Friday, January 28, 2011

Learn Guitar Scales: Unlocking The Ionian Mode to Advance Your Guitar Solos

By Nick Dillon


It is important as you learn guitar scales to learn the modes of the major scale. A good starting point is the Ionian mode or simply called the major scale. This scale is very popular in all different types of music from classical to rock to jazz and many others. This scale is in a sense a reference point for much of the terminology in music and is the one scale that is essential for musicians to understand.

As you progress with the guitar and learn guitar scales you will realise that scales are simply a series of notes separated by specific steps, known as intervals. The intervals of the Ionian mode or major scale are R or root tone then : T-T -ST -T-T-T-ST, where T stands for a tone or two frets and ST stands for a semitone or 1 fret. The Ionian mode can be created by simply starting with any note, then applying these intervals creating the well known sounding - do, re, me, fa, so la, ti.

The intervals of the Ionian mode generally produce a bright, happy feel. This is mainly due to the major 3rd but also how the other notes or intervals sound in relation to the root note. This scale is often chosen to give a piece of music a happy and positive vibe. As you learn guitar scales, listen to how the intervals or steps in the scale affect the feel and mood, this is an important skill as a musician.

The natural, easy sounding intervals of the major scale make it a good reference point in music. Once you can easily identify how it sounds, you can train your ear to listen out for differences in these familiar intervals. You can then identify other scales by using the major scale as a reference point. As you learn guitar scales, you will find this an invaluable skill.

If we take the major scale we can construct triads from each of the notes, creating 3 major, 3 minor and a diminished chord. A typical major progression will only use the major triads from the root, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. These three chords are often the easiest to solo over.

The ionian mode or major scale is used extensively in country, classical, jazz and even nursery rhymes and church hymns. A little trivia ; the longest guitar solo ever to appear in the US top forty charts - Slash's "November Rain" used this scale. This demonstartes just how good this scale can be when soloing on the guitar. As you learn guitar scales and progress beyond the basic pentatonics and blues scales - ensure to learn the modes. Learning the major scale or first mode is a good starting point to begin to expand your lead guitar playing skills.




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