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This week we'll be looking at the Ionian mode. This mode is also known as the major scale. I look at the Ionian mode as a jumping off point to all other modes because in order to get the notes for any other mode, you flat or sharp the notes in the Ionian mode. For example, to get the Aeolian mode, you flat the 3rd, 6th, and 7th scale degrees of the Ionian mode. I included the fact that you have to sharp the notes sometimes because of the Lydian mode. In that mode, you have a #4 scale degree. Now theoretically, that is viewed as a b5 most of the time, but in the interest of being correct theoretically to the Lydian mode I included that aspect.
To find the notes in an Ionian mode, you need to first pick a root note. Let's look at D Ionian. We start with D, then move up a tone to E, up another tone to F#, then up a semitone to G, up a tone to A, up another tone to B, up yet another tone to C#, and finally up a semitone to the octave D. So your "formula" to the Ionian mode would be this: root, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.
To help you remember, try thinking of it this way. Your first semitone falls on the 4th scale degree. Your second semitone occurs at the octave. So the rest of the degrees are full tones up from the previous notes. I don’t know if that will help you, but way back when I was learning it helped me to put notes in perspective to other notes.
Now, knowing our formula as we do, we can find any Ionian mode. Let’s do a sharp one for a change. G# Ionian would consist of the following notes: G# A# C C# D# F G G#. And laid out over the guitar neck, G# Ionian looks as follows:
|---F-----G--G#---A#-C--C#---D#---
|---C--C#----D#---F--G--G#---A#---
|-G-G#----A#----C-C#-D#----F----G-
|---D#----F-----G-G#-A#----C-C#---
|---A#----C--C#---D#-F-----G-G#---
|---F-----G--G#---A#-C--C#---D#---
|---1---3-4---6-8-9----11----13----15-16----18-20-21----23----
|---1-2---4---6-8-9----11----13-14----16----18-20-21----23----
|-0-1---3---5-6-8---10----12-13----15----17-18-20----22----24-
|---1---3---5-6-8---10-11----13----15----17-18-20----22-23----
|---1---3-4---6-8---10-11----13----15-16----18-20----22-23----
|---1---3-4---6-8-9----11----13----15-16----18-20-21----23----
And now, the chords that go with the Ionian mode. Since I’ve laid out the G# Ionian, these chords will be for that G# Ionian. Remember though, while the type of chord (m, add9, sus2, etc) stays the same, the actual note will change if you move the mode up or down. That is simply due to scale degree changes when a root is changed.
G# A# C C# D# F G
G# A#m Cm C# D# Fm Gdim
G#maj7 A#m7 Cm7 C#maj7 D#7 Fm7
G#add9 A#sus2 Csus4 C#add9 D#add9 Fsus2
G#sus2 A#sus4 C#sus2 D#sus2 Fsus4
G#sus4 C#maj9 D#sus4
G#maj9
Something to note, a sus2 and a maj9 chord are really very closely related. The only difference? The maj9 is a 2nd scale degree an octave higher and includes a 7th degree as well. If we were to repeat the scale as so:
R 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13... You see that after the octave of 8, the scale degrees repeat. However, they are given a higher number to reflect that they are that octave higher. Which is how you get crazy chords such as a C13 which has the degrees of a root, 3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th, and 13th (6th degree up a full octave). Now you might be asking about the add9 chord. Well that is exactly as it sounds, you simply add a 9th degree. Unlike a maj 9 which adds a 7th and a 9th, and a 9th chord which adds a b7th and a 9th, you entirely skip the 7th and just tack on a 9th degree, so you’ve got a root, 3rd, 5th, and the 9th. Chords can and will get pretty crazy on you. I didn’t even go too deep here. Just a side note for you all.
Here is the key for the tabs below:
\ - slide down
/ - slide up
h - hammer on
p - pull off
+ - natural harmonic (done by lightly touching over the fretwire of the indicated fret)
() - tapped harmonic (performed by tapping the fretwire an octave above the fretted note, the fret in the () is the one to be tapped so you must finger the note the octave below first)
T - tap
b - bend
r - return bend
~ - sustain
Anyway, in a future lesson (I plan them out way ahead usually), I’ll get into chords and all that. So now lets start working into these examples. Let’s go with an A Ionian here.
