7/28/2019 How to Practice Major Scale Modes for Jazz Guitar

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How to Practice Major Scale Modes for

Jazz Guitar

 

 In today’s installment of the Play Better Jazz Guitar in 30 Days series , we’re going to

 practice the Modes of the Major Scale.

One of the most fundamental and essential tools that anyone learning how to play jazz 

 guitar can have in their bag are the Modes of the Major Scale.

These seven modes are great for learning to see harmonic and melodic shapes on the

neck, visualize our fingerboards as well as provide melodic material for us toimprovise, compose and arrange with.

Though they sometimes get a bad rap, for being too “vanilla” or because guitarists

 sometimes rely on them too much in our soloing, it is still very necessary to have a

 strong grasp of these Modes all over our guitars, in all 12 keys.

 If you haven’t worked on some or all of these modes yet, not to worry, take some time

today to learn one of the Major Scale Modes that you haven’t checked out yet.

 If you need help with some fingerings, check out these links for fingerings and to learn

how each mode is built and how it functions harmonically in a jazz context.

 Modes of the Major Scale

 

•  Ionian

•  Dorian

•  Phrygian

•  Lydian

•  Mixolydian•  Aeolian

•  Locrian

 Modes of the Major Scale Fingering Video Lesson

 

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 If you already know how to play some, most or all of these modes and you are looking 

 for a new way to practice or play these commonly used melodic devices, here are some

ways that you can spend time today working through the different modes of the Major 

Scale.

 

•  Ascending and Descending Intervals (3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths)

•  Ascending and Descending Triads (135-246-357 etc)

•  Ascending and Descending Arpeggios (1357-2468-3579 etc)

•  Play with a Specific Rhythm (dotted quarters, triplets, eight and two sixteenths

etc)

•  Improvise with a Mode Over it’s Related Chord 

• Sing the Root of the Mode While Playing It 

• Sing a Mode While Playing the Root 

•  Do All of the Above With a Metronome (from 40 to 300 bpm and everything in

between)

•  Do All of the Above in all 12 Keys

 

 Here is an example of how to practice the triads, ascending, descending and 

alternating, for those players who are new to this technique. This is the same approach

 you can use for intervals and arpeggios, just replace the triads with any interval or 

arpggio and you’ve got it.

 

 How to Practice Ascending and Descending Triads Example

 

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So, with your time today that you can dedicate to practicing the Major Modes, try one

of these ideas and see if you can master it in a 12 keys and at a few tempos, from ballad 

to swinging to burning.

These Modes will come up everyday you play jazz guitar, so having a solid grasp of 

them on the instrument and in your ears is essential to moving forward as a jazz 

 guitarist.

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 Purchase the “30 Days to Better Jazz Guitar Ebook ” with 20 pages of extra material 

and 5 never before published bonus lessons!