Welcome to Modes For Guitar

Welcome to the place for learning everything about using the Modes for Guitar Improvisation. Guitarists, expand your knowledge of music theory here. 

The following is a work in progress. Please enjoy learning about the modes here, and visit again soon, to see what else has been added!

The Modes For Guitar

This website is intended for those who play the guitar and would like to have a better understanding of what makes music sound the way it does. Do you want to play better lead guitar? Understanding and using the modes will give the guitarist a more extensive palette of musical colors with which to express him or herself. 

Notation Method Used

Lets take the C major scale (C Ionian mode) as an example. 

the notes in the scale are called 

C D E F G A B C

or

Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do 

I prefer to name them like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

In tabulature, the C major scale would look like this: 

I use a diagram of the neck of the guitar, like the ones used for chords. The notes are played one at a time though, and the numbers tell the player the order in which they would be played. The numbers also indicate which tone is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on, which is very important. And using this method, the player can simply slide up or down the neck to play the same scale in any key.