Easy Jazz Guitar Scales 28 Modes From 1 Fingering

Learning scales is something that all guitarists have to do at one point in their development as a jazz guitarist, at least in this modern age. Though they are not going to make you sound like your favorite jazz guitarist right away, learning scales and modes is a great way to deepen your understanding of the guitar, jazz theory and the fundamental building blocks of many of the great tunes and solos that make up the jazz idiom. Over the years I ve learned many different ways to play scales and modes on the guitar. !"#$%, seven mode fingerings, the five&fingering approach, three&note per string, four&note per string, one string at a time, 'egovia fingerings etc. "nd after spending thousands of hours banging my head against the wall I discovered that I was able to internalize scales and modes much more easily if I simplified things instead of making them more complicated. 'o, I left all my big bulky scales behind and I went back to learning one&octave scale and mode fingerings, and the results were immediate. (ith these easy jazz guitar scales, I could now run changes and apply all of my patterns and licks with ease, since I now had a smaller, easier way of playing and visualizing any scale or mode. "nd, when I wanted to play a longer run I just connected two one&octave scales to produce a two&octave fingering, without learning anything new in the process. "fter working through the major modes in this fashion I decided to e)pand it to the other scale systems that we use in jazz, melodic minor, harmonic minor and harmonic major. (hen I did this, I looked for the easiest way to learn these new sounds, without learning anything new if possible. 'o I started by trying to relate all of the major modes I already knew to any new mode I wanted to learn, and by simply altering one note from any major mode I was able to learn all of the modes in the harmonic minor, melodic minor and harmonic major scales in no time, and I never forget them since I had a formula for each fingering that related it back to something I already knew, the modes of the major scale. 'ince I get asked about scales and modes a lot in workshops and lessons, I started showing this approach to my students and they were able to internalize all of these scales and modes just as *uickly as I did, so it wasn t a fluke. +or e)ample, this past week I taught a series of workshops in 'ao ,oao %el -ei, .razil. "t one point the students asked about my system for learning and playing scales and modes. Though most of the students in the class weren t playing more than the pentatonic and blues scales, within an hour every student in the class could play all the modes of the major, harmonic minor, melodic minor and harmonic major scales from memory. /retty darn cool. .ecause I ve had such a strong response to this approach, both in my own playing and from my students learning how to play jazz guitar, I decided to put together all of this info in one place and write the article you re reading now. The concept is simple and easy to apply. 'tart on the Lydian mode, lower one note and you ve got Ionian. !ontinue this until you get to Locrian. Then, you can take these seven modes of the major scale, alter one note in each mode and you can now play all of the modes for harmonic minor, melodic minor and harmonic major. It s that easy. .efore we dive into this formula for learning and memorizing scales and modes, here are a few short notes on the fingerings that I use and why I use them.

$asy ,azz #uitar 'cales 0 1otes on +ingering

-egardless of what shapes you use to play any scale or mode, you can apply the above system to alter one note of one mode, or entire scale system, to produce a different mode or scale system. .ut, in my e)perience as a player and teacher, using simple one&octave fingerings, then combining them to

form two&octave fingerings works best. "lso, keeping things unified by having a formula for how you finger each scale in relation to other similar scales and modes goes a long way in simplifying the learning process. "nd keeping groups of modes, major or minor2diminished, related by using similar fingerings will also make it easier for you to learn, retain and apply these modes to a real&life performance situation. 3ere are my two guidelines when it comes to playing scales and modes4

5ajor based modes, such as Ionian, Lydian and 5i)olydian and their derivatives start on the middle finger 6first finger on the 7rd
string root due to the .&string tuning of a 7rd interval8 and use two notes on the lowest string

5inor and %iminished based modes, such as %orian, "eolian, /hrygian and Locrian and their derivatives start on the inde) finger
and use three fingers on the lowest string

That s it. .y keeping things simple, thinking about major based modes as starting off the second finger 6first on the 7rd string root8 and minor2diminished based modes starting off the first finger, you can eliminate a lot of the thought processes that go into learning big, bulky 9 and 7 octave scales that don t have a similar system to their fingerings. "s well, transposing scale patterns or melody lines is easy with these fingerings since each of the : one&octave shapes, ;th&<th&:th&7rd strings roots, is essentially the same. 'o let s take a look at how you can alter one note in the each mode of the 5ajor 'cale to produce all = modes, as well as alter one note in each of these modes to produce all of the modes in the 5elodic 5inor, 3armonic 5inor and 3armonic 5ajor scales.

