If you liked this video, stop by and check out my website: www.ZombieGuitar.com 🎸 At 16:20 in the video, there is a typo. It should say "G major pentatonic" and "E minor pentatonic". I accidentally had the 'G' and the 'E' reversed. Sorry about that!
Modes, Scales, Caged, Theory is so overwhelming, then I watch one of your videos and it’s like a breath of fresh air. Your teaching is so thorough it makes learning fun especially when I have those “ah ha” moments! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! 🤙🏼
Well said. I’ve been and continue to be baffled by all the theory stuff, but it does gradually over a lot of time start to make a little more sense here and there.
You are the best teacher I ever found in any place. My guitar teacher was not teaching me basics or anything, he only taught me how to put string on guitar properly and some strumming patterns but never taught me how to find key, notes and chords of any song nor taught me any theory when I were young and I didn't played guitar for 5 years . Thanks to you I'm playing again. I wasted 8 years without learning even basics . Only few videos of you especially last one, made me progressive. I'm grateful of you, thank you Brian.
I appreciate the words, but there is still other stuff to know about the practical use of modes! explained it here in this lesson 😁 th-cam.com/video/SVDUxH2op2M/w-d-xo.html
@@zombieguitar I actually discovered that watching the scale patterns used in your videos. You unlocked the circle of fifth and chord tones targetting for me with the concept of ovelaying the caged system for the chords to the diatonic scale patterns. Thank you very much for the amazing content and information you put in your videos.
@@xcx8646 yes that’s correct. My point was something different, sorry if it wasn’t clear. If you’re in the key of C major notes of the key are C D E F G A B The “first” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the C (1st degree of the key) major pentatonic / A (6th degree of the key) minor pentatonic. The “second” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the F (4th degree of the key) major pentatonic / D (2nd degree of the key) minor pentatonic. The “third” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the G (5th degree of the key) major pentatonic / E (3rd degree of the key) minor pentatonic. That’s what was presented in the video. My comment was about that the out of key notes C# D# F# G# A# form a “fourth” pentatonic scale so you can avoid the pentatonic scale patterns of this scale to hit the notes in the key.
Good god thank you so much. Been playing for 2 and 1/2 years and you just made it all click. Now that I’ve got a foundation I’m going to really try to learn theory. All thanks to you. Thank you so much!
...I watch a lot of music theory related vids on youtube and I have to say that you are one of the best teacher out there! Making things clear and understandable for everyone, you are doing an amazing job! Congrats ! Thank you so much!;)
Lightbulb moment to me: the 2 additional tones for diatonic scales are tritones and together they build a perfect diagonal line through the fretboard except for shifting one fret up on that damn b string. This makes it far easier to remember the patterns to me!
Good Lord ...the way you do this is frickin phenomenal. Great job teaching me something...Again. I've watched a few certain videos over and over an over and this one gonna one of those!! I'm gonna go check out your site now.
I gotta say it just took me almost 2 hours to watch your 21 min video LOL I got lost in time/space with some crazy connections there , now im off to play some serious shit , Thanx B !!!
I just want to say thank you for another great video. I have been studying guitar for 20 +years off and on. And I try and get the music theory stuff down. This lesson alone can be reviewed for a great time. I do enjoy your teaching ability. Thank You.
Hey Brian , first I want to thank you for taking the time to make these and explain with crystal clear clarity so even o can understand lol, I just want to ask is the 7 pentatonic scales (major and minor of course ) And should I learn those before the diatonic scale I find myself in the same position you did , where I know a bunch of campfire chords , and can learn songs but still want to know more and get a little frustrated cause I don't really know how things connect and why they do Any response is appreciated, thanks in advance and great video
I’m still learning a lot of this theory but have really committed myself to becoming a better guitar player and understanding the fretboard. Idk if this is correct but for the third pentatonic option is there a typo at 16:38? Should it read E minor pentatonic and G major pentatonic?
Loved this video. This makes a lot of sense. I have a couple of questions if that's cool. 1. Would you say most rock/pop music does this? It goes briefly into other modes when the chord changes? Or do they often stick to chord tones when they are not on the root chord to not stray too far from the major/minor sound? 2. If a piece of music is said to be e.g. Dorian, is it basically just using the Dorian chord of a scale as the root and focusing on that? How would you solidify the root chord so that it's obvious that you are playing in that mode? It's easy enough for major/minor, but I feel some modes are less stable and want to resolve to what we're used to hearing, major or minor. Is there anything you can do to reinforce the mode? Maybe go up to the 5th chord and back again? That kinda thing? So in D Dorian. You'd maybe do a I-IV-V (D, G, A) to help us root the D as the tonal centre? This would make sense to me as I've heard Locrian is unstable due to it's diminished V chord. But maybe it's easier than than I'm imagining. I'll need to grab my guitar later and have a try.
Hey Daniel thank for checking out the vid! To answer your questions... 1.) Most songs that you hear on the radio aren't "modal" (meaning that they are typically going to be Ionian or Aeolian chord progressions...aka. "major key" or "minor key"). So unless you are playing jazz, there is a 96.2% chance that you probably don't need to worry about modes for practical purposes. 2.) Oye Como Va by Carlos Santana is an example of a Dorian chord progression because it is in the key signature of F major, but the ii chord is the tonal center. The progression is Gm - C. Modes are 100% dictated by the underlying chord progression!
