I was lost trying to figure out how to 'unlock' the guitar for years. I finally decided to do one simple thing, learn the major scale in all positions. I started with G Major and then C Major. SO basically I have the 6th and 5th string roots covered. After this, I can just move the positions around for whatever key I'm in. The next big key was to learn all the triads with roots on each string. You can cover 90% of music with this knowledge. Add 7ths and I was light years ahead of where I started.

@TheDanification

2 жыл бұрын

This is the way

@PaulJonesy

2 жыл бұрын

I reckon the major/Ionian is the absolute key to it all.

@arottie4097

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDanification So say we all! ;)

@waynehicks1969

2 жыл бұрын

Does anyone really think here comes a Dminor, I should play Dorian and it is leading to a G, I need to switch to my Olympian, what a waste of mental energy, stick with the chords and the melody and yo will be just fine, Modes are BS,

@nostringsattachedmusic

2 жыл бұрын

@@waynehicks1969 It's not so much like that. The modes are more like "scale perspectives" that happen during "harmonic events". Yeah you can just improvise in the key that your in, but then you probably won't be considering the chord tones of the chord at the moment. Playing in the modes is kind of like "playing in a different key", only you're still in the same key, but considering everything in a different way. Hopefully, during practice, you won't just be "thinking about" all of this, but also hearing it too. THEN, hopefully, when you're actually performing your ears and hands will respond to all of this muscle memory you've built up. The modes aren't so much a conscious choice, more like in the "peripheral of your thoughts". Does that make sense? Modes are supposed to be "under the hood". Of course, if you can just play and sound awesome all the time, then who needs practice at all, just play! But it's obvious that modes are useful when a guy like Guthrie Govan is endorsing their use in practice routines.

I finally took the plunge and purchased your Master Class. No regrets Tim! I'm 70 years old and just now getting serious about playing my guitars and learning all the recording software that's available. i too am a PRS fan and have a custom SE 2408 and the S2 Vela as well as the Gibson Les Paul Studio model that my son bought me for an anniversary present last year. Your Master Class is the icing on the cake and can't say enough good about the way you teach. Thanks so much!!

I think the thing I like most about Tim is his willingness to share his knowledge, and he seems to thoroughly enjoy it. You’re the man Tim!

@michaelcolthart4006

2 ай бұрын

I would like to enjoy anything as much as he seems to enjoy playing.

Love watching the joy in your face as you play. Great guitar playing as always

Tim, you're awesome. Love to hear more of you playing

Super instructive as always, thanks Tim!

Great video Tim! This gave me more confidence and simplicity.

Creative, accurate, tasteful as usual. Love your lead playing👨🏻‍🦳

Always excellent lessons, I taught myself those back around 2011 and played them so much I recognized the shapes and then became able to move it all to any key. It's very, very beneficial to expanding creativity

I just thoroughly learned the major scale all over. Then I saw that “hey, A mixolydian is just the D major scale played over A. A Dorian is really just the G major scale played over A minor. Just like the relative major/minor are the same scale played over a different harmonic backdrop.” Now, you don’t want to keep looking at it that way forever, but it helped me to hear the difference between the modes. All that nonsense about “just start the scale on a different note” has never taught anyone, anything valuable about modes as far as I’m concerned.

@yragnellaable

2 жыл бұрын

Completely accurate, yes. It's literally just one scale for all the modes; it's just a matter of placement. E phrygian is A minor over E , E mixolydian is F sharp minor over E, E lydian is A flat minor over E.....and so on.

@louiscyfer6944

Жыл бұрын

@@yragnellaable guys, tht is a total misunderstanding of how modes are used. Tim's explanation is also wrong.

@NormenHansen

Жыл бұрын

@@louiscyfer6944 Do you mean "used musically"? Then I suppose you're right. Otherwise they're completely right. They're parallel modes, just like C Major and A Minor are parallel, which means they're the same notes, just a different reference (bass) note. Of course the use for a C major, A minor or G mixolydian scale is very different, still its the same notes.

