The 7 Modes on Your Guitar and How to Use Them

Modes are a great way to add an element of mystery and emotion to your guitar playing. They can also help create a more unique sound in your playing and are very satisfying to play. They may seem a little complicated at first, but with the right approach and consistent practice, they can be easily learned. In this article, we’ll take a look at the seven major modes on the guitar and how to use them.

The 7 Modes on Your Guitar

Modes can be broken down into a few simple patterns that will allow you to learn them quickly and effectively. First, we’ll start with the Major Scale and break it down into its corresponding mode shapes on the fretboard. This will give you a solid understanding of how the modes are built and will make it easier to understand their relationship to the major scale.

Each mode is built from one of the 7 notes in the major scale. For example, the second note in the major scale is the root or starting point of the Dorian mode. So, in order to learn the Dorian mode, you simply need to move the first pattern of the major scale up an octave. This will give you the root of the Dorian mode and you can then move this up and down the fretboard to find its corresponding pattern in each of the 7 different modes.

Once you have a basic understanding of the mode patterns you can start to experiment with them and create some melodies with them. Practicing in a variety of keys is a good idea as this will help you develop an understanding of how each of the modes sound in a musical context. Experimenting with chord progressions will also help you get a better feel for how the different modes can be used to create specific moods and feelings.

Another important thing to remember when learning the guitar modes is that each mode has its own unique sound and feel. This is largely down to the way in which you play it and the chords that you are using to create it. For instance, the Dorian mode will sound very different when played in a straight ahead jazz style compared to how it would be played in a blues style.

It is important to keep this in mind when learning the guitar modes and experimenting with them in your playing. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking of them as just more scale positions rather than being unique tools that can be used to create specific feelings and emotions. Keeping this in mind will help you develop your own personal style and create some truly memorable solos with the use of the guitar modes.