Modes - the Matt Smith Way

This is just one of many concepts that will be covered in Matt's clinic. Chord / Scale Relationships are vital to building effective solos. Matt links a scale pattern to each mode, then plays it over a specific chord progression to illustrate the sound of that mode. Once the mode sounds are understood, the patterns may be linked by playing the next mode's pattern from the second note of the original pattern. For example, the Dorian pattern can be used over the Ionian chord progression by starting it from the second note of the Ionian pattern and so on.

Each of the examples can be played by clicking on the .wav or .mp3 links. Each example is 32 bars in length and is the chord progression to the right of each scale pattern. Get out your guitar and practice playing over the grooves. The first few bars have examples of a few licks that illustrate a few ideas of how the scales might be used. Have fun and be sure not to miss one of Matt's stops!

(please note: The guitarist in these playing examples is not Matt Smith. They were created by this random guitarist on a Boss BR-8 digital recording studio using no other devices. The effects and drums are all built right into the BR-8 and the bass is actually a guitar using the BR-8's cool modeling capabilities.)

		.wav .mp3	A Ionian
		.wav .mp3	A Dorian
		.wav .mp3	A Phrygian
		.wav .mp3	A Lydian
		.wav .mp3	A Mixolydian
		.wav .mp3	A Aeolian
		.wav .mp3	A Locrian