Modes for even the hard of learning

Techniques, licks, tabs, chords, tutorials
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VikingBlues
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Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Modes for even the hard of learning

Post by VikingBlues »

I am very hard of learning! :wall: Y'know - new tricks .. old dog. :oldie:

If a set of videos can mean I can play something that baffled me for years they may be of use to others too:-

Playing Modal the easy way
http://www.youtube.com/wallimann#p/u/136/n09kVlV9mo4

Learning the modes on guitar
http://www.youtube.com/wallimann#p/u/172/r_6uqmuqk78

Learning the Modes on guitar - part 2
http://www.youtube.com/wallimann#p/u/171/rhiS5lIyE2g

These lessons cut out all the complications and just get on with the physical and visual aspects of playing - cleared the horrible fog that most expanations of modes have been shrouded in for me - suited me perfectly. :clap:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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weelie
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Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:23 am

Re: Modes for even the hard of learning

Post by weelie »

As you are way better than I am on the guitar, I had to watch those. Well only watched the first 2 so far, my connection is slow... :P

Anyway, I always related to the table 2/3 down the wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode
It explains what the notes are in the modes. And like I've said before, half of them I don't really care for.

I do know the notes in chords, so by that it's easy to see where a ninth lies, for example. So I never play a scale or mode, I think of the chord and some note I just consider just passing notes. So I do play the 9th, 6th, b5, 3rd... here and there. The other notes I don't use much, unless I am going for some spanish gypsy feel.

But I am not that advanced. Yesterday a friend suggested I play melodica at our ukulele club. So I dusted it off (never played it, it's a project that never took off). So I played the white keys and naturally landed on the D, sounded nice. So If Dorothy Plays like Me, All's Lost... so playing in D, playing notes of C... it's dorian... no wonder it sounded nice, I dig Dorian! Dorian is like mixolydian but in minor, so like the minor seventh chord scale. Here's the quick free form thing, which isn't really much of anything: http://www.box.net/shared/cvt9xgrasv But anyway, ...maybe I was aiming for some point here, but I lost it, maybe somebody else got it...
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VikingBlues
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Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Re: Modes for even the hard of learning

Post by VikingBlues »

Interesting post Weelie - and it shows how two players can approach playing modes in two very different ways, but to the same effect. As you mention you play in a way that relates to your knowledge of the chords - so I guess if you know the chords being used in a particular mode then you end up playing in that mode due to that.

My knowledge of chords, is I'm afraid, pretty awful. So my lead playing is at least 95% related to playing scales &/or modes.

David Wallimanns videos came as a blinding revelation to me and improved my lead playing so much - he explained it in a purely visual way, with reference to hearing the notes, but with none of the detailed descriptions of all the different intervals and technical detail that have caused my brain to seize up when I've ever tried to learn modes in the past.

BTW - you're right about your box.net track - the sound is nice. :thumbsup:

It's all about what method works for each person of course. I just see so often players saying they don't "get" modes I'm hoping these videos might help one or two sad cases like me who were too thick to understand it any other way! :big_smile:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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Blackhorse
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:32 pm

Re: Modes for even the hard of learning

Post by Blackhorse »

Thanks for osting this VB. There are lots of approaches to modes, but this looks particularly useful for us blues players who are used to playing pentatonic boxes :thumbsup:
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