@@zombieguitar I see. I think I got a bit mixed up and thought that you meant every time you play a chord in a certain key you should change mode. Like if you play a D in C major, you should then play the Dorian scale while that chord is playing. But as you've just described it actually won't sound Dorian unless D is the root and you base your progression around this. Is this correct? You would probably want to focus on D though to reinforce the underlying chord, but it would still sound like C major. So would I be correct in saying if you were to play a D chord briefly in a C major progression and played the C major scale over it but starting and ending and emphasising D. It would still be C major as the progression is in C? And if you wanted to play in D dorian (within the same song) you'd need to spend more time on the D and make that your new tonal centre for the Dorian to shine through? Hope that makes sense.
@@BantheDan if there is a chord progression happening, and it's all in the same key...chances are you do not need to worry about "modes" at all. As the lead guitar player who is attempting to solo over a chord progression, there are 3 things to focus on: 1.) Playing in key 2.) Targeting the chord tones 3.) Addressing any out-of-key chords as they come up None of those things really require you to think about "modes" at all. Chord Tone Targeting will get you much better results!
Thanks. I’m just getting back into guitar after a hiatus. As much as I know I don’t need modes. They do interest me. I like weird sounding shit. Haha. Thanks again for the response. Your vids help a lot
Very helpful. Especially about the two missing notes. Thanks. Perfect timing also. Today I was trying to work out related issues involving roots on the 6th and 5th strings in the context of E Major and its 5th, B Mixolydian. First, the Interval between the two strings at the same fret is a Perfect 4th. So if the root is on the 6th string, the 5th is on string over, two frets up. However, if the root is on the 5th string, the 4th is on the 6th string two frets down, and the 5th is on the 6th string at the same fret. So the relationship changes depending on the where the root is, but the interval stays the same. In E Major, I can start the Mixolydian on B, playing a Major scale, including the same notes as in E Major, and the 7th will be a b7. But what if the root is on the 5th string? E is at the 7th fret. B, the 5th, is on the 6th string 5th fret. Starting on the 5th and playing a major scale is the Mixolydian mode. I guess my question is this. You look for the root within the diatonic or pentatonic scales. Is it common, or good, to learn them using the 6th and 5th strings? This allows you to play the same pattern on strings 6 through 3. [I'm trying to learn the Mixolydian via the Grateful Dead's Sugaree. It's in E Major, but a lot of the Soloing seems to be B Mixolydian, though people argue about it.] Thanks. Lots of great info that will take me time too absorb. It might sound strange, but in your video on different ways to learn the fretboard, just using your index /pinky gave me an aha moment. If your pinky is the major root, your index is on the 6th.
The way that it is taught on Zombie Guitar is to always know where pentantonic position #1 (aka. the "home box") and pentatonic position #4 (aka. the "A-string home box") is. These two reference points allow you to always have fallback zones in case you ever get lost!
One thing I don't see a lot of people bringing up is why the notes in a pentatonic scale are what they are. If you know your modes, or even just the formulas for the modes, it makes a lot of sense. Here are the 3 minor modes (names omitted, because we don't care) 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 If we look at those, the common degrees are 1 b3 4 5 b7...so those are the notes of a pentatonic minor scale since that way they're "mode agnostic". Doing the same with the major modes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 There we have 1 2 3 5 6 in common...and those are the notes of our pentatonic major.
i do enjoy your lessons Brian, i have a question. Do you think that through experimentation with these scales/modes etc, you find your "main sound" your own "voice"? i'm self taught, so everything is patchy in my theory knowledge, my current conclusion is that you can try all these and other choices, gain understanding, and maybe use it all at some time or another, without necessarily becoming fluent with ALL of it. ok, within all thee above, you discover the sound that fits you most and that is your sound/voice, so within THAT choice, you play it till it's second nature, it's your home. THEN you expand into it and from it with all your other ideas and utilize it to realize your music. Wee bit long winded, but i love your lessons so thought one of them deserved my full feedback, and (hopefully, if this makes sense) let you see how much help you are offering your viewers, and how effective it is. there. if you read this thank you, and for the well thought out and presented videos
Although I make a million different videos, the fundamental message is always the same throughout all of them.... 1.) Look at the chord progression. That gives you all the information you need. 2.) If you're playing mainstream music - rock, pop, metal, country, etc. then from a soloing perspective you really just need to learn the diatonic scale. That is the fundamental message that you will find in ALL of my vids!
@@zombieguitar thanks. i think i took the scenic route to your message 😆 luckily, one of the first things i llearned, decades ago, when i was really enthusiastic, was the 5 shape major scale. how to use it properly/adjust approach to suit needs, has been a stop start faltering trip. i feel like i have 'suddenly' had that breakthrough recently, and your lessons have been instrumental ("p) in that success. music theory is an endless journey of wonder. we are very lucky to have it. thank you
And last thing if I may, in a typical major piece, for example in the key of C, if I add in chord changes which include D (D minor pentatonic to D Dorian), E minor (E minor pentatonic to E Phrygian) F major (F major pentatonic to F Lydian), G major (G major pentatonic to G mixolydian) and A minor (A minor pentatonic to A aeolian)… that’s allowed? So in a Blues piece, instead of: C / F / C/ C F / F / C / C G / F / C / G Instead of that, I could have: C / F / C / C G C F/ F / C / C Am D G/ F / C / G Notice how on the 4th and 8th bar of the second version, I’ve tried to do a ii-V for the last to chords so that the next chord after them would be considered chord I, but the Am and D major don’t sound right and I could only spice it up with Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian, if I’ve understood that?
