PRESENCE - Volume 19
Inspiration For Guitarists
Most guitarists learn the Modes the wrong way.
That’s how I learned too.
C Major = C D E F G A B
D Dorian = D E F G A B C
E Phrygian = E F G A B C D
F Lydian Mode = F G A B C D E F and so on…
While technically correct, this doesn’t tell you when or why to use a mode. It’s just a reshuffled scale.
What actually helped me understand modes was learning the Number System—knowing what chords are in a key, and how changing the tonal center affects the feel of the music.
For Example the C Major Scale contains these chords-
C Major
D Minor
E Minor
F Major
G Major
A Minor
Let’s look at Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd. The main chords are D minor and G, with passing chords F and C. Those chords come from the key of C Major, but the tonal center is clearly D minor.
So that song is not in C Major.
It’s in D Dorian—Dorian is the sound of the 2 chord becoming the "home base."
Each chord in a major key has a mode associated with it.
In other words, every scale degree (or number chord) produces its own mode:
When the 1 chord is the tonal center, you're in Ionian (the major scale).
When the 2 chord is the tonal center, you're in Dorian.
The 3 chord gives you Phrygian.
The 4 chord is Lydian.
The 5 chord is Mixolydian.
And the 6 chord is Aeolian (the natural minor scale).
So, whichever chord the song revolves around—that's the mode you're in.
But here’s the big takeaway:
To really understand Modes, you need to learn the Number System first.
Because it’s not about where you start the scale…
…it’s about which chord feels like “home.”
If you haven’t already, start with the 3 essential skills I teach every intermediate guitarist:
The Number System (What chords are in a key)
The CAGED System (How to play those chords all over the neck)
Movable Scale Shapes (So you can solo in any key with confidence)
Want help? Hit reply—I’d love to hear what you're working on.
-Dustin