Guitar Modes and Scale Starting Positions

About the major scale modes of music. Learn to apply the modal concept to the guitar fretboard. How to play and use modes in lead guitar solos and songs.

Guitar Modes and Scale Starting Positions

Postby DesiSerna on Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:26 pm

I listened to the whole podcast and still have a little question. Say I am in G, so G-Am-Bm-C-D, ect... Is it considered Dorian Mode if I am playing Am and then I play a G scale over that chord, starting with the G root and ending with the G root. (Or accentuating the G note when I reach the beginning of the progression).

OR

Is it considered Dorian Mode if I am playing a G chord and I play the notes of the G scale but starting and ending with the A note?

This was not exactly all that clear.

Lastly, implementing this -- If I am just playing a simple I-IV-V in G, it is not good to go from Ionian (starting at G and ending at G) and then going to Dorian then a little Aeolian, then some Locrian, right? In general, won't the sound be better by just staying in one type of mode?


You're right, my podcast episode on modes needs to be more clear. I certainly get into all the details on my Guitar Modes DVD. But to answer your question, where you start the scale doesn't make a difference. The modal concept is a result of what you're playing over, not how you phrase the scale. Playing the G major scale over a G major chord, or a progression that revolves around G, will always produce Ionian mode regardless of which note you may actually start on. This is because everything is heard against the root G. Likewise for Dorian and the other modes.
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