Guitar: Scales & Modes

Het volgende artikel over ’scales’, oftewel toonladders, voor de gitaar komt niet van mijn hand maar dat maakt het niet minder goed ;)… Het is ook in het Engels maar ook dat mag de pret niet drukken… Veel plezier!

                    Scales & Modes

The earliest acknowledgment of the scales and modes were said
to have been formed and given credit to the ancient Greeks and
their tribes.Naming the scales and modes after their most important
tribes, for example, the Ionian tribe, or the Phrygian tribe.It was
also rumored that many churches during the early middle ages had
also used these scales.They have scince been changed over the course
of time, to what we as guitarist and musicians know today as the 7
modes of the major scale. 

                    Diatonic Scales

A diatonic scale may be defined as dia=8, tonic =note.
In thus , meaning that the diatonic scale, is an 8 note scale.
There are 7 different notes, and the 8th note being the octave.

                    This Scales Lesson

You can thank the members of our Yahoo! Group for this free
scales lesson page. It was the many request by our members
that made it easy to make a final decision to create this
lesson. 

You are welcome to join our group and meet our members and
share all their friendly advice from playing techniques, to
good websites. 

                       The 7 Modes

Here are the 7 modes in correct order, in the key of A
Diatonic Major.You will see how each mode goes from the tonic
note to its octave. In otherwords, Ionian goes from the tonic
note A to the octave A (same note, higher pitch).

Dorian is played from the tonic note B to B octave
and so on. Each mode has a different use and a different sound.
It was all that could be done to demonstrate this in video lesson
Volume 3.
This scales lesson is a basic outline for you to begin learning
the Major scale and the 7 modes.

A Ionian                   B Dorian                 

e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :---------------------------------------------4--------
D :--------------4--6--7---------------4--6--7-----------
A :-----4--5--7---------------4--5--7--------------------
E :-5-7---------------------7----------------------------
    A B C# D  E  F# G# A    B C# D  E  F# G# A  B

  C# Phrygian             D Lydian
e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :-----------------4--6-----------------4--6--7---------
D :---------4--6--7--------------4--6--7-----------------
A :-4--5--7----------------5--7--------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
    C# D  E F# G# A B C#   D  E  F# G# A B  C# D

   E Mixolydian             F# Aeolian
e :------------------------------------------------------
B :---------------------5-------------------5--7---------
G :------------4--6--7--------------4--6--7--------------
D :---4--6--7---------------4--6--7----------------------
A :-7----------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
    E F# G# A  B C#  D  E   F# G# A  B C# D  E  F#

    G# Locrian                 A Octave
e :-----------------------4--------------------4--5------
B :-----------------5--7------------------5--7-----------
G :--------4--6--7----------------4--6--7----------------
D :--6--7-----------------------7------------------------
A :------------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
     G# A  B  C# D  E F#  G#    A B  C# D  E  F# G# A

                   Playing Modes In Boxes

Dont confuse this with the modes taught above. These modes
are ALL in the key of A. The modes taught above began in
the key of A Diatonic Major. First was A Ionian, B Dorian,
C# Phrygian, and so on.
Show here is A Ionian, A Dorian, A Phrygian ect...
All of these scales are widely used for all forms of music.

A Ionian
e :---------------------------------------4--5-----------
B :---------------------------------5--7-----------------
G :------------------------4--6--7-----------------------
D :---------------4--6--7--------------------------------
A :------4--5--7-----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B C# D  E  F# G# A  B  C#  D  E F#  G# A

A Dorian

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--7--8-------------
G :----------------------------5--7----------------------
D :-------------------5--7--9----------------------------
A :----------5--7--9-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  E  F# G  A  B  C  D  E F#  G  A

A Phrygian

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--6--8-------------
G :----------------------------5--7----------------------
D :-------------------5--7--8----------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--8----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C  D  E  F  G  A  A# C  D  E  F   G   A

A Lydian

e :----------------------------------------4--5----------
B :-------------------------------4--5--7----------------
G :-------------------------4--6-------------------------
D :----------------4--6--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--6--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# D# E  F# G# A  B  C#  D# E  F# G# A

A Mixolydian

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--7--8-------------
G :-------------------------4--6--7----------------------
D :----------------4--5--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--5--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# D  E  F# G  A  B  C# D  E  F#  G  A

A Aeolian

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--6--8-------------
G :----------------------------5--7----------------------
D :-------------------5--7--9----------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C  D  E  F  G   A