Hi Brian. I was just employing this technique and I had a follow up...I went and played backing tracks for the 6 main modes within the parent scale of C major (like this video). And for some of them playing the related pentatonic sounded good but for others it sounded just...okay...but when I added the 2 missing notes to make it the full diatonic scale it "felt right". The 2 mode backing tracks this happened to me on was F Lydian + E Phrygian. I picked random youtube backing track videos for each, so could this maybe just be related to the chords / chord progression of these particular backing tracks perhaps? Like...maybe the chords / progression that were used in them just didn't "mesh" as well with the pentatonic vs the diatonic? Hopefully that makes sense...
Wonderful lesson Brian! Many thanks! And your comment here is spot on a question that popped up in my head after listening to you. When, or maybe in what style of music, would you say it is a creative way of playing to alternate between these three in-scale pentatonics? You don’t get the full modality without all seven notes, so when is it a good choice to use them?
Hi ❤ I think I understood everything but when you are talking about position 1 2 3 etc, do you mean, eg if we take C major pentatonic, certain positions have the same notes in the same pattern but just at a higher register for position 2 then higher still for position 3 and so on and so forth… then you have new positions for its relative minor based on the same concept (of register?)
Great video, I think on 16:26 should be G Major Pentatonic and E minor Pentatonic, G minor has Bb as minor third not part of C major key, also E major pentatonic has F#, G#, and C# not part of C major key. Thanks for sharing
Brian,, Hello,,,, I ALWAYS go on2 your Main Site, Page. I just Replied to message interference to The 8 Week Course. I'll go directly to Solos;. But!!!; Definitely! Shall watch the Beginning,,,, Refresher!! Always Helps! ✌️💚❤️😉
Been watching you for a while. Really appreciate the lessons. So I learned the diatonic scales through my memorization of the pentatonic scales....(basically using them as a reference). I am having a hard time grasping the concept of sounds.....(modes) I understand the 7 scales locrian, mixolydian, etc... They are just the same notes as the full diatonic scale.... So, are you saying that the "sounds" played over chords are basically just the notes that you start and stop on? (I'm sure this is a dumb question)..please forgive me... so if you are playing in the key of Em you can play any of the 7 scales....as long as they are placed in the key of Em.....so what makes them a different sound? (Mode?)....It isn't just the pattern itself.....so it must be the notes you gravitate towards.....(Am I way off?)
Hey thanks for checking out the vid! I don't think that this video is the best "what are modes" video to watch. For that, I suggest watching these: Part 1: Relative Modes - th-cam.com/video/v1rEq_cAsFg/w-d-xo.html Part 2: Parallel Modes - th-cam.com/video/1Etwvjlzchs/w-d-xo.html Part 3: Applications -th-cam.com/video/SVDUxH2op2M/w-d-xo.html That will help to explain the concept better!
Hello Brian, I appreciate your work and vids here it’s amazing how you explain 👌 but I am little bit confused where to start as a beginner and what to learn from start to become a medium player,step to step ? I’m learning now for about one year but confused because of all these vids on yt. Thank you 🙏🎸🔥🤟
Hey thanks for the comment! On the Zombie Guitar website, you are given 4 different "suggested paths" to follow depending on which type of player you are: 1.) Complete beginner 2.) Beginner to Soloing 3.) Seasoned player 4.) Theory nerd After choosing which category you fall into, it then gives you specific courses to check out... although you can choose whichever courses you'd like in any order that you want 😃
Very interesting! So, does it mean that pentatonic is always gonna work no matter what key and cord function? For example, F major pentatonic over F major chord, when F is either 1, 4 or 5 chord in key signature. Additionally, there's a higher chance to hit a chord note (3/5 vs. 3/7). Right?
Yes exactly right! I did a lesson about the "one pentatonic per chord" thing, and it's connection to the chord tones here: th-cam.com/video/jNubvZbZ9k0/w-d-xo.html
You would typically use minor types of SCALES in a minor type of context. For example you may mix the minor pentatonic, Aeolian and Dorian scales together over a minor chord progression. That doesn't necessarily mean that you were playing the "Aeolian mode" and the "Dorian mode" though. Modes are a very specific thing!
Great stuff. Does anyone know if there is an interactive website out there where you can change the key signature and it will show you the corresponding pentatonic and diatonic scales like the guitar neck graphic in this video? Ideally it shows you the different positions as well.
@@zombieguitar you have some sort of interactive app or widget where you can dynamically change the key signature and see the corresponding scales on a guitar neck graphic? Is that behind the paywall? I don't see anything browsing your site anonymously.
@@cancelbubble6535 I'm not sure what you mean by "dynamically" though. But you can pick whatever key you want to play in. Then you can pick whatever fretboard diagram you want displayed on the screen. There's also lots of chord tone targeting ones too where the chord tones "light up" as the chords change!
nice way to show the relation of modes, but at 16.23'' one small mistake as third option should be written g major and e minor instead of e maj g min {like you said later)
Hey Brian, there's a mistake in the video (at minute 16:20) about the Pentatonic Option #3. You reversed the pentatonic names: E major instead of E minor (and G minor instead of G major as well). ;-)
So if I have understood this correctly, if playing within a pentatonic scale you miss out the 2nd and 6th note when playing under a minor chord and miss out the 4th and 7th note when playing under a major chord. Is this correct?
