Guitar instructors are often asked to teach the modes. It seems that from the outside looking in there exists some mystery as to what these modes are. Essentially, modes are scales within a scale. They are literally sub-scales derived from the major scale (and other scales too, but that will wait until another time).

Remember that the distances between the notes determine the scale. These distances form the intervals of the individual notes. For now the most important distance is from the root note to the scale's third note. If it is 2 whole-steps, the relationship is considered major. If it is 1 and 1/2 steps it is minor. This major-or-minor tonality defines all chords, arpeggios and scales, with the exception of the suspended chord. The major scale is the reference standard, all other scale intervals are in reference to it.

The diagram below illustrates the C major scale played two octaves. The notes starting and ending with D are shaded in gray. They are an interior scale of C major. But notice that when it is assessed as an independent scale how the intervals are different than it's major scale. When the series of tones (D to D) are compared to D major, two of the notes have different intervals (the 3rd and 7th notes are flatted). It is particularly important to note the flatted 3rd, this tells us that this mode is a minor scale.

Each mode will have a unique interval make-up and tonality. Modes 1 (Ionian), 4 (Lydian) and 5 (Mixolydian) will have two whole-steps from the root to the 3rd note and are major scales. Modes 2 (Dorian), 3 (Phrygian), 6 (Aeolian) and 7 (Locrian) all contain a step and a half from the root to the 3rd note which defines the minor tonality. The 7th mode (Locrian) also contains a flatted 5th tone which places it in the diminished category. It isn't really necessary to absorb all of this information prior to playing and even using the modes. On the Jam-Tracks page of this site you may choose some of the static chords and the performance notes will tell you which modes will work over that chord. For the key of C which is demonstrated here, any chord progression limited to the chords C - Dmi - Emi - F - G - Ami - Bdim will support all of these modes.

There are several ways to finger a scale. The below examples all begin with the 1st finger and have 3 notes-per-string. As you practice them it is good to note that the lesson on this site titled "The Pentatonic Minor Scale" (Lesson I-2) gives the 5 forms of that scale which can be used any time that these 7 can be used! That should give the early improvisor a very good start!