Ohio5665
Verified buyer
07/03/23
Nice course for understanding and utilizing modes in your playing. The teacher explains everything in an easy to understand way.
Playing Modal Made Easy
Flavor Your Solos with Creative Modal Approaches
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About this course
TrueFire Foundry courses are independently produced courses presented by a hand-picked selection of top-notch artists and educators from around the world. Filmed in the educator’s own studio, Foundry courses bring fresh educational concepts and very effective teaching methodologies to TrueFire Students. David Walliman’s Foundry course, Playing Modal Made Easy will show you how to flavor your solos with creative modal approaches.
Hello I'm David Walliman — welcome to my TrueFire Foundry course, Playing Modal Made Easy, which I produced in my own studio!
One of the most requested topics I've had in my 20 some years of teaching guitar has been modes. A lot of information can be found on modes, but let's face it — they can still be confusing! I put together this course together to demystify modes for you and clear up all of the confusion.
I will share with you everything you need to know to fully understand modes and most importantly how to use them musically. I like to see modes as different alphabets that can be used to express ideas. By approaching modes like a set of different letters, we can quickly start use them according to the type of speech we want to use on our instrument.
This course is a very hands on where students will be given specific assignments to complete. These assignments are designed to help you apply what you've learned. First, we'll go through the theory and define what modes are. This step is fundamental as it will help you understand which notes to target to sound modal.
Next, we'll go through all the scale and arpeggio positions you'll need to improvise. I will show you how to create killer licks using simple tools such as the pentatonic scale and basic arpeggio shapes. We will also learn the basics of creating chords progressions that will work over specific modes. By the end of this course, you will have a much better grasp on modes.
The course comes packed with custom backing tracks that you will use in your assignments. Each track was specifically written to accompany this course and will speed up your learning progress. Key examples are tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. You’ll also get Guitar Pro files so that you can play, loop and/or slow down the tab and notation as you work through the lessons.
If you feel that your improvisations are staling and need fresh ideas, then grab your guitar and let's get dig in to Playing Modal Made Easy!
NOTE! David Wallimann organized the course into 8 weekly sections for those students that prefer to have a specified regimen of material across a specified time schedule. However, for those students who prefer to work at their own pace, or even skip around you are certainly encouraged to approach the course in that way as well.
Hello I'm David Walliman — welcome to my TrueFire Foundry course, Playing Modal Made Easy, which I produced in my own studio!
One of the most requested topics I've had in my 20 some years of teaching guitar has been modes. A lot of information can be found on modes, but let's face it — they can still be confusing! I put together this course together to demystify modes for you and clear up all of the confusion.
I will share with you everything you need to know to fully understand modes and most importantly how to use them musically. I like to see modes as different alphabets that can be used to express ideas. By approaching modes like a set of different letters, we can quickly start use them according to the type of speech we want to use on our instrument.
This course is a very hands on where students will be given specific assignments to complete. These assignments are designed to help you apply what you've learned. First, we'll go through the theory and define what modes are. This step is fundamental as it will help you understand which notes to target to sound modal.
Next, we'll go through all the scale and arpeggio positions you'll need to improvise. I will show you how to create killer licks using simple tools such as the pentatonic scale and basic arpeggio shapes. We will also learn the basics of creating chords progressions that will work over specific modes. By the end of this course, you will have a much better grasp on modes.
The course comes packed with custom backing tracks that you will use in your assignments. Each track was specifically written to accompany this course and will speed up your learning progress. Key examples are tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. You’ll also get Guitar Pro files so that you can play, loop and/or slow down the tab and notation as you work through the lessons.
If you feel that your improvisations are staling and need fresh ideas, then grab your guitar and let's get dig in to Playing Modal Made Easy!
NOTE! David Wallimann organized the course into 8 weekly sections for those students that prefer to have a specified regimen of material across a specified time schedule. However, for those students who prefer to work at their own pace, or even skip around you are certainly encouraged to approach the course in that way as well.
What you'll learn
- Create melodic licks using Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes
- Connect hearing to playing
- Recognize mode positioning
- Recognize Locrian mode intervals
- Learn Locrian mode intervals
Release date: 12/01/2014 • 1h 21m runtime
Sample lessons
Week 1: Modal Formulas
What Are Modes?
Week 2: Chord Scales
About Positions
Week 2: Major Modes
Overview
Week 4: Lydian Progression
Overview
What's included
48 lessons • 20 charts • 9 Jam Tracks
Playing Modal Made Easy
Are you feeling that all your solos sound the same?
