*** DISCLAIMER ***
I am not a professional musician and I did not study music. Please take this with a grain of salt.
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Modes are somewhat a scary subject and one of the most misunderstood concept in music. This is especially true with a casual amateur guitar player. This includes me.
I think I understand what the modes are and here’s a feeble attempt to try to explain it in writing for my own benefit alone.
Here goes …
It is a common line that modes are derived from the major scale. It is true, but really makes it sound more complicated to readers. Nevertheless, its imperative to know the major scale.
There are 8 notes that comprises the major scale. You may have heard the song “Do-Re-Mi”. Those notes are the exact notes of the major scale. What we will do is that we will give each one a number.
do = 1
re = 2
mi = 3
fa = 4
sol = 5
la = 6
ti = 7
do = 8
Following this formula in the key of C, we will get:
1 = C
2 = D
3 = E
4 = F
5 = G
6 = A
7 = B
8 = C (next octave up)
Try it out in your guitar. Pluck each of the notes in ascending manner while humming do-re-mi.
Now that we have established the major scale, its time to move on to the 7 modes.
The modes are, in order,
Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian
What are the differences between these modes?
Ionian
1 = C
2 = D
3 = E
4 = F
5 = G
6 = A
7 = B
8 = C (next octave up)
Ionian is just another term for the major scale. So the notes are exactly the same.
Dorian
1 = C
2 = D
b3 = Eb
4 = F
5 = G
6 = A
b7 = Bb
8 = C (next octave up)
The difference here is that the 3rd and 7th note of the major scale is flatted. For us guitarist, it means bring it one fret down.
Phrygian
1 = C
b2 = C#
b3 = Eb
4 = F
5 = G
b6 = G#
b7 = Bb
8 = C (next octave up)
In this mode, there is quite a bit of notes that got flatted. The 2nd, 3rd, 6th & 7th note.
Lydian
1 = C
2 = D
3 = E
#4 = F#
5 = G
6 = A
7 = B
8 = C (next octave up)
For Lydian, there is only one note difference from the major scale. The fourth note is now sharped, and again for us guitarists, it means one fret up.
Mixolydian
1 = C
2 = D
3 = E
4 = F
5 = G
6 = A
b7 = Bb
8 = C (next octave up)
Like Lydian, Mixolydian only have one note that differentiate it from the major scale. And that is the flatted-7th note.
Aeolian
1 = C
2 = D
b3 = Eb
4 = F
5 = G
b6 = G#
b7 = Bb
8 = C (next octave up)
This is the natural minor scale and the following notes are flatted: 3rd, 6th and 7th.
Locrian
1 = C
b2 = C#
b3 = Eb
4 = F
b5 = F#
b6 = G#
b7 = Bb
8 = C (next octave up)
The mode with the most alteration of the major scale and I think the mode that not a lot of people use in mainstream music. Unless your a jazz musician, maybe. The only notes that did not get altered is not surprisingly, the root note (1st) and the 4th.
So when do we use these modes? Well, that is something you gotta have to figure out yourselves. I am asking the same question and no one can seem to answer it for me!
Keep playing!