@louiscyfer6944

Жыл бұрын

@@NormenHansen yes, musically..

@NormenHansen

Жыл бұрын

@@louiscyfer6944 But musically the meaning of your C Major scale changes when you play an A Minor chord below. It's both right, just looked at from different angles.

Wish I caught this live. Always great to watch and hear you Tim.

This is an incredible lesson. Thank you, Tim.

Thanks Tim. Love your style. So smooth, sweet and melodic. Gotta love it....Awesome 😁

Tim you make it look effortless, silky smooth , I love your playing

@lewisprice3156

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing.

Always amazed with your fast descending lines, they sound so cool.

Really valuable lesson-THX Tim!

Dude!!! That lesson was exactly what I needed. Moving each note of a chord up TTS, huge lightbulb moment. So obvious but needed hear it. Thank you 🙏

I just love what you do and all the smiles coming with it......keeeeeeeeeep enjoying Tim

So in awe of this man, what an inspiration for all musicians

Very helpful. As usual. And your fluidity of ideas on the neck is always inspiring.

Great stuff Tim. Thank you

This was really cool Tim Thanks!

Beautiful as always and explained perfectly Tim ,

Love your playing and IMO one of the best players I've heard. You sir have a mood when you play and that mood breaths in variations without limits. I gonna borrow a few of them licks most definitely, okay all if I can

Thanks Tim! Always awesome, and definitely appreciated. God Bless!

Excellent class. Love insight.

I think I got it now great way of explaining how the scales work on the guitar! Thank you 👍😎🤟🎸🙏

This is great. Thanks, Tim.

I love see you playing!

Great stuff Tim Cutting through All the Confusion

God's work Tim. Love these streams.

Thanks for sharing.

That track is a blast to play to. A Talking Heads type progression. This was an exceptionally informative segment. Thanks, Tim. BTW-your tone is awesome in this vid, too.

Thank You Maestro ❤️🎸 Greatings from Poland

Thanks for such !

Great video. Virtually everything I play comes from these modes. Thanks Tim. It confirms my way of thinking! Lol.

Good stuff to add to my to do list

Thank You Tim, that you worked with Crowded House.. Hehe We hear you most days , Pleasure to know , we hear Tim Pierce... as well.. Cheers Mate , Awesome.

This is incredibly interesting, very tasty and melodic. Will play around with these ideas , sounds fun

Hi Tim! M. Scott from Las Vegas here! I try to understand all the theory and key of whatever you kept saying as you changed from modes within those keys. I enjoy your structure when you play and like even more, when you bypass notes that almost seem obvious. I know that C major can support other chords by doing it but not sure why. I have been and am learning so much so fast but I think my start stop and rewind buttons will be my lessons. Yes the cassette tape by the radio approach!!! You inspire me to find times to play where notes and bypasses tell the better story. Im over ranting on 6 strings!!! Thank you for having your happy go lucky approach to this, it helps keep stress minimized as I push myself to absorb!!!! You are kind of my hero as I cannot listen to the KZread teachers vomit guitar genius any longer! 100% THANK YOU!!!!!!

@michaelbolshazy3532

2 жыл бұрын

edit: i need to learn the modes....

Nice job Tim cutting thru all the modal confusion. If you get a chance maybe include the overused but beautiful Lydian. It always sounds great, even if keys and bass are leaning on E7 and you float around D Lydian, giving it E13sus or E13 flavor. Nice post. Thks

Such a lovely natural tone from the neck at the front of the vid.

Can never thank Tim enough for all the great insights he has about playing, improvising, guitars, and advice on what will work and why. Modes can be a tricky nut to crack. There is a 10 minute video of Rick Beato interviewing Frank Gambale that I found invaluable on how to play the Modes so they actually sound different. The KZread video is called "I ask Frank Gambale about how he teaches Modes" and you'll be surprised how simple it actually is. I struggled with modes before watching that video.

