Play these notes starting on C and you're playing the C major scale (also known as the Ionian mode – the 'first' mode). Start on D and you're playing the second mode (D Dorian, as it happens). By the ...

The subject of modes crops up time and again among guitarists wishing to inject new flavours into their solos. The main challenge is learning a bunch of new scale shapes. However, this can be made ...

Emotive and powerful, if you're looking to move listeners with your guitar playing then the Aeolian mode is a great choice. Also known as the natural minor scale, it’s the sixth mode of the major ...