Brian thank you...always excellent content. Would you consider listing song examples using each of the modes from folks like Carlos Santana David Gilmour et al...again thx
Sounds like a great new video idea. Definitely will do! In the meantime, here is an older vid that you might like 😁 th-cam.com/video/4h-nhZIs4l0/w-d-xo.html
at 16:20 you accidentally had E major on and G minor pop up on the screen instead of E minor and G Major. It threw me off for a few minutes because I knew that E in the key of C Major is a minor chord, not a Major chord. Hopefully this didn't throw anybody else off.
They are two entirely different areas of focus. The 7 3NPS patterns are focused on "layer 1" (aka. the scale). Whereas the CAGED shapes are focused on "layer 2" (aka. the chords). It's almost like apples vs oranges!!
Brian, I think the graphic around 16.24 is not correct. The 3rd option should be shown as (as you spoke) E Minor Pentatonic: E G A B D and G Major Pentatonic: G A B D E I mean you said it right but the graphic is wrong. Thank you for the lesson. Regards.
@@zombieguitar If I just listen only I wouldn't notice it. LOL. At first I was a little confused because the 1st and 2nd options are written in same order Major then Minor but the 3rd option is written the other way around. So, I had to figure out the E Major scale and E Major Pentatonic as well as its relative minor which turned out to be C# Minor and the notes were different than shown. Any way it gave me opportunity to confirm my understanding. Thanks.
Thre are 6 pentatonic scales in diatonic scale, each for each one of the 6 modes. But locrian haven't a pentatonic because the flat fifth in it. I'am right?
They are all relative to each other. You are just thinking in "guitar patterns" right now. Take this same concept to a piano, and it's all the white keys for all modes of the C major scale!
If you liked this video, stop by and check out my website: www.ZombieGuitar.com 🎸
At 16:20 in the video, there is a typo. It should say "G major pentatonic" and "E minor pentatonic". I accidentally had the 'G' and the 'E' reversed. Sorry about that!
Modes, Scales, Caged, Theory is so overwhelming, then I watch one of your videos and it’s like a breath of fresh air.
Your teaching is so thorough it makes learning fun especially when I have those “ah ha” moments!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! 🤙🏼
I'm glad to hear that! Thanks for the words 😀
Agreed. Every time I think I know music theory, Brian tosses me another little morsel!
Well said. I’ve been and continue to be baffled by all the theory stuff, but it does gradually over a lot of time start to make a little more sense here and there.
Some people were just born to teach and Brian you are definitely one of the Best ! Thanks for all you do !
Much appreciated! Thanks for following 😃
You are the best teacher I ever found in any place. My guitar teacher was not teaching me basics or anything, he only taught me how to put string on guitar properly and some strumming patterns but never taught me how to find key, notes and chords of any song nor taught me any theory when I were young and I didn't played guitar for 5 years . Thanks to you I'm playing again. I wasted 8 years without learning even basics . Only few videos of you especially last one, made me progressive. I'm grateful of you, thank you Brian.
Well if he taught you anything, why would you need to keep paying him? 🤣
This is really useful unlike all the other stuff regarding "Modes" that's out there... Thanks
I appreciate the words, but there is still other stuff to know about the practical use of modes! explained it here in this lesson 😁 th-cam.com/video/SVDUxH2op2M/w-d-xo.html
Also the notes outside of the diatonic scales form a fourth pentatonic scale which you can use to visualize what not to play to stay in key.
Ah you're right!! That would've been the perfect ending for this video 🤦🤦🤦
@@zombieguitar I actually discovered that watching the scale patterns used in your videos.
You unlocked the circle of fifth and chord tones targetting for me with the concept of ovelaying the caged system for the chords to the diatonic scale patterns.
Thank you very much for the amazing content and information you put in your videos.
Those notes move in a diagonal pattern from low E to high E , moving from neck to bridge.
@@xcx8646 yes that’s correct. My point was something different, sorry if it wasn’t clear.
If you’re in the key of C major notes of the key are C D E F G A B
The “first” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the C (1st degree of the key) major pentatonic / A (6th degree of the key) minor pentatonic.
The “second” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the F (4th degree of the key) major pentatonic / D (2nd degree of the key) minor pentatonic.
The “third” pentatonic scale contained in those key notes is the G (5th degree of the key) major pentatonic / E (3rd degree of the key) minor pentatonic.
That’s what was presented in the video.
My comment was about that the out of key notes C# D# F# G# A# form a “fourth” pentatonic scale so you can avoid the pentatonic scale patterns of this scale to hit the notes in the key.
@@NeatFreakFlow but it works
Wow.....that was a new take on my understanding...…I appreciate the challenge. Thanks man, good stuff.
Thanks for sharing all the secrets. YOU'RE THE TRUE GUITAR TEACHER. LOVE IT!
Great video 🎸🔥 love the colored notes of pentatonic scale within a 7 notes scale really makes it easy to visualize.
Enlightening. I'm watching several videos on the topic and you made it crystal clear to me. Thank you 🙏
Youve came a long way as a teacher man proud of you
Best video on Modes so far and I've watched a lot, now it makes sence - Thank you!