@maxmilligan8734

2 жыл бұрын

Frank is a legend

It’s helpful to also know what makes each mode what it is,compared to the major scale.the intervals.flat-7,#4,etc

Thank you Tim. It's Soo AWESOME of you to give this EXPERT Advise & Demo. I was told to Learn the 7 Modes as Shapes & Not to worry about anything else. Just be able to play them anywhere on the neck. I was told just mess around & link them eventually with Pentatonic shapes.🙄 It did come by playing to the Tv any time music came up I had to be able to Play Along, Quickly identify as Accurately as I could? Before the music ended. I still do this after 37+ years. This really helps a Great Deal. Thank you Tim. ❤️😁 Ps: I plan on subscribing to the Master Class. ASAP

Nice "TalkingHead" flavour on the G part ! 🙏🏻😊

And then we can go deeper and play the "suspended" mode, where youll never play the third. Alex Lifeson is a Master on this. "Between the Wheels" come to mind (Key of D, but he never play the F or F# notes, so he can "suggest" he is in C or either Dm). Love that.

@kidglove14

2 жыл бұрын

Saw a great video recently using that very song, that very example

@glaucosouza1971

2 жыл бұрын

@@kidglove14 WOW, great!! Would you put the link here please? Love to see that. I've watch a Dave Brewster lesson on Alex's style but he didnt mention Between the Wheels (nice lesson btw).

@kidglove14

2 жыл бұрын

@@glaucosouza1971 You bet bud! Go to the 14:43 mark for discussion on 3rds and Rush "floatiness". Michael Palmisano attempts to learn it live: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mXmg2pSFYaXHnag.html

@kidglove14

2 жыл бұрын

Also, brief mention of it at 9 min mark and then at 22:10 when he's breaking down solo

BTW, I asked my friend Elliot Easton once how he worked his solos. He said he plays through(solo’s)the changes.

Tim, I wish mastery of this came in a booster shot - I'd be at Walgreen's or CVS in a flash! Anyway, my normal MODE is to get a backing track track like Bo Diddley's WHO DO YOU LOVE and then noodle all over the neck to see what fits and remember those patterns visually. If runs sound good, I must be at least at the MODE buffet, just not knowing the proper "food" group names?(yet...). But you do continue to patiently inspire!!

Tim is flawless... awesome

im a drummer.. i dont know modes, but im here for the great playing!

Phrygian is the one I use most. I like that Hungarian minor one too.

The difference between a master and an apprentice is not what you know but what you do with it :) Thank you so much for sharing this video.

Was listening to Hard to Hold (1984), and thought that might be you. Great licks. Would love to hear you break down some of your work with Springfield.

Caro tim, o teu som é muito maneiro, nao agride e a gente ouvi sem cansar..te digo se eu morace ai por perto iria estudar contigo nem que fosse aforça 😂😂😂 obrigado por compartilhar seus conhecimentos, abraço e bom som 👏👍

Hi Tim!! If you found my email about missing most of this on Friday, ignore it. I found the edited replay on my tablet and am watching it now. I caught almost 10 minutes of the Friday feed, then the phone rang, and that call went on for THREE HOURS! So I missed about 90% of YOU! Rats! And that G-C progression sounds like Steely Dan’s Bhodisatva in the inversions you played it! And just before 32:00 in (on the original 1-hour version of this), the four notes you’re playing are the old KRLA jingle, when the big L.A. Radio War was between KRLA and KFWB, before the mighty 93/KHJ showed up in August of ‘65 and stramrollered EVERYONE in the LA Market! About the guitar: it wasn’t a mystery to me as soon as I saw the headstock! Thanks, Tim for making sure this one was up here today!

When saying that Aeolian and Ionian are the same…the same can be said for all the other modes; you just have to revolve around their corresponding roots, in relation to the Major scales.

Love these vids. To see the chords/tones as you play that fast is great but I am wondering what level the masterclass is at. As Tim narrated I understood what he was saying but I don't know all the shapes and scales he was playing - I need to learn them (I know some). Does the class teach that? The reason I ask is it seems it might be over my head because this video was.