A Locrian

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :-------------------------------------6--8-------------
G :----------------------------5--7--8-------------------
D :-------------------5--7--8----------------------------
A :----------5--6--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--8----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C  D  D# F  G  A  A# C  D  D#  F  G  A

A Super Locrian

e :----------------------------------------3--5----------
B :----------------------------------4--6----------------
G :-------------------------3--5--6----------------------
D :----------------3--5--7-------------------------------
A :-------3--4--6----------------------------------------
E :-5--6-------------------------------------------------
    A  A# C  C# D# F  G  A  A# C  D# 

A Phrygian Dominant

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--6--8-------------
G :----------------------------6--7----------------------
D :-------------------5--7--8----------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--9----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C# D  E  F  G  A  A# C# D  E  F  G   A

A Lydian Dominant

e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :----------------------------------5--7--8-------------
G :-------------------------4--6--8----------------------
D :----------------4--5--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--6--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# D# E  F# G  A  B  C# D# E  F#  G  A

A Harmonic Minor

e :----------------------------------------4--5----------
B :----------------------------------5--6----------------
G :-------------------------4--5--7----------------------
D :-------------------6--7-------------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  E  F  G# A  B  C  D  E  F#  G# A

                     Synthetic Scales

These are known as scales that are not considered to be from
the Diatonic Major Scale family. These scales are commonly used
by such great guitarist as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Rhoads and
Malmsteen.These scales are known for their dissonant "odd" sound.
The half tone and whole tone scales are only common among
extremely odd playing situations.You may hear alot of these
on soundtracks to horror movies, or studio outakes for scary
movies.

A Diminished

e :----------------------------------------------4--5----
B :-------------------------------------4--6--7----------
G :----------------------------4--5--7-------------------
D :-------------------4--6--7----------------------------
A :----------5--6--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  D# F  F# G# A  B  C# D  D#  F F#  G# A

Half Tone

e :------------------------------------------------5-----
B :---------------------------------------5--7--8--------
G :------------------------------5--6--8-----------------
D :------------------4--5--7--8--------------------------
A :----------4--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--8----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C  C# D# E F# G  A  A# C  C# D# E  F#  G  A

Whole Tone

e :-------------------------------------5----------------
B :----------------------------4--6--8-------------------
G :----------------------4--6----------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------4--6--8----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# D# F  G  A  B  C# D# F  G   A

                     Pentatonic Scales

Although these scales are not from the Diatonic scale family,
there is a major and minor pentatonic scale. Pent=5, Tonic=note
So basically this is a 5 note scale.These are among the most
common for rock/metal/country/southern rock guitar leads.

Major

e :----------------------------2--5----------------------
B :----------------------2--5----------------------------
G :----------------2--4----------------------------------
D :----------2--4----------------------------------------
A :----2--4----------------------------------------------
E :-5----------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# E  F# A  B  C# E  F#  A

Minor

e :-------------------------------5--8-------------------
B :-------------------------5--8-------------------------
G :-------------------5--7-------------------------------
D :-------------5--7-------------------------------------
A :-------5--7-------------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
    A  C  D  E  G  A  C  D  E  G  A   C

                  Other Dissonant Scales

These scales will provide a far eastern dissonant sound.
Good for a classical metal sound.

Enigmatic Scale
e :-------------------------------------------------5----
B :---------------------------------------6---7--9-------
G :-------------------------------6--8-------------------
D :---------------------6--7--8--------------------------
A :-----------6--8--9------------------------------------
E :-5--6--9----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C#  D# F  F#  G# A  A#  C#  D#   F  F# G#  A

Hungarian Minor

e :------------------------------------------5-----------
B :---------------------------------5--6--9--------------
G :---------------------------5--8-----------------------
D :------------------6--7--9-----------------------------
A :---------6--7--8--------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C D# E  F G#  A  B  C  D# E  F  G#  A

                   The Actual Blues Scale

Many guitarist are under the impression that they have
learned the blues scale after they have learned the pentatonic
minor scale. This is the actual blues scale which contains
a flatted fifth from the diatonic major.

   A Blues Scale
e :-------------------------------------5----------------
B :-------------------------------5--8-------------------
G :----------------------5--7--8-------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------5--6--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
    A  C  D  D# E  G  A  C  D  D# E  G  A

                      Mixo Blues Scale

This scale can be used in a variety of ways. It often sounds
best adding techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs to the
added major 3rd note, C#.

   A Mixo Blues
e :-------------------------------------------5----------
B :-------------------------------------5--8-------------
G :-------------------------5--6--7--8-------------------
D :-------------------5--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--5--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
    A  C  C# D  D# E  G  A  C  C# D  D#  E  G  A