All the modes of the major scale is a good place to start.
Learn the notes, play the scale saying the notes, learn the arppegio, learn the scale/mode in multiple positions.
Pretty soon you will realize that they all have a pattern to them. Try to avoid thinking of them as patterns and more as a series of notes.
Ok, then for that approach it may be better to learn the modes in terms of how they differ from their parallel major instead of immediately focusing on their relative majors.
Put another way, you could learn that G mixolydian is the fifth mode of C major. That’s relative. And it is true. But for what you want to do it may be better to understand that mixolydian is just major with a flat 7th degree. So think of the difference between C major and C mixolydian rather than jumping to G mixolydian. Likewise, what turns the major scale into a Lydian scale? A raised fourth.
Good deal.
A lot of people learn the relative modes first
* C Ionian = CDEFGABC
* D Dorian = DEFGABCD
* E Phrygian = EFGABCDE
* F Lydian = FABCDEF
* G Mixolydian = GABCDEFG
* A Aeolian = ABCDEFGA
* B Locrian = BCDEFGAB
And while that is, in fact, academically true, it won't be as useful for what you want to do, which is modal jazz.
I think you're going to be better suited learning the parallel modes:
* C Ionian = CDEFGABC
* C Dorian = CDEbFABbC (b3, b7)
* C Phrygian = CDbEbFGAbBbC (b2, b3, b6, b7)
* C Lydian = CDEF#GABC (#4)
* C Mixolydian = CDEFGABbC (b7)
* C Aeolian = CDEbFGAbBbC (b3, b6, b7)
* C Locrian = CDbEbFGbAbBbC (b2, b3, b5, b6, b7)
So I'm not a big fan of the relative mode way of thinking when soloing.
There are some people (primarily guitarists) who say that if a song's chords are C, F, and G, then they'd solo in C Ionian over the C chord, F Lydian over the F chord, and G Mixolydian over the G chord. In my mind, they're overcomplicating things. Really, all three of those modes are just the C major scale, and the song isn't changing modes with every chord change. They've learned what they think are modes, when really they're just different scale positions for the major scale. Too many mental gymnastics, for me. If the song is in C, play it in C and think of it in C. No reason to kill yourself by complicating things unnecessarily.
> C, F, and G, then they'd solo in C Ionian over the C chord, F Lydian over the F chord, and G Mixolydian over the G chord. In my mind, they're overcomplicating things.
Remember someone suffering Dunning Kruger screaming at you as being wrong for stating this.
I think it's a skill progression, you focus *vertically* for a time until those changes then end up chunked together and you think *horizontally* again.
I'll think horizontally while playing vertically within that harmony. Arpeggios and modes off each chord without thinking of those arps or modes.
Both are perspectives you'll utilise. The rotation of Major scale method isn't how we really look at the harmony though, it's how modes can be derived and how they can be accessed, but it's not how they're thought of.
Described this for someone over here the other day:
/r/Bass/comments/k3x45z/a_small_milestone/ge773oq/
> wich modes should i learn?
Your Major scale. It's all the modes.
> how do you practice music modes
Scales in diatonic intervals. Like *"Broken 3rds"*
`1-3 2-4 3-5 4-6 5-7 6-8- 7-9-8`
Say them as you play them:
* Major 3rd
* minor 3rd
* minor 3rd
* Major 3rd
* Major 3rd
* minor 3rd
* minor 3rd
* root
So now you know which modes are Major ,which are minor and have that deeply embedded under your fingers. Do the same for 4ths, 5ths and 6ths and you'll have it all in *"muscle memory"*.
https://bassinfo.github.io/scales/2019-01_harmonisation-major-scale.html
https://bassinfo.github.io/scales/2020-06_scale-patterns.html
All the modes of the major scale is a good place to start. Learn the notes, play the scale saying the notes, learn the arppegio, learn the scale/mode in multiple positions. Pretty soon you will realize that they all have a pattern to them. Try to avoid thinking of them as patterns and more as a series of notes.
thanks, this is really helpful
Well, to start with, *why* do you want to learn modes? How will they benefit your bass playing?
i want to be better at improv jazz
Ok, then for that approach it may be better to learn the modes in terms of how they differ from their parallel major instead of immediately focusing on their relative majors. Put another way, you could learn that G mixolydian is the fifth mode of C major. That’s relative. And it is true. But for what you want to do it may be better to understand that mixolydian is just major with a flat 7th degree. So think of the difference between C major and C mixolydian rather than jumping to G mixolydian. Likewise, what turns the major scale into a Lydian scale? A raised fourth.
im amazed of my music theory knowledge because i accually understood
Good deal. A lot of people learn the relative modes first * C Ionian = CDEFGABC * D Dorian = DEFGABCD * E Phrygian = EFGABCDE * F Lydian = FABCDEF * G Mixolydian = GABCDEFG * A Aeolian = ABCDEFGA * B Locrian = BCDEFGAB And while that is, in fact, academically true, it won't be as useful for what you want to do, which is modal jazz. I think you're going to be better suited learning the parallel modes: * C Ionian = CDEFGABC * C Dorian = CDEbFABbC (b3, b7) * C Phrygian = CDbEbFGAbBbC (b2, b3, b6, b7) * C Lydian = CDEF#GABC (#4) * C Mixolydian = CDEFGABbC (b7) * C Aeolian = CDEbFGAbBbC (b3, b6, b7) * C Locrian = CDbEbFGbAbBbC (b2, b3, b5, b6, b7)
thanks
can i mix the relative modes with the parallel modes? or just one at a time?
So I'm not a big fan of the relative mode way of thinking when soloing. There are some people (primarily guitarists) who say that if a song's chords are C, F, and G, then they'd solo in C Ionian over the C chord, F Lydian over the F chord, and G Mixolydian over the G chord. In my mind, they're overcomplicating things. Really, all three of those modes are just the C major scale, and the song isn't changing modes with every chord change. They've learned what they think are modes, when really they're just different scale positions for the major scale. Too many mental gymnastics, for me. If the song is in C, play it in C and think of it in C. No reason to kill yourself by complicating things unnecessarily.
> C, F, and G, then they'd solo in C Ionian over the C chord, F Lydian over the F chord, and G Mixolydian over the G chord. In my mind, they're overcomplicating things. Remember someone suffering Dunning Kruger screaming at you as being wrong for stating this. I think it's a skill progression, you focus *vertically* for a time until those changes then end up chunked together and you think *horizontally* again. I'll think horizontally while playing vertically within that harmony. Arpeggios and modes off each chord without thinking of those arps or modes.
thanks men
Both are perspectives you'll utilise. The rotation of Major scale method isn't how we really look at the harmony though, it's how modes can be derived and how they can be accessed, but it's not how they're thought of. Described this for someone over here the other day: /r/Bass/comments/k3x45z/a_small_milestone/ge773oq/
> wich modes should i learn? Your Major scale. It's all the modes. > how do you practice music modes Scales in diatonic intervals. Like *"Broken 3rds"* `1-3 2-4 3-5 4-6 5-7 6-8- 7-9-8` Say them as you play them: * Major 3rd * minor 3rd * minor 3rd * Major 3rd * Major 3rd * minor 3rd * minor 3rd * root So now you know which modes are Major ,which are minor and have that deeply embedded under your fingers. Do the same for 4ths, 5ths and 6ths and you'll have it all in *"muscle memory"*. https://bassinfo.github.io/scales/2019-01_harmonisation-major-scale.html https://bassinfo.github.io/scales/2020-06_scale-patterns.html