Before you go out and memorize every mode, a quick review of the seven scale degrees can offer you some tasty ingredients for fresh new sounds
I have a few suggestions for you that might help kick-start your playing into a new level of sound and textures and you can bypass hours and hours (and I mean lots of hours) of learning and practicing modes. Because, in the end, once you have mastered modes, you then have to find a way to NOT sound like you are just running up and down some complicated scales that you just learned. Don’t get me wrong, it is not time wasted, and you will impress people with your echnique. But, neither Van Halen, nor slash, nor Eric Clapton, nor Stevie Ray (or probably whoever else you are into if you listen to alot of Blues and classic rock) sat down and memorized modes, I can promise you that.
What these guys DID do (and did very well) was listen.
Many guitarists overlook the importance of listening, and building your ear. My suggestion to you is to focus on scale degrees, and make it your business to really tune your ear to hear how each scale degree really adds different flavors. To start off with, here are your typical 7 scale degrees:
1: The root. Safe, centered, a feeling of “Resolved” or “Completion” zero tension (in the key of “C” this would be the note “C”)
2. Leading, yearning, an immediate feeling of movement. Unresolved and indicating that something is coming next. (in the key of “C” this would be the note “D”)
3. Harmony. Your most obvious choice when thinking what note should I harmonize with. Minimal tension, a sense of connection with the previous note and somewhat resolved sounding. You can really do wonders with the 3rd degree of the scale. The most obvious move is to flat the 3rd, for the “Blue” note. (in the key of “C” this would be the note “E”)
4. The “Next Step” many many many songs start on the 1 or “Tonic” chord, and soon go to the fourth “IV” chord. 99% of all Blues tunes do this, and more pop / rock songs do this than you may think. Technically, the 4th degree of the scale is dissonant. But when treated right as far as tempo, it can still have a soothing effect. A very strong and anchored note to play against the tonic. Not so much resolved, but not as “Yearning” or “Leading” as the 2nd. (in the key of “C” this would be the note “F”)
5. The “FIVE”. A sense of near-completion. The “FIVE” or “V” always wants to go back to the “One” but a lot of great stuff can be done with the “V” (in the key of “C” this would be the note “G”)
6. Similar to the 2 or “II”, but less urgent. The sixth note of the scale also has a “Yearning” sound to it. This is a very common interval heard in country music. If you play a blues solo and make your first note a really loud and strong “6th”, you immediately have a nice country kinda sound for a moment. VERY useful in creating a certain sound or flavor to your solos. (in the key of “C” this would be the note “A”)
7. The “Leading Tone” the 7th degree of the scale or “VII” always wants to go to the one “I”. But you have really have fun with this. You can FLAT the 7th degree (totally common and normal in Blues and Rock). You can also go from the VII to the IV (typical classic rock move). (in the key of “C” this would be the note “B”)
Whew!
With all that said. Start out jamming against a simple root jam or I-IV jam. Keep whatever you are jamming against harmonically simple. Now start your pentatonic moves but instead of sticking to “The Box”, find out where the 2nd, and 6th degrees are. For example, if you are jamming against an “A” jam.. maybe A-Minor to D-Major, try throwing the 2nd scale degree in sometimes (the note “B natural”), and maybe the 6th (the note “F#”… like on the B string, 7th fret) You should immediately notice a departure from your typical pentatonic sound.
Another approach is to pick any 2-chord jam like Am-D major and say “What OTHER key do these two chords fit in??” If you take a minute, you will see that both chords also work in “G Major”. So, try soloing over A minor-D major but use the G Major scale, or the “Em Pentatonic” scale, which is your Pentatonic box up on the 12th fret. Experiment with how a G-Major scale or a pure E-Minor scale sounds over Am and D major.
NOW, you are getting into the territory of modes.
Again, sitting in your room 12 hours a day practicing 2 octaves modal scales is time better spent than drinking beer behind the local King Kullen with your buddies, but I promise you that you will quickly see a new level of flavors and sounds in your soloing if you just start incorporating new scale degrees into your solos. The 2nd, and 6th are good ones to start with. But definitely experiment to see what other variations of scale degrees sound like against chords. For example, did you ever think of playing a Flat-2nd note? Well.. if you add a flatted-2nd to a V (“Five”) chord, is sounds very cool (actually it’s called a “Flat 9″).
This was a long explanation of a short idea, but at the end of the day, modes are really about playing scales that center on a scale degree other than the root. If you take the above advice and put a little time into it, you will achieve that goal, and in the meantime, tune your ears into what is happening.
Just running scales all day is boring, and people won’t be that impressed, but playing a cool pentatonic rock solo and KNOWING when to throw in the 2nd degree of the scale to give a feeling of “Longing” to your solo.. FOR JUST ONE SECOND… then, you will see people bobbing their heads and playing air guitar along to your solo. Guaranteed.