Thanks for the link to this video Brian definitely know more than I did before watching this always enjoy your video lessons.
Explained very well.
Well done. Tricky subject made clear. Not easy, but you nailed it.
Thanks for putting this together Brian. I enjoy how you explain these concepts.
great lesson! thanks Brian
Thank you Brian! The way You explain it is so helpful to get to the understanding of music theory and how to really use it.
Why did I never think of it this way?.. thank you.. genuinely thank you, great lesson!!
Good god thank you so much. Been playing for 2 and 1/2 years and you just made it all click. Now that I’ve got a foundation I’m going to really try to learn theory. All thanks to you. Thank you so much!
...I watch a lot of music theory related vids on youtube and I have to say that you are one of the best teacher out there! Making things clear and understandable for everyone, you are doing an amazing job! Congrats ! Thank you so much!;)
So good! Fantastic way of teaching what can seem like a daunting subject- broke it right down 👊🏻thanks Brian
Lightbulb moment to me: the 2 additional tones for diatonic scales are tritones and together they build a perfect diagonal line through the fretboard except for shifting one fret up on that damn b string. This makes it far easier to remember the patterns to me!
Wow! Freaking amazing teaching! Thank you Brian!
Gret lesson brian! Like how you break it down with examples. Took me a long time to figure out that I was making it harder than it is. Thanks!
Great lesson Brian & I agree with previous comments, the way you explain musical theory is "Spot On" 👍
I appreciate that Mike! Thank you 😀
Thanks!
Thank you! 😀
great job Brian! I love your lessons
Good Lord ...the way you do this is frickin phenomenal. Great job teaching me something...Again. I've watched a few certain videos over and over an over and this one gonna one of those!! I'm gonna go check out your site now.
Hey I appreciate that Tom! Thank you, and I'm glad that you liked the vid! 😃
Brilliant video, Brian! Thanks for all the hard work and clarity!
I gotta say it just took me almost 2 hours to watch your 21 min video LOL I got lost in time/space with some crazy connections there , now im off to play some serious shit , Thanx B !!!
You are a genius teacher Brian.
You never cease to suprise me Brian ... you get creds on my next CD
I just want to say thank you for another great video. I have been studying guitar for 20 +years off and on. And I try and get the music theory stuff down. This lesson alone can be reviewed for a great time. I do enjoy your teaching ability. Thank You.
Excellent! Congrats man ! Great job
Thank you so much! Your videos really help a lot!
Hey Brian , first I want to thank you for taking the time to make these and explain with crystal clear clarity so even o can understand lol,
I just want to ask is the 7 pentatonic scales (major and minor of course )
And should I learn those before the diatonic scale
I find myself in the same position you did , where I know a bunch of campfire chords , and can learn songs but still want to know more and get a little frustrated cause I don't really know how things connect and why they do
Any response is appreciated, thanks in advance and great video
Another awesome Lesson !!! TKs... BK👍
I didnt know that you could use the other pentatonic scales. That is another eye opener for me. Thanks yet again.
Definitely have to try this
Thanks, you cleared up some stuff.
Thanks for the insight helps to see the relationships on the key board, I believe I sat the caged in there.
Great lesson. Lots of good content here.
Useful information. Thank you.
AMAZING! truly. you are very gifted at instruction
Thank you! I appreciate the words 😃
I’m still learning a lot of this theory but have really committed myself to becoming a better guitar player and understanding the fretboard.
Idk if this is correct but for the third pentatonic option is there a typo at 16:38? Should it read E minor pentatonic and G major pentatonic?
I checked that time stamp and didn't notice any error there. You sure that's the right one?
Loved this video. This makes a lot of sense. I have a couple of questions if that's cool.
1. Would you say most rock/pop music does this? It goes briefly into other modes when the chord changes? Or do they often stick to chord tones when they are not on the root chord to not stray too far from the major/minor sound?
2. If a piece of music is said to be e.g. Dorian, is it basically just using the Dorian chord of a scale as the root and focusing on that? How would you solidify the root chord so that it's obvious that you are playing in that mode? It's easy enough for major/minor, but I feel some modes are less stable and want to resolve to what we're used to hearing, major or minor. Is there anything you can do to reinforce the mode? Maybe go up to the 5th chord and back again? That kinda thing? So in D Dorian. You'd maybe do a I-IV-V (D, G, A) to help us root the D as the tonal centre? This would make sense to me as I've heard Locrian is unstable due to it's diminished V chord.
But maybe it's easier than than I'm imagining. I'll need to grab my guitar later and have a try.
Hey Daniel thank for checking out the vid!
To answer your questions...
1.) Most songs that you hear on the radio aren't "modal" (meaning that they are typically going to be Ionian or Aeolian chord progressions...aka. "major key" or "minor key"). So unless you are playing jazz, there is a 96.2% chance that you probably don't need to worry about modes for practical purposes.
2.) Oye Como Va by Carlos Santana is an example of a Dorian chord progression because it is in the key signature of F major, but the ii chord is the tonal center. The progression is Gm - C.
Modes are 100% dictated by the underlying chord progression!
@@zombieguitar I see. I think I got a bit mixed up and thought that you meant every time you play a chord in a certain key you should change mode. Like if you play a D in C major, you should then play the Dorian scale while that chord is playing. But as you've just described it actually won't sound Dorian unless D is the root and you base your progression around this. Is this correct? You would probably want to focus on D though to reinforce the underlying chord, but it would still sound like C major.
