Introduction to Chords, Scales, and Modes
Minor chords and major chords using the major or minor scale are basic and crucial. when learning guitar, you have to know them and be able to play them with the entire neck.
The root is the main note. If we take it one step further and do not use the main root, we use the following modes:
- Ionian: starting with the root note. Easy!
- Dorian: Starting with the natural note after the root note.
- Phrygian: You might have guessed it. The next natural note after Dorian.
- Lydian: Natural note after Phrygian.
- Mixolydian: Natural note after Phrygian.
- Aeolian: Natural note after Mixolydian.
- Locrian: Natural note after Locrian.
These seven modes give flexibility to your root note.
I will give you one tip; root notes are helpful, but not a rule, music is an expression, and musicians break the rules, they’re artists.
Iconic musicians switch between scales and even time signatures, an example is pianists using their different hand to play in a different scale and time signature, while keeping the melody at 4/4. Listen to Hiromi Uehara for example.
This is an excerpt from the upcoming book: “The Home Studio Guide. From Arrangement, Production, Mixing, Mastering, to Distribution.”
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