In this Primer video for the Modes course, Christopher describes where modes come from, what they are called and how you can start comparing them to scales you might already know!

Christopher discusses the Major Scale (Ionian Mode) and the Minor Scale (Aeolian Mode). He'll show you how they are used, how often they are played, the concept of "relative keys/scales" and what they are best used for.

Though not "Modes" per se, the simple 5-note versions of the Major and Minor scales (or Ionian and Aeolian) are widely used in music. They will also be helpful in making modes easier to understand and play. 

Arguably one of the most popular modes (scales) in rock, funk, R&B and modern jazz, you'll discover how the Dorian scale takes the sad Minor Scale and makes it all kinds of funky!

The Mixolydian Scale takes our sweet and happy Major Scale and gives it the blues. If you play any kind of blues and don't know Mixolydian, you are truly missing out. This lesson will get you into the game!

We love our Major Scale, but it does have its sonic challenges when playing over certain situations. The Lydian Scale fixes those challenges by giving us a dramatic and mysterious sound to expand our sonic palate. 

The Locrian Scale is one of the more unusual scales you'll ever hear. But it's also a secret weapon for playing cool and interesting melodies and solos in Minor Keys. 

Although probably the least utilized of the Major Scale Modes, the Phrygian Scale has an incredibly unique sound that can be used to create exotic and memorable melodies and songs. 

Now that you know what the modes are and how to build and play them, you need to know WHEN to use them. What situations will require you to "go modal"? You'll learn about applications with single chord progressions and modal progressions as well as understand the best and most common use of each mode. 

There are two very specific and different ways for memorizing and playing the modes. In this lesson, you'll learn which method makes the most sense to YOU!

In Unit 3, Christopher showed you how to build Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales. In this Unit, he'll show you how to use this knowledge to help you expand your modal vocabulary. 

Learning the modes is one thing. However, knowing the essential practice strategies that will truly get them in your ear and under your fingers will allow you to use your modes in a way that will expand your musical choices.

This deep dive into various ways you can use modes over common musical situations will be essential to help you internalize and access your modes at will. 

Now that we've thoroughly explained the modes from the Major Scale and how they are used, we start to examine the possibilities that exist in the Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales. 

This is another Primer lesson, but this time focusing on the top three most useful Melodic Minor Scale modes. 

This scale takes the coolest elements of Lydian and Mixolydian to create a sound that adds tension and mystery to your playing. 

The "darkest" sounding mode now gets a little bit happier, melodic and more versatile with one simple change. 

In the final lesson of our Modes course, we talk about the Altered Scale. This scale is truly unlike any other modes we've learned and played. However, using this scale to create tension at the right time will make your playing sound other-worldly!