Modes made easy!

[Chris K]

Studying chord progressions has proven much more useful to me learning music theory than just learning modes. Learning how to play (jazz walking) over changes like 1-4-5, 2-5-1, 3-6-2-5-1 changes is really important and more practical than just learning modes. It is the tonal relationship of the notes within the key or song that make music happen. Modes are one way of learning this relationship but ultimately it is how these tonal relationships are put together in a piece of music and how we as bass players can create a flowing groove through these tonal changes is what is most important IMHO

+1000

 

[MarkMcBass]

Actually Mark's original post makes more sense to me than any of the others.

N

It looks like everyone else s osting wayt to remember the orders of the modes. my post was just how to create the rest of the mode from the root note. like starting from maybe C or B or D# or any note you want, then follow the interval patterns the way i posted them in my original post and thats the mode! Easy Example = C in Ionian mode is: C (your root), whole step (D), whole step (E), half step (F), whole step (G), whole step (A), whole (B), half (C)! Thats it!

 

[MarkMcBass]

Or I came up with a goofy way to remember the moods of some of the modes. Like Locrian is dark and intense so think of "Lycan"/Locrian. Or Mixolydian is hispanic sounding so think "Mex"olydian..or "Mexican"/Mixolydian. Or for Phrygian..its middle easternish so think 'Pharoah"/Phrygian! Im still trying to think of ones for the other modes haha if you can think of any lemme know!

 

[JimmyM]

dorian reminds me of "boring."

anyway, sorry...been a little testy these days. nothing wrong with remembering how modes are formed by steps. i think maybe had you included the root in each mode and made it up to the octave for each mode, it would have come out a little better and seemed more accurate to me. like dorian would be:

r-w-h-w-w-w-h-w

 

[MarkMcBass]

dorian reminds me of "boring."

anyway, sorry...been a little testy these days. nothing wrong with remembering how modes are formed by steps. i think maybe had you included the root in each mode and made it up to the octave for each mode, it would have come out a little better and seemed more accurate to me. like dorian would be:

r-w-h-w-w-w-h-w

ohhh i guess the concept is easier to think about if i just wrote in root..then went on haha all i did was say to start from the root in my first sentence and went on assuming you know its there for the rest sorry i made it confusing! but i meant for the root to be assumed..mistake haha

 

[Curtybob]

I'm in hungover mode. It creates a sick and shaky feel with little spurts of Buffalo Wild Wings popping up... for effect.