i Love Guitar

Guitar Modes in Color

Guitar modes are scales. Scales with special names. Scales with particular flavors. The 7 modes derived from the Major scale system are named after early Greek tribes [the Ionians, the Lydians, etc.]. Modes have become almost mythic in their status. They are scales; very simply, scales. They provide particular sounds based on the harmony that they are played against [over].

The Major scale has 7 tones, & all of them can be a ‘beginning point’ for a scale. All 7 are starting points. Without over-explaining, we provide this chart for modes in A Major.

Modes have other names

• Ionian - Major Scale, Mongolian Scale, Bilaval Raga
• Dorian - Japanese Ritso Scale
• Phrygian - Bhairavi Raga
• Lydian - Kalyan Raga, Japanese Ryo Scale
• Mixolydian - Dominant 7 Mode
• Aeolian - Natural minor Scale, Ethiopian Scale
• Locrian - none that we know

Ragas are melodic modes used in India.

The Major modes are Ionian, Lydian, & Mixolydian. The minor modes are Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian. Locrian is a ‘diminished’ mode.

Note: the Mixolydian mode was originally called the Lesbian mode until these modes became church modes. No explanation needed there. [If you know a different version of this, please share].