So would I be correct in saying if you were to play a D chord briefly in a C major progression and played the C major scale over it but starting and ending and emphasising D. It would still be C major as the progression is in C? And if you wanted to play in D dorian (within the same song) you'd need to spend more time on the D and make that your new tonal centre for the Dorian to shine through?
Hope that makes sense.
@@BantheDan if there is a chord progression happening, and it's all in the same key...chances are you do not need to worry about "modes" at all.
As the lead guitar player who is attempting to solo over a chord progression, there are 3 things to focus on:
1.) Playing in key
2.) Targeting the chord tones
3.) Addressing any out-of-key chords as they come up
None of those things really require you to think about "modes" at all.
Chord Tone Targeting will get you much better results!
Thanks. I’m just getting back into guitar after a hiatus. As much as I know I don’t need modes. They do interest me. I like weird sounding shit. Haha.
Thanks again for the response. Your vids help a lot
Wow It is amazing.Great job Thank you .
Very helpful. Especially about the two missing notes. Thanks. Perfect timing also.
Today I was trying to work out related issues involving roots on the 6th and 5th strings in the context of E Major and its 5th, B Mixolydian.
First, the Interval between the two strings at the same fret is a Perfect 4th. So if the root is on the 6th string, the 5th is on string over, two frets up.
However, if the root is on the 5th string, the 4th is on the 6th string two frets down, and the 5th is on the 6th string at the same fret.
So the relationship changes depending on the where the root is, but the interval stays the same.
In E Major, I can start the Mixolydian on B, playing a Major scale, including the same notes as in E Major, and the 7th will be a b7.
But what if the root is on the 5th string? E is at the 7th fret. B, the 5th, is on the 6th string 5th fret.
Starting on the 5th and playing a major scale is the Mixolydian mode.
I guess my question is this. You look for the root within the diatonic or pentatonic scales. Is it common, or good, to learn them using the 6th and 5th strings? This allows you to play the same pattern on strings 6 through 3.
[I'm trying to learn the Mixolydian via the Grateful Dead's Sugaree. It's in E Major, but a lot of the Soloing seems to be B Mixolydian, though people argue about it.]
Thanks. Lots of great info that will take me time too absorb. It might sound strange, but in your video on different ways to learn the fretboard, just using your index /pinky gave me an aha moment. If your pinky is the major root, your index is on the 6th.
The way that it is taught on Zombie Guitar is to always know where pentantonic position #1 (aka. the "home box") and pentatonic position #4 (aka. the "A-string home box") is. These two reference points allow you to always have fallback zones in case you ever get lost!
@@zombieguitar Greatly appreciated. Thank you.
One thing I don't see a lot of people bringing up is why the notes in a pentatonic scale are what they are. If you know your modes, or even just the formulas for the modes, it makes a lot of sense. Here are the 3 minor modes (names omitted, because we don't care)
1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
If we look at those, the common degrees are 1 b3 4 5 b7...so those are the notes of a pentatonic minor scale since that way they're "mode agnostic". Doing the same with the major modes:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
There we have 1 2 3 5 6 in common...and those are the notes of our pentatonic major.
Good lesson! Thank you
i do enjoy your lessons Brian, i have a question. Do you think that through experimentation with these scales/modes etc, you find your "main sound" your own "voice"? i'm self taught, so everything is patchy in my theory knowledge, my current conclusion is that you can try all these and other choices, gain understanding, and maybe use it all at some time or another, without necessarily becoming fluent with ALL of it. ok, within all thee above, you discover the sound that fits you most and that is your sound/voice, so within THAT choice, you play it till it's second nature, it's your home. THEN you expand into it and from it with all your other ideas and utilize it to realize your music. Wee bit long winded, but i love your lessons so thought one of them deserved my full feedback, and (hopefully, if this makes sense) let you see how much help you are offering your viewers, and how effective it is. there. if you read this thank you, and for the well thought out and presented videos
Although I make a million different videos, the fundamental message is always the same throughout all of them....
1.) Look at the chord progression. That gives you all the information you need.
2.) If you're playing mainstream music - rock, pop, metal, country, etc. then from a soloing perspective you really just need to learn the diatonic scale.
That is the fundamental message that you will find in ALL of my vids!
@@zombieguitar thanks. i think i took the scenic route to your message 😆 luckily, one of the first things i llearned, decades ago, when i was really enthusiastic, was the 5 shape major scale. how to use it properly/adjust approach to suit needs, has been a stop start faltering trip. i feel like i have 'suddenly' had that breakthrough recently, and your lessons have been instrumental ("p) in that success. music theory is an endless journey of wonder. we are very lucky to have it. thank you
And last thing if I may, in a typical major piece, for example in the key of C, if I add in chord changes which include D (D minor pentatonic to D Dorian), E minor (E minor pentatonic to E Phrygian) F major (F major pentatonic to F Lydian), G major (G major pentatonic to G mixolydian) and A minor (A minor pentatonic to A aeolian)… that’s allowed?
So in a Blues piece, instead of:
C / F / C/ C
F / F / C / C
G / F / C / G
Instead of that, I could have:
C / F / C / C G C
F/ F / C / C Am D
G/ F / C / G
Notice how on the 4th and 8th bar of the second version, I’ve tried to do a ii-V for the last to chords so that the next chord after them would be considered chord I, but the Am and D major don’t sound right and I could only spice it up with Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian, if I’ve understood that?