@maxmilligan8734

2 жыл бұрын

In the UK graded guitar exams this is grade 5 ( there are 8 ) try learning the CADGED system chord shapes then in each shape learn the C major scale shape in each chord shape. Know your major scale shapes then you will find the modes a little easier. Any problems message me. Good luck. ::)

@pergolafish

2 жыл бұрын

@@maxmilligan8734 Are the graded exams part of Pierce’s course? I’m also a little confused as to what you mean by caged shapes? I know the caged theory. Do you mean the 5 shapes of the pentatonic? Wouldn’t knowing the major scale give me only the Ionian mode? Thanks.

@maxmilligan8734

2 жыл бұрын

@@pergolafish Hi, no here in the UK we have graded exams through the London College of Music and learning the major scale in 5 positions inside the the C A G E D chord shapes is at Grade 5 level ( in schools that's A level Music ) So if you can play the major pentatonic in the shapes of the CAGED that's great as you only need to add the remaining scale notes to get the full major scale. So say you play the A shape bar chord of C at the 3rd fret and you know C major pentatonic in that position you are playing C D E G A in your pentatonic scale. Just add the missing notes F and B and you'll get the full major scale. You won't be "just" learning the Ionian mode as all the other modes live in that scale shape. From C to C is as you say C Ionian, D to D gives you the D dorian mode, F to F gives you F lydian, G to G, G mixolydian etc. The confusion i find with all students is where to use them. You need to study the harmonised major scale for that. Know what chords live in a key. In C major you have C Dm Em F G Am Bdim , I II III IV V Vi VII chords in the key. So for instance take "Uptown Funk", it's basically Dm to G ( Dm7 G7 ) although people would say it's in D minor that's ok but in theory it's the II to V in C ( Dm to G ). If I jam with D minor scale ( relative of F major ) D E F G A Bb C D I will get some notes that sound poo poo but if I recognised Dm and G is a II V in C I can jam in C major but as my key chord at the start is D ( Dm) think of C major scale starting on D ( D Dorian ) It's a great choice for a static minor chord (Dorian ). Check out a tune like "So What" Miles Davis jam along to a version by say "Candy Dulfer" nice and funky not too heavy into jazz. Goes from Dm7 ( one chord groove) to up a semi tone Ebm7 , when it goes to Ebm7 just take your ( D Dorian ) scale shape up a fret and hear the mode working over an Ebm7. Then listen to Larry Carlton burn over those 2 chords Live at The Baked Potato in LA to hear what's possible (or impossible :D) Sorry for the long answer. Keep studying . Max

@pergolafish

2 жыл бұрын

@@maxmilligan8734 Thanks! I get most of that and what I do get makes sense. I am almost at the point to get it all. Basically, since each mode is an octave sequence starting at a different white key on a keyboard, knowing the major scale in a given position and starting it on different notes allows you to jam in any key from that position (?).

@maxmilligan8734

2 жыл бұрын

@@pergolafish Thanks. :) A 12 bar blues is great to practice your modes. If you chose a blues in G the first chord say could be G7 or G9. You can play the G blues scale over the whole thing but you can create more options using modes. If you play G major scale over a G7 it will sound a bit off but if you know that G7 is the V (5) chord in C major you can play the C major scale but start on G and you will hear G mixolydian G,A,B,C,D,E,F,G the mode for dominant chords. However when the sequence changes to C7 you change to C mixolydian and for D7 play D mixolydian.

I think where alot of people get confused on the modes and how to apply it in a practical sense, is that the underlying progression needs to have that tonal center for that mode. The song progression is going to tell you what mode applies.

Modes,no more mystery video.Frank Gambale!Best explaination!

@timpierceguitar

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks I'll check it out!

MY GOD !! Tim , I think you are a genius ,

Oh snap!, Tim. I love you

Polychords while playing in modes oh no, ekk, this is getting complicated. I especially liked the 3 & 4 note chord progressions & have the modes basics but videos like this are a big help, thanks Tim, & Polychords are another story.