$asy ,azz #uitar 'cales 0 5ajor 5odes

(e re going to start by applying this concept to the old favorite, the major scale. (ith the major scale, we start with the mode that has the most sharps in the key of !, which would by Lydian because it has one sharp in the key of !, +>. Then, all you do is lower one note, the :th, and you get Ionian. Then you lower the =th and we get 5i)olodian and so on until you hit the mode with the most flats, Locrian, altering one note along the way to produce the ne)t mode in the chain. 3ere is how that formula looks and the order of the modes when using the ?add a flat@ techni*ue. 5ajor 5ode +ormula

Lydian Ionian 6flatten the :th note8 5i)olydian 6flatten the =th note8 %orian 6flatten the 7rd note8 "eolian 6flatten the ;th note8 /hrygian 6flatten the 9nd note8 Locrian 6flatten the <th note8
3ere is the same list but with the notes for each written out starting on ! for each one.

Lydian4 ! % $ +> # " . ! Ionian4 ! % $ + # " . ! 5i)olydian4 ! % $ + # " .b ! %orian4 ! % $b + # " .b ! "eolian4 ! % $b + # "b .b ! /hrygian4 ! %b $b + # "b .b !

Locrian4 ! %b $b + #b "b .b !
3ere is how you can apply this knowledge to learning major scale modes on the guitar. Aou can start by learning a Lydian fingering, one octave, and then simply move one note to make Ionian, one more for 5i)olydian etc. until you reach Locrian, as in the fingerings below. Aou can learn more about the major modes and their applications in my article ?5odes of the 5ajor 'cale and Their "pplication.@

Major Modes One Octave

If you want to extend these scales you can connect two one-octave fingerings together to make a longer, two-octave shape for any of these modes. Remember to visualize the shape of each scale as well as the notes to ensure that you are internalizing both the theory and geometry of these modes on the guitar.

Major Scale Modes Two Octave

Easy Jazz Guitar Scales Melodic Minor

Now, you can use this same approach, changing one note at a time, to produce all the modes of the melodic ma or scale without learning any new fingerings. !retty cool huh" #ll you are going to do is take the same fingerings you ust learned for the seven ma or scale modes, change one note in each, lowering it by a semi-tone $one fret%, and you can now play all seven modes of the melodic minor scale. &ere is how the formula works, which notes need to be lowered, and which mode they produce in the melodic minor scale.

'elodic 'inor 'odes (ormula

Ionian with flattened 3rd = Melodic Minor Mode !orian with flattened "nd = Melodic Minor Mode " #hry$ian with flattened st = Melodic Minor Mode 3 %ydian with flattened &th = Melodic Minor Mode ' Mi(olydian with flattened )th = Melodic Minor Mode * +eolian with flattened *th = Melodic Minor Mode ) %ocrian with flattened 'th = Melodic Minor Mode &

&ere is how these formulas look with notes, starting on the note ) for each one.

, ! E - G + . , /Ionian0 = , ! E1 - G + . , /MM 0 , ! E1 - G + .1 , /!orian0 = , !1 E1 - G + .1 , /MM "0 , !1 E1 - G +1 .1 , /#hry$ian0 = . !1 E1 - G +1 .1 . /MM 30 , ! E -2 G + . , /%ydian0 = , ! E -2 G + .1 , /MM '0 , ! E - G + .1 , /Mi(olydian0 = , ! E - G +1 .1 , /MM *0 , ! E1 - G +1 .1 , /+eolian0 = , ! E1 - G1 +1 .1 , /MM )0 , !1 E1 - G1 +1 .1 , /%ocrian0 = , !1 E1 -1 G1 +1 .1 , /MM &0

*ince you already know our ma or modes, in one and two octaves, you don+t have to learn anything new in order to play the melodic minor modes, all you have to do is alter one note for each ma or mode and you can play all seven '' modes on the guitar. &ere is how you do this using the fingerings you learned for our ma or modes. (or the sake of space I have only written out these modes, two-octaves, starting on the ,th string root. -ut, in your practice routine make sure to go over these seven modes starting on the .th string as well. /ou can learn more about the melodic minor modes and their application in my article 0 Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale and Their +33lication.1

Major Modes to Melodic Minor Modes ,onversion

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Easy Jazz Guitar Scales 4ar5onic Minor

/ou can use the same approach to produce all seven modes of the harmonic minor scale. 2hough this time you start with #eolian and work your way around the seven ma or modes from there. #s well, instead of making one note lower each time around, with harmonic minor you take one note of each of the ma or modes, raise it by one semi-tone $one fret% and you get the seven modes of the harmonic minor scale. /ou can learn more about these modes and how to use them as a azz guitarist in my article 0Modes of the 4ar5onic Minor Scale and Their +33lication.1 &ere+s how this formula looks with each mode of ma or being turned into a mode of harmonic minor simply by raising one note in each mode.

