Guitar Modes For Jazz Guitar (And Other Styles Of Music)

Jazz Guitar Scales: The Modes

Home Jazz Guitar Lessons Guitar Modes

Jazz scales are not really different from scales used in other music, it's the way they are played that makes the sound and feel that is so typical to jazz. The modes as we use today were formalized around 1675 and as far as I know there were not so many jazzers around back then. You probably have all played modes before, but maybe without realizing you were playing them. Can you play a major scale ? Then you know the first mode, the Ionian mode.

ads not by this site

The C Ionian mode (aka C Major Scale) contains no sharps or flats. The numbers 1 to 7 make up the "scale formula" , a theoretical way to represent a scale:
C Ionian Mode (= C Major Scale) C 1 D 2 E 3 F 4 G 5 A 6 B 7

Now we start the C major scale on the second note to get the next mode the Dorian mode. The 3rd and 7th note are a half step behind compared to the Ionian mode.
D Dorian Mode D 1 E 2 F b3 G 4 A 5 B 6 C b7

Each mode has its own unique sound. This sound depends on how the intervals are mapped across the scale. Although the notes in both scales are exactly the same, the sound of the scale is completely different because the tonal center has changed. In the C Ionian mode, the tonal center is C. In the D Dorian mode, the tonal center is D. Each mode has a related chord . We can find that chord by stacking thirds on the first note of the mode. Let's do this for the C Ionian mode: C E G B. The result is a Cmaj7 chord (if this is Chinese to you, please have a look at the jazz guitar chord theory tutorial):
C 1 D 2 E 3 F 4

If we build a chord on the first note of the Dorian mode we get a Dmin7:
D 1 F b3 A 5 C b7

Here's an overview of the 7 modes for C major, their scale formulas and corresponding chord : I
Ionian

1234567

CDEFGAB

Cmaj7

http://www.jazzguitar.be/guitar_modes.html[07/08/2013 12:15:25 p.m.]

Guitar Modes For Jazz Guitar (And Other Styles Of Music)

II III IV V VI VII

Dorian Phrygian Lydian Myxolydian Aeolian Locrian

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7

DEFGABC EFGABCD FGABCDE GABCDEF ABCDEFG BCDEFGA

Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5

You should memorize the names of the modes + the formula. Here's a mnemonic trick to help you remember the names: I Don't P lay Like My Aunt Lucy.

The Mode Charts

Now we'll see how the modes are played on the guitar . Use all of your senses when learning guitar scales: use your ears (most important), your eyes (recognize the pattern on the fretboard), your intellect (memorize the guitar scale formulas) and the feeling in your fingers. Legend: : represents the root or 1 of the guitar scale. The letter inside the box is the note name.

: represents a guitar scale note.

1. C Ionian Mode
Formula : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Related chord : Cmaj7 Use : on major chords

2. D Dorian Mode
Formula : 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 Related chord : Dm7 Use : on minor chords

http://www.jazzguitar.be/guitar_modes.html[07/08/2013 12:15:25 p.m.]

Guitar Modes For Jazz Guitar (And Other Styles Of Music)

3. E Phrygian Mode
Formula : 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 Related chord : Em7 Use : on minor chords (this one has a Spanish flavor and is one of the guitar scales frequently used in flamenco)

4. F Lydian Mode
Formula : 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 Related chord : Fmaj7 Use : on major chords

5. G Mixolydian Mode
Formula : 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 Related chord : G7 Use : on dominant chords. The Mixolydian scale is one of the scales that is often used in jazz blues.

http://www.jazzguitar.be/guitar_modes.html[07/08/2013 12:15:25 p.m.]

Guitar Modes For Jazz Guitar (And Other Styles Of Music)

6. A Aeolian Mode
Formula : 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 Related chord : Am7 Use : on minor chords

7. B Locrian Mode
Formula : 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 Related chord : Bm7b5 Use : on half diminished chords

http://www.jazzguitar.be/guitar_modes.html[07/08/2013 12:15:25 p.m.]