Are you stuck in pentatonic land?
You want to sound modal but don't know where to start?
This course was made for you!
You will learn how to target the right notes in any modal contexts. I'll teach you how to build interesting licks using a combination of arpeggios and pentatonic scales. I will show you the secret to building flavorful modal chord positions. And much, much more!
Let's get started!
Are you stuck in pentatonic land?
You want to sound modal but don't know where to start?
This course was made for you!
You will learn how to target the right notes in any modal contexts. I'll teach you how to build interesting licks using a combination of arpeggios and pentatonic scales. I will show you the secret to building flavorful modal chord positions. And much, much more!
Let's get started!
Week 1: Modal Formulas
Before getting started, let's define what modes are!
Modes are scales, a series of notes that are organized in a predetermined way. The modes we will focus on in this workshop are the church modes. These modes will be very useful in most musical contexts!
Modes are scales, a series of notes that are organized in a predetermined way. The modes we will focus on in this workshop are the church modes. These modes will be very useful in most musical contexts!
Week 1: Matching Elements
Any musical elements can be classified into the following two main categories: Major or minor.
The 3rd determines where the element goes.
Remember that in order to play in key, musical elements need to match. For example, if a chord has a major 3rd, you will need to use a major mode. The more notes a chord has, the less options you will have as far as which mode to use.
The 3rd determines where the element goes.
| Major Modes | Minor modes |
| Ionian | Dorian |
| Lydian | Phrygian |
| Mixolydian | Aeolian |
| Locrian |
Remember that in order to play in key, musical elements need to match. For example, if a chord has a major 3rd, you will need to use a major mode. The more notes a chord has, the less options you will have as far as which mode to use.
Week 1: Modal Classification
By looking at the major modes, we find 5 notes in common.
These 5 notes give us the following major pentatonic scale:
R - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6
The same thing can almost be done with the minor modes (the Locrian mode won't work).
These 5 notes give us the following major pentatonic scale:
R - m3 - 4 - 5 - m7
These 5 notes give us the following major pentatonic scale:
R - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6
The same thing can almost be done with the minor modes (the Locrian mode won't work).
These 5 notes give us the following major pentatonic scale:
R - m3 - 4 - 5 - m7
Week 1: Major Modes Characteristic Notes
The characteristic notes give to the mode its color.
Here are the characteristic notes for the 3 Major modes:
Ionian: 4th + Maj7th
Lydian: #4th
Mixolydian: m7th
Here are the characteristic notes for the 3 Major modes:
Ionian: 4th + Maj7th
Lydian: #4th
Mixolydian: m7th
Week 1: Minor Modes Characteristic Notes
The characteristic notes give to the mode its color.
Here are the characteristic notes for the 3 minor modes (we'll deal with the Locrian mode in a future lesson):
Dorian: 6th
Phrygian: m2nd
Aeolian: 2nd + m6th
Here are the characteristic notes for the 3 minor modes (we'll deal with the Locrian mode in a future lesson):
Dorian: 6th
Phrygian: m2nd
Aeolian: 2nd + m6th
Week 1: Assignment
Memorize the formulas of each of the 6 modes we talked about this week. Don't skip this step!
Download the included chart to help you memorize all the formulas.
Don't hesitate to post any questions you have in the discussion section of this video.
Practice well!
Download the included chart to help you memorize all the formulas.
Don't hesitate to post any questions you have in the discussion section of this video.
Practice well!
+ 41 more lessons
Reviews
11 results
ztbishop
08/02/22
Fantastic intro to modes
I've tried diving into all of the other modes courses using all access. They're great for what they are, but I always grew frustrated and gave up, as they would be better suited once you have a foundation. (This went on for years.) A foundation is precisely what this course offers, and the title of the course is spot on. I'm currently on week 5 of 8 of this course, and finally feel like I have a grasp on how to begin applying modes, and what type of sound and mood they can achieve. I'm confident this will make the other courses much more understandable. This is one of those courses that I am extremely grateful for. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels intimidated when trying to tackle modes, or feels that other courses skip over the foundations. David does a great job breaking down the material and assigning the proper amount of work for each week.
OrangeDragon
Verified buyer
10/25/21
Great Course On Modes
These lessons lay out the technical and practical application of the modes in a very clear and understandable way Great
carlos5759
Verified buyer
09/25/21
Fabulous course!
I love David Wallimann's teaching style. He takes a sometimes confusing subject and makes it very understandable. I recommend this course.
andyglamrock
Verified buyer
09/17/21
Superbe
Love his teaching style and playing
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