I used to live a block over from Laurel Canyon- your background outdoor shots look very familiar.

Thanks for showing the right hand.

If Ionian=Aeolian, because I and vi are relatives, you could say V=iii (mixolydian=phrygian) and ii=IV (dorian=lydian). That's 6 modes crammed into 3. If you want to get crazy: locrian, when thought of as based on a diminished triad, is usually masked into a V7 chord. So iii=V=vii° (i.e. shifted by thirds, the basic interval of chords). So you could substitute locrian with mixolydian.

Sooo smooth

Lol' I going to start name him: Juicy Tim. Nice and smooth. Love it!

This video would be worth it if all it contained was the amazing playing from you in the jam at the beginning. Your playing is so tasty that you always blow me away every time. And tour tone is also second to none.

Is this backing track available somewhere? :) I'd really like to dive into these three modes right here, right now, using this video and this backing track. I feel now's the perfect window for that. Thank you! Subbing, liking, commenting and all that

@Vestu

2 жыл бұрын

Ah got it, it's in the masterclass. Definitely getting it.

I use Lydian (IV) quick frequently when writing solos

I do like that pretty gold single-cut.

You are so good. Wow.

Most people are familiar with the Major (Ionian) and the Minor (Aeolian) scales. I like to think of Mixolydian as the Major scale with a flat 7 and Dorian as the Minor scale with a sharp 6.

@DougMen1

2 жыл бұрын

That's exactly how I look at them too, because that's how they sound. If I think of them in their actual key it confuses me because that's not how they sound. He alludes to that when he says that G mixolydian is just really G blues. I look at things basically three ways, pure minor with no major 3, 6, or 7 notes, pure major, with no minor 3, 6, or 7, and dominant/blues, where everything works except the minor 6, and you can use the minor and major 3, and the minor and major 7, with the major 7 over the 5 chord only, because it's the 3 of the 5 chord. But, you can't use the minor 6 in blues, unless it's a minor blues, where it's the 3 of the 4 chord. Like he says when talking about blues, you can use major and minor pentatonic of the root in a major blues over all the chords, and you can also use the major pentatonic of the 4 chord over that chord, and the major and minor pentatonic of the 5 chord over that chord. Because I have limited chops, I play over the chords a lot to give me more melodic possibilities, and you can use a major pentatonic of the chord over any major chord, and a minor pentatonic of a minor chord over that chord, which is basically what Tim is doing here, just changing scales with the chords and playing over the chords.

Jerry Garcia: mixolydian is the one mode you need to know.

Modes are still a mystery... working on it thou. Something is just not clicking yet.

@bluegroove536

2 жыл бұрын

Yep... I feel the same way. I need the "for Dummies" version of this class.

@GnomeChomsky9999

2 жыл бұрын

@@bluegroove536 first just learn six of the seven. Three are major and three are minor. Can't use a pentatonic over the seventh mode.

How fortunate we are to have Tim Pierce in the world.

Sounds like 80’s Christoper Cross.. But really, Thanks for opening that up. I’ve played this stuff for years but never knew the correct names!

This is interesting. In Latin, we studied architecture, and if you look at anything, for example columns of a structure, we categorize them as doric, ionic or corinthian. I am fascinating that you are talking about modes with similar Latin root words. Is it simply counting? Or is there another etymology?

Good morning Tim, do you offer a beginner class? Or is it only the master class?

I look at things a bit differently, because that G to F progression, for instance, doesn't sound in the key of C to me, so if I think of it like that I get confused. Instead, to me it just sounds like the key of G with a minor 7, so that's how I think of it. As for Dorian, it's the same to me. I don't think of A Dorian as being in the key of G, but as A minor with a major 6. Dorian is just a minor scale with a major 6, Mixolydian is just a major scale with a minor 7, and the Ionian is just the regular diatonic major scale, and aeolian is just a regular minor scale.