|------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------------9-9-9-9-9-
|-2-2-2-----------------------7-7-7-7--7-7-7/9-9-9-9-9-
|-2-2-2-------4-4-4-4---------7-7-7-7--7-7-7/9-9-9-9-9-
|-0-0-0-0-2-0-4-4-4-4-----5h7-5-5-5-5--5-5-5/7-7-7-7-7-
|-------------2-2-2-2-5h7------------------------------
Now, let’s just hit up a random lead to go over that. Nothing fancy, just an off the cuff thing. Again, I’m using A Ionian
|-14-14-14-14-16-14----12-12h14p12-------17-10-10--10-10/-22-17-19-15-
|-------------------14-------------14-17----10-10--10-----------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------------------------------
This time, let’s structure the lead based on some implied chords in the riff. In my last lesson, I touched on the idea that some note runs and power chords can be used to tailor a lead. By adding in the missing degrees and doubling a few, you can create a lead line that will flow right along with the riff under it. So let’s give this a go. Typically, when you use this approach, arpeggios are a good way to go with it. You can tap, sweep, or just pick some notes. Whatever techniques work for you. Here, I’m not getting crazy. Just basic stuff using A Ionian
-sus4
|-17----------------16---------------------22b24~r22-22b24r22-15-17-
|----17p14----------------------------------------------------------
|----------14-14-16----11-------------------------------------------
|-------------14----------9h11-------12h14--------------------------
|------------------------------12h14--------------------------------
|-------------------------------------------------------------------
A -sus2 F#sus2
|-22b24-------------12-
|-------17-12----15-12-
|-------------13-------
|----------------------
|----------------------
|----------------------
Or if you want crazy, let’s do that too. I’m sticking with A again.
T T T T T
|-17p9h12-17p9h12-17p7h12-17p7h12-21-17p16-------------------------
|------------------------------------------15----------------------
|---------------------------------------------14----------------19-
|------------------------------------------------12-------12/14----
|---------------------------------------------------12h14----------
|------------------------------------------------------------------
T T T T.H.
|----------------------24--------------------
|-------------------------21-----------------
|-19p11h14-19p11h14-19-------21\13-----------
|----------------------------------9---------
|------------------------------------7-(19)~-
|--------------------------------------------
The TH stands for tapped harmonic. To achieve this, simply tap the 19th fretwire. You need to hit the actual wire to get the harmonic, otherwise it won’t be pronounced.
Moving on from lead work, let’s work on a rhythm. I’ll use some chord fragments (basically broken up chords, typically using note runs to tie the fragments together), some full chords, and some ornamentation like hammers, pulls, natural harmonics, etc. I’m going to switch to C Ionian here.
|---------------3-3-----------------------------------(12)-----------
|-1-----6-------1---1h3-6-------------------(13)---------------1-----
|-0-------7+----0-0-------7-2--------------------(14)-----(12)---2---
|---0h2------7+-2-------------------2-0-12+~~~~~~~~~~~-------------3-
|---------------0---------------0h3----------------------------------
|-----------------------------1--------------------------------------
C Dm Am7 Dm7 F Am Fmaj7
|---------------------------------------24+------------------------12+-
|-1-----1-----1-----1-------1~~~~~~---------24+-----19+----------------
|---------2-----2-------------2~~~~p0h2---------24+-----19+-----7+-----
|---2-------2-----3---0h2p0-----2~~-------------------------19+-5+-----
|-----3---------------------------0~~~---------------------------------
|------------------------------------------------------------------12+-
C Am Fmaj7 Cmaj9 Am
This time around, let’s go for a more basic chording pattern here. I’ll just use some arpeggios here this time and end on a full chord. As with the last example, this one is in C Ionian.
|---------------------1---------------------------1----------
|-------1-----------------0---------1---------1-------1---1~-
|---0-------0-----------0---0---2-----2---------2---2---2-0~-
|-----2---2---2---0---------------2-----2---3-------------2~-
|-3-----------------2---------0-----------0---------------3~-
|---------------3--------------------------------------------
C G7 Am F C
Finally, here’s a last little run using some chords in E Ionian. I figure this has a nice finality type sound to it.
sus4
|----------7p5-----------------
|-9-9-10-9---------4-5-4-2-----
|-9-9--9-9-----4-2-4-4-4-2-13\-
|-9-9--9-9-----4-2-4-4-4-2-14\-
|-7-7--7-7---------2-2-2-0-14\-
|--------------------------12\-
E sus4 B A E
The Esus4 is just when that 10th fret A is played. The Bsus4 follows a similar path, the 5th fret E is the 4th degree in that chord.
And there you have the Ionian mode. It’s really the basis for all other modes, as they simply change the degrees. Probably a better first modal lesson instead of a 4th, but I don’t think that far ahead. But hopefully you can gain something from reading this and trying out these examples. Next week, I’ve got the Lydian mode. See you then.
A last note, if you have any theory questions or want to know more about those chords before I get to that lesson, you can always ask.
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