Minor Sounding Modes on the Guitar
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In the last lesson on modes we looked at the modes which have a major sound. These were the Ionian, Lydian and Mixolydian modes, and they prove to be an essential part of most proficient guitarist’s knowledge base.

In today’s lesson we are looking at the modes which have a minor sound- Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian.

Modes on the guitar

Once you feel confident with the concept of the first mode we are going to look at, I want you to play the mode against the backing track shown further down the page.

I want you to notice the Dorian backing track in A uses the chords A minor and D major, and the Aeolian backing in A used A minor and D minor. Once you can see that the difference between the chords used in a Dorian sounding piece of music compared to Aeolian sounding piece of music could be this slightly different, it starts to become a much easier concept to master.

 

Dorian

Here are the notes of the Dorian mode in A. The Dorian mode is a slight variation of the minor pentatonic with the addition of the 2nd/9th and natural 6th interval giving the mode an extra flavour to work with when improvising. If you want to add the note into a fast scale run then the Dorian will work well as you wont spend long on the 6th interval. The Dorian mode is often described as being a major sounding minor mode because of the natural 6th tone. If you are not sure about interval structure and the relation of the minor pentatonic to the minor sounding modes, check out my ‘Master Guitar’ ebook set.

This is just one position of the A Dorian. You can learn the A Dorian in five positions in my ebook. Learning the mode in five positions will allow you to solo more freely across the entire fretboard.

A Dorian Mode

Dorian

A

B

C

D

E

F

 

G

Dorian

Minor 7 Minor 7 Major 7 Dominant 7 Minor 7 Diminished 7

Major 7

Here is a backing track in A Dorian, which I would like you to at first just play your Dorian mode against. Notice how every note of the mode works at every point of the backing track being played.  As you get more confident with playing the mode against the track in time, I would like you to start creating simple melodies utilising the Dorian specific tones.

Phrygian

Here are the notes for the A Phrygian mode. This characteristically Spanish- sounding mode is created by adding a b2 and b6 interval to the minor pentatonic. The b2 interval creates a feeling that you need to come back to the root and consequently sounds aggressive.

A Phrygian Mode

Phrygian

A

Bb

C

D

E

F

G

Phrygian Minor 7 Major 7 Dominant 7 Minor 7 Diminished 7 Major 7 Minor 7

Here is a backing track in A Phrygian. Take the same approach as you did for the A Dorian, this time hear the different character come through in your playing when using the Phrygian.

A Phrygian Backing Track

Aeolian

You may notice this feels very similar to the Dorian mode, which you learnt earlier. You can also visualise this in relation to the minor pentatonic scale. It can be seen as a more complex version of the minor pentatonic due to the two additional notes.

A Aeolian Mode

Aeolian

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

Aeolian Minor 7 Diminished 7 Major 7 Minor 7 Minor 7 Major 7 Dominant 7

Just as you have approached the backing tracks for the Dorian and the Phrygian, I would like you to play your Aeolian mode over this backing track. It is important to note that this track uses A minor and D minor compared to the Dorian track which used A minor and D major. The D major cannot work in this backing track due to the major 3rd in the D major clashing with the A Aeolian’s b6 tone. The major 3rd in the D major has to be flattened (moved one fret back) making it a D minor for it to work with the A Aeolian.

A Aeolian Backing Track

Hopefully this series on modes is helping you grasp the concept and become a more confident guitar player. Please let me know how this has helped you in the comments below, and check out the Master Guitar ebook set if you are looking to fully understand the modes on the guitar.

By Tom Clark

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