Bass Lesson 29 - Using Modes

After discovering what modes are, you will need to know how to properly use them. Modes can tremendously aid your sound when following chord changes. There are two ways to follow chord changes; one is playing the major or minor scale that applies to the chord being played. If you are playing over an Am chord, you can get away with playing the Am scale. The other way to follow changes is to stay in the key while following the changes. If the Am chord is being played and the bass line follows the Am scale, it will sound ok, but what if the key of the song is in G major? Then the 6th note of the Am scale would sound a little off. This sound can be described as modal. The Am scale and chord can be played in the key of Cmaj just fine because Am is a mode of C. That means the Am scale is the same pattern of the Cmaj scale, but played from A to A instead of C to C. Let’s take a look at this on the fretboard.

Constructing the Progression:

Let’s construct a progression in the key of C major. Staying in C major will help the explanation of modes to be a bit easier and avoid confusing accidentals. Be sure to note which modes are major and which are minor; this will help us when we need to decide whether a chord should be minor or major. The progression will play the selected chord for two measures so we can play around each mode before having to go to the next. Our progression will be I, V, IV, II. Cliché? Yes, but simple. In the key of C, this will make our notes C, G, F, D. Since we are in the key of Cmaj, while the C is being played it will be the Ionian mode. While playing with the G chord, we will play G Mixolydian. F is a 4th from C, and we will play the F Aeolian mode, a minor mode. Finally, D will be the D Dorian mode, another minor mode. Let’s see what these modes look like on the fretboard.

Constructing Chords:

C Ionian is the same as C Major, so making a chord out of this isn't too difficult. You can use a regular C Major chord or CM7 (Major chord, Major 7th). G Mixolydian starts on the 5th scale degree and is a major mode. Take a major scale and lower the 7th note and you will have a Mixolydian scale. You can play a Gmaj or Gmaj7 over the G Mixolydian mode. F Lydian is a major mode and will go nicely with a major F chord. Lastly, D Dorian, a Minor scale, goes well with a Dm or Dm7th (major chord, minor 7th).

So after all that, we have a chord progression, CmajM7, Gmaj7, F7, and Dm7. You can take out the 7ths and have just C, G, Fm, and Dm if you prefer. Let’s make a bass line to walk over these chords.
          

This example has the chord progression as constructed above. Each chord is played for two measures. Over each chord, the bass line follows the modes as explained above. By following the modes we can ensure that every note we play will fit the key of C major. If we were to simply play the major or minor key that relates to each chord, some notes would not fit into the key. This is only one way you can use modes. Try making your own bass line out of modes. First pick a key. Then find the major scale for that key and find a progression. Next you can pick out the modes you are to use by the notes you pick out for your progression. Once you have the modes figured out you can then walk around on them during each chord. If you need a little help with this, be sure to watch the video, and then ask questions in the forums. Happy Modal-ing!