"Blues theory"is a different animal than "diatonic theory" 😉
Hi Brian. I was just employing this technique and I had a follow up...I went and played backing tracks for the 6 main modes within the parent scale of C major (like this video). And for some of them playing the related pentatonic sounded good but for others it sounded just...okay...but when I added the 2 missing notes to make it the full diatonic scale it "felt right". The 2 mode backing tracks this happened to me on was F Lydian + E Phrygian. I picked random youtube backing track videos for each, so could this maybe just be related to the chords / chord progression of these particular backing tracks perhaps? Like...maybe the chords / progression that were used in them just didn't "mesh" as well with the pentatonic vs the diatonic? Hopefully that makes sense...
Yes perfect sense! You don't get the full "modal flavor" when you omit those 2 extra notes 😁
Wonderful lesson Brian! Many thanks! And your comment here is spot on a question that popped up in my head after listening to you. When, or maybe in what style of music, would you say it is a creative way of playing to alternate between these three in-scale pentatonics? You don’t get the full modality without all seven notes, so when is it a good choice to use them?
Hi ❤
I think I understood everything but when you are talking about position 1 2 3 etc, do you mean, eg if we take C major pentatonic, certain positions have the same notes in the same pattern but just at a higher register for position 2 then higher still for position 3 and so on and so forth… then you have new positions for its relative minor based on the same concept (of register?)
Yes the pentantonic scale is just 5 notes. The "positions" are just the box patterns formed by these 5 notes...same 5 notes in each box though 😁
@@zombieguitar thanks 😅 and I will do more recap and searching on your channel in the future but thanks so much for getting back 💐🙏💐
Very awesome!
Hey kelly, can we mixed major scale and pentatonic scale together in soloing.
can you add the blue note when messing with modal pentatonic?
Fantastic!
Great video, I think on 16:26 should be G Major Pentatonic and E minor Pentatonic, G minor has Bb as minor third not part of C major key, also E major pentatonic has F#, G#, and C# not part of C major key. Thanks for sharing
Yes that was a typo. My bad! I meant G major/E minor pentatonic 😁
@@zombieguitar Thanks for sharing this! Great video, keep it going!
Took me longer than I care to admit to figure out that the three pentatonic options you discussed towards the end are rooted on the I, IV, and V.
Hi Brian!! GOD!! You make learning guitar 🎸 SO!! Easy!! You Are One of the BEST!!!! TEACHERS here on TH-cam. ✌️💚😉🌺
Much appreciated!! 😀
Brian,, Hello,,,, I ALWAYS go on2 your Main Site, Page. I just Replied to message interference to The 8 Week Course. I'll go directly to Solos;. But!!!; Definitely! Shall watch the Beginning,,,, Refresher!! Always Helps! ✌️💚❤️😉
Brian thanks for everything you really are a good teacher, i had a quick question can you make a video on learning solos by ear. thanks
Awesome video idea!! Definitely 😁
@@zombieguitar thanks man you the best
Been watching you for a while. Really appreciate the lessons. So I learned the diatonic scales through my memorization of the pentatonic scales....(basically using them as a reference). I am having a hard time grasping the concept of sounds.....(modes) I understand the 7 scales locrian, mixolydian, etc... They are just the same notes as the full diatonic scale....
So, are you saying that the "sounds" played over chords are basically just the notes that you start and stop on? (I'm sure this is a dumb question)..please forgive me... so if you are playing in the key of Em you can play any of the 7 scales....as long as they are placed in the key of Em.....so what makes them a different sound? (Mode?)....It isn't just the pattern itself.....so it must be the notes you gravitate towards.....(Am I way off?)
Hey thanks for checking out the vid! I don't think that this video is the best "what are modes" video to watch. For that, I suggest watching these:
Part 1: Relative Modes - th-cam.com/video/v1rEq_cAsFg/w-d-xo.html
Part 2: Parallel Modes - th-cam.com/video/1Etwvjlzchs/w-d-xo.html
Part 3: Applications -th-cam.com/video/SVDUxH2op2M/w-d-xo.html
That will help to explain the concept better!
@@zombieguitar will do! Thanks so much!
Hello Brian, I appreciate your work and vids here it’s amazing how you explain 👌 but I am little bit confused where to start as a beginner and what to learn from start to become a medium player,step to step ? I’m learning now for about one year but confused because of all these vids on yt. Thank you 🙏🎸🔥🤟
Hey thanks for the comment! On the Zombie Guitar website, you are given 4 different "suggested paths" to follow depending on which type of player you are:
1.) Complete beginner
2.) Beginner to Soloing
3.) Seasoned player
4.) Theory nerd
After choosing which category you fall into, it then gives you specific courses to check out... although you can choose whichever courses you'd like in any order that you want 😃
Very interesting! So, does it mean that pentatonic is always gonna work no matter what key and cord function? For example, F major pentatonic over F major chord, when F is either 1, 4 or 5 chord in key signature. Additionally, there's a higher chance to hit a chord note (3/5 vs. 3/7). Right?
Yes exactly right! I did a lesson about the "one pentatonic per chord" thing, and it's connection to the chord tones here: th-cam.com/video/jNubvZbZ9k0/w-d-xo.html
@@zombieguitar TNX a lot!
