Trying to put it together - Modes over this Progression

peckhart

Active member
Every time I really try to put theory together I get stuck and fall back on what I know, which is fairly limited.
Anyway, I am trying to apply playing modes to the chord changes.

I was messing around in B and stumbled on a progression of B - D - A - G that I wanted to solo over. Using B as the key signature I realized I had a 1 - b3 - b7 - b6 thing going on and saw that is Aeolian. What I did not do is look deep into what each chord should be in terms of major/minor....so just assume vanilla 5th power chords.
I think I could stay in B aeolian and things worked just fine, but what about using a matching mode for each chord? In other words, while the B is behind me I'm in B aeolian, while D is behind be if I shift that shape to D it starts not sounding right and the same for A and G. What am I missing?

I can do this with a simple blues progression using your standard pentatonic shapes so that my leads imply the chord changes. I just can't get outside of that and its high time I get this stuff together dang it.
 
B aeolian
A mixolydian (the flat 7)
D ionian (B min is relative minor to D maj)
G lydian (the sharp 4)

Maybe try that. All the same notes.
 
I think of the 6 non-fubar-locrian modes as 3 based on Major and 3 based on minor pentatonics. You already know the Major and minor scales so you just change one note. The sharp 4th and flatted 7th make Lydian/Mixolydian respectively (Major). The minor 2nd and sharp 6th make Phrygian/Dorian respectively (minor).

And then do similar to the harmonic minor to get cool sounding Phrygian dominant, etc. Like playing A harmonic minor over an E minor.
 
The key is to find out what the key off the chord progression really is. You might assume it's B based on the first chord you are playing, but if you make that a Bminor chord, then the key of your chord progression is D! D is the root, A is the fifth, G is the fourth and Bm is the relative minor of D. Now, the notes of the D major scale will fit over all these chords. If you are going for a happy tune, jam on D ionian over this, which is just D major.. if you want a Space-y mysterious dreamy tune, try G lydian which has the raised 4th of C# (3rd of the D major scale). B aeolian (minor) should work if you going for a sad pensive tune. You can use the other modes available in the same fashion.

Hope this helps.
 
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