Guitar Lessons - The Modal System - Modes Essentials

If the concept of Modes seems like a mystery to you, this series of lessons, taught by top UK Session guitarists, Bobby Harrison and Nick Radcliffe, will give you a deep understanding of the modal system. If you already know the major scale, there’s a strong chance you may have already been using some of its modes without even knowing it.

You might have heard the names: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. If not, you will certainly have heard their sounds on many popular songs. These are the modes of the major scale and although there are other more exotic modes from other scales, these seven are the most commonly used in modern music.

Learning how to use the modal system will open up a whole new realm of musical creativity.

Over the following lessons, Nick and Bobby break down the theory and applications of the Modal System step by step, giving you plenty of demo solos to inspire you, encouraging you to play along with the 7 backing tracks and come up with your own ideas. Later, Bobby and Nick show you how to incorporate pentatonic scales into your modal playing, giving you even more possibilities when soloing.