usual mode question...

E----------------------------5-7-8
B-----------------------5-7-8
G-------------------5-7
D-------------5-7-9
A-------5-7-8
E-5-7-8

Is this Dorian Mode written in tab format?? IF not what is dorian mode tabbed out. Please do not ramble on about what makes a mode and such.

Do modes follow a position pattern, such as pentatonic scales which can be written out if you follow the "formula"?(I.e WWHWWWH).

What modes are usually associated with what types of music?

The first part you tabbed (from E to D string) is an A minor (aeolian mode) in the Key of C maj. (no flats or sharps)
The rest of your tab is an A dorian in the Key of G maj. (since you got a sharp F note)

I guess you made a typing mistake .

If you want a Dorian throghout , change the 8 on the A-string into 9.
If you want the Aeolian , change the 7 on the b-string into 6.

Yes, modes follows formulas and position patterns just like the major , pentatonic etc.

Here are the formulas:
======================
1) Ionian (major) : WWHWWWH
2) Dorian : WHWWWHW
3) Phrygian: HWWWHWW
4) Lydian : WWWHWWH
5) Mixolydian: WWHWWHW
6) Aeolian (minor) : WHWWHWW
7) Locrian : HWWHWWW


For hard rock and metal Aeolian and Phrygian are realy common.

your asking about modes but your asking not a ramble on a bout them?

yep, well I understand them alot more now anyway. I looked through the site and found a thingy on them. So i went and wrote them all out. Ya I know. Too much time

Modes are derived from major scales, traditionally. Understanding traditional harmonic concepts can expand any POV. A chord is a chord. It's function may depend on what preceeds it or follows it. Any given sound is a function of harmony. X=X, the fun part is making X= delta quad phlange.
American music is tradition with a major twist. That twist is sort of against tradition, which is American. Take one major scale and play it from any one point. You have modes.
Each any one point has it's own harmony (chords) and function. Look at modal scales as a mental and aural sidestep of major scales and their appropriate harmony.
It's like reading a broken ruler, at any point, 1 inch is still one inch. The musical alphabet (ABCDEFG) never changes.
Another view of modes are at
http://members.tripod.com/~griphon2/index-11.html

Hope this helps.

A dorian is a G major scale starting on A. The notes are A B C D E F# G A.
Any major scale starting on A play...

Ionian = A major
Dorian = G major (starting on A)
Phyrgian = F major(starting on A)
Lydian =E major (starting on A)
Mixolydian = D major (starting on A)
Aeolian = C major (starting on A)
Locrian = Bb major (starting on A)

This is it in a nutshell. All should be played in any ONE postion. (play all scales from the 5th fret, ultimately, any A any and all fingerings.)


[Edited by griphon2 on 04-04-2003 at 06:23 PM]

Another trick is in seeing. Note any pentatonic min or maj within each or any major scale. Remember the one position maj or min pentatonic is a five note arpeggio.

Modes are derived from major scales[/QUOTE]
Aye, but some are derived from ... whatever the hell scale you want to use! (Not that I'm suggesting you didn't know that).
Modes have some character of their own that's not just from belonging to a particular parent scale. If you were to play the notes within the octave CDEFGABC, finish on a C and then try the same with BCDEFGAB finishing on a B it's clearly different. The Locrian sounds unresolved and damn scary. The triad it's based on is a diminished. They used to call the diminished triad "diabolicus in musica" and it was banned by religious types who didn't believe in the art of the jazzy head-****!
What you will perhaps have noticed is that some scale forms have far fewer modes than the number of notes they contain.
For instance whole tone scales have only one mode, they go WWWWWWWW forever (until your neighbour kills you) and diminished scales (WHWHWHWH forever) have two. Such scales are said to be atonal because they don't contain obvious notes to finish on. All things are equal, that's why they're restless and great for scaring children. If you remove notes from these scales you can make new ones which are tonal even if they are bloody weird. For instance Diminshed can be turned into Hungarian Major by removing a note to give (THWHWHWH) which then has a tonal centre, the first note.

Roger, wilco, over and underwear. Cool, I didn't want to do the detail. I rarely use this stuff in context. I am more of a tension player. Whatever I hear, I create some kind of tension, harmonically or irritate the drunk in front of me.

The way I use modes is almost strictly for harmonizing. That's pretty much all the use I get from any scale, even simple major or minor. Since the foundation of all music is it's chord structure and that progression. As you built a chord progression for a song, next your going to want to harmonize something over the chords. This is where scales and modes come into play. Each chord has a different scale (sometimes many scales) that fits it. Take a simple major chord. The natural scale to use to harmonize over it is the major scale. Basically because it contains all the notes that are compatible (or sound pleasant) with the sound of a major chord. Then you match the root, C major chord = C major scale. Now when you first learn scales, you always play them from the root up and then back down. The simple concept is that your learning each degree that each note has to it's relative sound(tonality/root). So if you play the C major scale over the C major chord, you know that D is one sound in relationship to the chord and E is another. I think, the best way to look at a scale is it's relationship to a chord it supports.

Take a simple chord progression in the key of G major.
Cmajor / / / / Ddom/ / / / Gmajor

Now of course you could just use the G major scale over the entire chord progression. Which is not a bad idea. I think it's the best thing if you are playing a melody that repeats over and over during the chord progression. But if your actually going to harmonize over it, it may be better to break the chord progression up. Play a C major scale over the C major chord, etc. What you end up with is more compatible notes with each chord.

Now the same things applies with modes. Take the Lydian mode which is a great alternative to using just the simple Major scale. If you were to compare the sound of the lydian scale to anything, it would be the sound of a IV chord. Now going back to playing one melody over all the chords. If you were to play the G major scale over the C major chord, you would actually be playing the C lydian scale over the C major chord. When you did that, the relationship between chord and scale would end up being the tonality of the lydian scale. Simple concept, but it opens up another perspective. Alternative: Or you could play the C major scale over the C major chord, which is also very compatible as I stated before. Now what you will end up with is a different tonality. If each chord in a song was an item in a painting (artistic impression of the song). Each scale/mode would be the different colors you could choose to make that item.

I think the best way to learn modes is to practice them harmonizing over chords that support them. The difference between a lydian scale and ionian is just one note, but that one note will open up a new view and understanding on harmonizing over a simple major chord. All the same with all the other scales. Accidentals in music generally come from these concepts of harmonizing chords with different scales.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 04-08-2003 at 11:11 PM]

Another view. Cool again. Fusing pentatonics give the same result. Learning the one or two note alterations of major scales gives all the other results. (which are within the pentatonic fusions). Understanding blue notes within both major and min pents will expand any POV. Pents give a new guitar player a form of control. All those great arpeggios across the fret board. Moving the pents or arps per chord or per tonal center is a major eye opener. Not to mention, fun. Ex. play an Eb7 over and fuse A7 arp. Sliding or pulling off to a tri-tone makes a gorgeous sound to it's ultimate end. Fusing pents pretty much covers American music in general. Once the rules make sense, breaking them is American. That's even cooler.