Guitar Modes... the smart (easy) way!

Part 2 of 3: Relative and Parallel Modes...

This section on guitar modes is divided into three lessons. The first is a brief introduction to modes. In this lesson, we will lay the ground for a really cool way to learn modes on the fretboard. Finally, article three shows you how to simplify the way you think of modes on the fretboard. Using this technique, you can learn all 6 true diatonic modes in mere minutes.

After lesson 1, you are now one step closer to understanding guitar modes!

You have probably heard about relative major and minor keys. A minor is the relative minor key to C major. The reason is simple. The A minor natural scale contains all the same notes as the C major scale. Actually, C major is the same as C Ionian, and A minor natural is the same as A Aeolian (see example above).

In the same way, the remaining modes in the example above are all "relatives" of C major. They all share the same DNA: they have the exact same notes, albeit in different order.

In order to facilitate learning modes on the guitar, though, we must look at them from a slightly different point of view. In our initial definition above, we said that a mode can be defined as a specific interval pattern. In the following example, we see the interval pattern for the Dorian mode:

What this means is that we can play the dorian mode with any note we choose as Root. We can play, for instance, a B flat Dorian mode as follows:

...same interval pattern, different start-and-end point.

If we apply this principle to all 6 diatonic modes, using C as our root, and arrange them by sharps and flats, we get the following:

The 6 Parallel Modes (C)

If you look closely, you will notice that the top 3 modes have a major thirds in them...

...and that all 3 bottom modes have minor 3ds in them.

There are many more ways of looking at guitar modes... more interesting correlations.

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Other articles on Guitar Modes you may find interesting:

Guitar Scales: Section Overview

3. Guitar Modes... the smart (easy) way 1, 2, 3