You would primarily use minor modes over a minor chord progression and vice versa typically? For example, Dorian is minor, Ionian is major
You would typically use minor types of SCALES in a minor type of context. For example you may mix the minor pentatonic, Aeolian and Dorian scales together over a minor chord progression.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you were playing the "Aeolian mode" and the "Dorian mode" though. Modes are a very specific thing!
Great stuff. Does anyone know if there is an interactive website out there where you can change the key signature and it will show you the corresponding pentatonic and diatonic scales like the guitar neck graphic in this video? Ideally it shows you the different positions as well.
Yes www.zombieguitar.com 😀
@@zombieguitar you have some sort of interactive app or widget where you can dynamically change the key signature and see the corresponding scales on a guitar neck graphic? Is that behind the paywall? I don't see anything browsing your site anonymously.
@@cancelbubble6535 yes, that is what the 2500+ video backing tracks are!
@@cancelbubble6535 I'm not sure what you mean by "dynamically" though. But you can pick whatever key you want to play in. Then you can pick whatever fretboard diagram you want displayed on the screen. There's also lots of chord tone targeting ones too where the chord tones "light up" as the chords change!
Awesome.
Sounds like something went wrong with the Dm chord backing track around 10:40 in? Actually they all sound like static to me...
It may be your computer. I haven't heard anyone else say anything, and I don't hear it either 🤷♂️
nice way to show the relation of modes, but at 16.23'' one small mistake as third option should be written g major and e minor instead of e maj g min {like you said later)
Ugh I know! I wish TH-cam would let people re-upload videos!!
Hey Brian, there's a mistake in the video (at minute 16:20) about the Pentatonic Option #3. You reversed the pentatonic names: E major instead of E minor (and G minor instead of G major as well). ;-)
Ah dammit!!! One of these days I will get through an entire video with zero mistakes 🤦
Thanks for pointing that out!
Awesome video! What a coincidence I was recently pondering the same thing 😉
Thanks👍
So if I have understood this correctly, if playing within a pentatonic scale you miss out the 2nd and 6th note when playing under a minor chord and miss out the 4th and 7th note when playing under a major chord. Is this correct?
Not always...it depends on which 7- note scale you are trying to play that determines what the missing 2 notes are!
Brian thank you...always excellent content. Would you consider listing song examples using each of the modes from folks like Carlos Santana David Gilmour et al...again thx
Sounds like a great new video idea. Definitely will do! In the meantime, here is an older vid that you might like 😁 th-cam.com/video/4h-nhZIs4l0/w-d-xo.html
Brian is the best!
Mind Blowing 🤯
at 16:20 you accidentally had E major on and G minor pop up on the screen instead of E minor and G Major. It threw me off for a few minutes because I knew that E in the key of C Major is a minor chord, not a Major chord. Hopefully this didn't throw anybody else off.
Ugh ya...stupid typo. I should have said "G major pentatonic" and "E minor pentatonic". Sorry about that!
Show us the Lydian and Locrian pentatonic scales
This is my issue. I can picture the CAGED but I can’t see the 3NPS for some reason
They are two entirely different areas of focus. The 7 3NPS patterns are focused on "layer 1" (aka. the scale). Whereas the CAGED shapes are focused on "layer 2" (aka. the chords). It's almost like apples vs oranges!!
You should activate the subtitles option.
Brian, I think the graphic around 16.24 is not correct. The 3rd option should be shown as
(as you spoke)
E Minor Pentatonic:
E G A B D
and
G Major Pentatonic:
G A B D E
I mean you said it right but the graphic is wrong.
Thank you for the lesson.
Regards.
Ugh one of these days I will get through a whole video with zero mistakes!! Thanks for pointing that out 😁
@@zombieguitar If I just listen only I wouldn't notice it. LOL.
At first I was a little confused because the 1st and 2nd options are written in same order Major then Minor but the 3rd option is written the other way around. So, I had to figure out the E Major scale and E Major Pentatonic as well as its relative minor which turned out to be C# Minor and the notes were different than shown.
Any way it gave me opportunity to confirm my understanding. Thanks.
Thre are 6 pentatonic scales in diatonic scale, each for each one of the 6 modes. But locrian haven't a pentatonic because the flat fifth in it. I'am right?
3 major/minor pairs...6 pentatonic scales....tomato, tomatoe 😁
Is not the tonic and/or tonal center subjective to the listener?
Yes it is, and thats why the topic of "modal chord progressions" tends to confuse a lot of people!
Dude! This video just zombified me! LOL
We can say that the ionien is relative to aeolien, the lydian to dorian, the mixolydian to phrygien. The locrian have not a relative.
They are all relative to each other. You are just thinking in "guitar patterns" right now. Take this same concept to a piano, and it's all the white keys for all modes of the C major scale!
I think some useful information just went into my noggin
Its like, I can see the matrix
I don’t particularly like modes a lot.(abbreviations)nemonic, whatever:-
IDPLMAL.
Ah I see now…
Aolian? But, I don't like mayonnaise!
Just thought I would be first for once....
You did it 🎉 😁
They arent Connected they are litterally the same thing...Everything "Scales" "Chords" "Modes" comes froman Altered Major Scale !!
Yessir. Diatonic harmony at its finest!