Hi Christopher/Dave

Thank you for the links.  I have checked both Modes of Major Scale and Practicing Minor Modes up to the Dorian mode.  I'll be completing these courses for sure.

In both these courses the mechanics of the modes are taught very well, you cover
* 'absolute' intervals of the mode, counting 1st note as the Root
* how mode intervals relate to the major scale, e.g. counting M2 as 1st note for Dorian
* how mode fits within major scale
* how mode fits within minor pentatonic
* demonstrate sound/feel of mode by playing scale up and down with backing track
* demonstrate sound/feel of mode by playing 'chord tone lick' starting from R 3 5 

All of this is really good, but the examples used are more of an exercise/practice.  Admittedly, that is essential to understand the mechanics.

To clear up a lot of confusion on the mechanics of the modes why not simply provide something like the following prior to each lesson and focus more on the musical aspects?

<code>
===============================
---------   DORIAN   ----------
===============================
    W   H   W   W   W   H   W       STEPS
R   M2  m3  P4  P5  M6  m7  R       DORIAN MODE FORMULA
M2  M3  P4  P5  M6  M7  R   M2      MAJOR SCALE FORMULA
B   C#  D   E   F#  G#  A   B       B-DORIAN [NOTES KEY=A]

What is missing is an example (or a few) of playing a song type musical lick using the mode with the backing track.  Pointing out where the mode special notes are, and how that fits into the chord sequence and why it works.
Maybe also demonstrating the exact same lick but using a different mode, i.e. only changing the notes of the lick where intervals of that new mode differ.  Again, pointing out where the mode special notes are different and why it sounds bad

I think this is where a lot of people get hung up, not the mechanics of the modes but how to use them musically.  Why that particular mode sounds good (in that context), or better than another mode, or why you shouldn't use a mode.

Thanks

edited 9 months ago