practicing modes... not theory...???

[puppets_dream]

hi...

i know thers been a lot talk about modes etc. but...

 

i pretty much know the theory, but i still kinda miss it in practice... so what would you recomend for practicin modes, learning them, as i said not on paper..

THANKSSS!!!!

[Jed]

One thing I play around with is to practice 2-octave triad arpeggios and add, one by one, an additional note (2-locations) from the mode.

 

So take the Amin (dorian) 2-octave triad arp (A C E):

 

add the b7 (G) to get an Amin7 2-octave arp aka the C6 arp or

add the 6th (F#) to get the Amin6 2-octave arp aka the F#min7b5 or

add the 4th (D) to get the Amin add11 2-octave arp aka D7sus2 arp or

add the 2nd (B) to get the Amin add9 2-octave arp aka Cmaj7 add13 (no 5th)

 

As well as helping to visualize the notes rather than finger placements / patterns, this type of practice really drives home the idea of chord / triad extension / substitution / related chords, etc. Of course this should be done in all keys and all chord types & modes.

 

cheers

[dsimon665]

Work on hearing the sound of the modes. Playing with some sort of backing - like a friend on bass or a recording - can help. One type of backing uses the 4 & 5 triads from the relative major scale...and these are played as slash chords with your mode root as the bass. So taking the C major scale : 4&5 are F and G, then put each scale degree in the bass for the respective relative mode. For C major relative modes:

D Dorain : F/D G/D
E Phrygian : F/E G/E
F Lydian : F G/F
G Myxolydian : F/G G

These are simply triads w/ another note in the bass: like F/D is D F A C

[Knottyhed]

A pedal tone can be useful here as well.

Try hitting the 'E' string and letting it ring out - hit it between phrases, then improvise using E-ionian, E-dorian etc. etc. resolving to the 'E' with each phrase, do the same with the 'A' string/note, tune your 'E' to 'D' (or another note). It's quite good fun and you'll start hearing the modes.

And/or record a synth backing with just one tone in it and improvise over that.

And/or write/download some modal progressions. Record them. Play over them.

And/or write/download single chord vamp progressions. Play over them as well.

[gennation]

There's a couple of things that I've found that help, and are very "useful" ways of using your Mode scales.

 

One is, in Key, build other appropriate chords and scales from the chord tones of the Chord Scale. Not just any chord or scale, but directly related to the scale that harmonically strengthen the SOUND of the Mode.

 

Here's three common ones:

 

maj7 - play a Minor triad/arp from the M3 and/or M6 note. For Cmaj7, play Em and Am triads. And of course mix these two with the C Major triad too.

 

Also, use E Blues and A Blues for a Cmaj7 chord. And the C Major Pent also.

 

iim7 - Play a Maj7 arp from the m3 and a m7 arp from the 5th. For Dm7 (iim7 of C Major) you'd play Fmaj7 and Am7 arps. Of course don't forget to mix them with the Dm7 arp too.

 

Also use, D Blues, A Blues, and E Blues. And the Minor Pentatonic of those too.

 

dom7 - Use the m7 arp from the 5th and a m7b5 arp from the M3. For G7 use these arps, Dm7 and Bm7b5.

 

Also, use the D Blues scale along with the G Maj Pent scale.

 

The second way I get "beyond" the scale pattern is to create (a TON) of subset scales...and I mean a TON.

 

I describe and demonstrate this idea in this tutorial: http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/Lydian/LydianTOC.htm

 

And I demonstrate it here, with a brief mention of it, to utilizing some Ionian Modal playing: http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/IndSlide2/indslidehome_frames.htm

 

Those concepts will help you step out of the "up and down", "scaley" sound that so many people get stuck in. And, they will help you also discover many of the SOUNDS that are found in these Modes and not worry so much about "patterns" but make something more musical.

 

Good luck!