&armonic 'inor 'odes (ormula

+eolian with raised &th = 4ar5onic Minor Mode %ocrian with raised )th = 4ar5onic Minor Mode " Ionian with raised *th = 4ar5onic Minor Mode 3 !orian with raised 'th = 4ar5onic Minor Mode ' #hry$ian with raised 3rd = 4ar5onic Minor Mode * %ydian with raised "nd = 4ar5onic Minor Mode ) Mi(olydian with raised st = 4ar5onic Minor Mode &

&ere is how these formulas look with notes, starting on the note ) for each one.

, ! E1 - G +1 .1 , /+eolian0 = , ! E1 - G +1 . , /4M 0 , !1 E1 - G1 +1 .1 , /%ocrian0 = , !1 E1 - G1 + .1 , /4M "0 , ! E - G + . , /Ionian0 = , ! E - G2 + . , /4M 30 , ! E1 - G + .1 , /!orian0 = , ! E1 -2 G + .1 , /4M '0 , !1 E1 - G +1 .1 , /#hry$ian0 = , !1 E - G +1 .1 , /4M *0 , ! E -2 G + . , /%ydian0 = , !2 E -2 G + . , /4M )0 , ! E - G + .1 , /Mi(olydian0 = ,2 ! E - G + .1 , /4M &0

*ince you already know your ma or modes, in one and two octaves, you don+t have to learn anything new in order to play the harmonic minor modes, all you have to do is alter one note for each ma or mode and you can play all seven &' modes on the guitar. &ere is how we do this using the fingerings you learned for our 'a or 'odes.

Major Scale to 4ar5onic Minor Scale ,onversion

Easy Jazz Guitar Scales 4ar5onic Major

2he seven modes of the harmonic ma or scale can also be derived using this method. 3ust go back to your ma or modes, starting on Ionian, lower one note per mode, starting with the ,th note of Ionian, and you can now play all seven modes of the harmonic minor scale. &ere is that formula in action.

&armonic 'a or 'odes (ormula

Ionian with flattened )th = 4ar5onic Major Mode !orian with flattened *th = 4ar5onic Major Mode " #hry$ian with flattened 'th = 4ar5onic Major Mode 3 %ydian with flattened 3rd = 4ar5onic Major Mode ' Mi(olydian with flattened "nd = 4ar5onic Major Mode * +eolian with flattened st = 4ar5onic Major Mode ) %ocrian with flattened &th = 4ar5onic Major Mode &

&ere is how these formulas look with notes, starting on the note ) for each one.

, ! E - G + . , /Ionian0 = , ! E - G +1 . , /4Maj 0 , ! E1 - G + .1 , /!orian0 = , ! E1 - G1 + .1 , /4Maj "0 , !1 E1 - G +1 .1 , /#hry$ian0 = , !1 E1 -1 G +1 .1 . /4Maj 30 , ! E -2 G + . , /%ydian0 = , ! E1 -2 G + . , /4Maj '0 , ! E - G + .1 , /Mi(olydian0 = , !1 E - G + .1 , /4Maj *0 , ! E1 - G +1 .1 , /+eolian0 = . ! E1 - G +1 .1 , /4Maj )0 , !1 E1 - G1 +1 .1 , /%ocrian0 = , !1 E1 - G1 +1 .11 , /4Maj &0

*ince you already know our ma or modes, in one and two octaves, you don+t have to learn anything new in order to play the harmonic ma or modes, all you have to do is alter one note for each 'a or 'ode and you can play all seven &'a modes on the guitar. /ou can learn more about these modes and their use in my article 0Modes of the 4ar5onic Major Scale and Their +33lication.1 &ere is how you do this using the fingerings we learned for our 'a or 'odes.

Major Modes to 4ar5onic Major Modes ,onversion

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4earning scales and modes is an essential process in the development of any azz guitarist, but that doesn+t mean you have to spend hours a day, years on end stru$$lin$ with the5 in the 3ractice roo5in order to master them and apply them to your solos. -y using the simple formula outlined in the above examples, taking one mode and altering one note to produce a new mode or scale system, you can eliminate a lot of the grunt work that many players suffer through when learning all of these modes across the range of the guitar. 2here is an old adage that says 0work smarter not harder,1 and by using the above concepts you can cut a lot of technical work out of your practice routine, learn all of the scales and modes needed to play azz guitar, and develop a system for internalizing and retaining these modes for years to come.