@deesee2008

2 жыл бұрын

The key signature is there for a reason too. You can’t see the mode from that.

Tim- On another topic, watching Beth Hart perform Black Dog (you are standing behind her, looking very happy) , all without any actual audio, is just excellent. Please do a video and tell us the whole, unvarnished story.

Perfect

Hey Tim, when you play through different pentatonic scales up and down the neck aka caged and such, are we not also playing through these modes wether we know it or not? Thanks for thoughts and all you do! I ask because pentatonic shapes seem to be how I locate up and down the neck and also get in the right key…just play until it sounds good and then I know where I am…

I think guitarists have so much trouble with modes because of the layout of the guitar. The thing that makes the guitar such a tonal powerhouse also makes some of the basic theory less obvious. I would suggest to all guitarists that have access to a keyboard to dissect C major scale modes on a keyboard, and it will click in no time, imo. Probably all scales and modes would make more sense if dissected on a piano/keyboard first.

Genius!

Modes are confusing and fascinating. Because there are different ways of looking at them and what they are, conceptually. Mixolydian makes sense to me when I'm soloing over a chord sequence which includes a flat seven interval, eg where you have an F in the key of G major. But you could also look at it as the key of C...but I wouldn't see it that way for some reason. Music theory is incredibly complex, does your head in.

Actually all the modes are Ionian shifted a bit. If you solo over D C and G you can play D Mixolydian or G Ionian but landing on a D.

As you mention the Ionian and the Aeolian can be related. So, for example, C Ionian becomes A Aeolian if the root note is transferred to A. In a similar manner, the Lydian and the Dorian can be related. So, for example, C Lydian becomes A Dorian if the root not is transferred to A.

@BigEdWo

2 жыл бұрын

that's funny. mixolydian and lydian can be related too. G mixolydian becomes F lydian if the root is transferred to F.

Much respect...

Hey Tim, I notice you play with a strap on the guitar while sitting .Do you find it more conducive to playing when you are standing. I hear from most who play that playing sitting down without a strap creates problem with positioning of your hands and the guitar when standing. Not sure if this makes sense but do most of my recording sitting and was wondering if wearing a strap would be better. Thanks

I’ve been playing for over 30 years basically just use Dorian and sometimes mixolydian.

Love the tone what prs model is that one

I have the same trepidations of purchasing your beginner class that i had when I was an EE student in College ... The most celebrated teacher was often the worst teacher for newcomers because their knowledge was so far above a neophyte level that it wasn't in their vocabulary. Many of the concepts they perceived as stupidly simple were actually complex to a newbie (who hadn't been exposed this before - or parts of this).

@timpierceguitar

Жыл бұрын

That's why I offer a 14 day free trial... but honestly doesn't matter if you join or not... we have 4000 members and they knew after 14 days exactly what they were purchasing... I actually love it when people opt out... it means I've protected them

At 1:38 after Tim says "There kinda the same" the audio and video go out of sync? I tried on both Google and Firefox. And fast forward and rest set? Any other suggestions?

if you say aolian and ionian are the same you can say that dorian and mixolidian are also the same as them by that definition, they all come from the same pattern but just using a different note in the pattern as the root note.

I know all this, but I just wanted to say that you're a really tasteful guitar player. I can see why you do a lot of sessions. You seem like a really nice guy too. And you always look like you're having fun. That last bit I'm not good at. 🤔

I'm not intimidated by the modes as I learned them from Satch and John Scofield back in the 80s. What puzzles me is how guys like Santana, Page and Dave Gilmour figurred them out back in the sixties where the only guitar tutor you could buy in your local music store was Burt Weedon's Play-in-a-Day!

@urbangorilla33

Жыл бұрын

They probably heard it being done in music they listened to especially as they listened to blues, jazz, latin (esp. Santana of course).

At about 15:55 or there about I thought I heard something sounding an awful lot like some double stops ala “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” riffs Am I right/wrong? Also just a general question as to what happens when you’re in a recording gig or jam session with other guitarists of your caliber? Does it ever get competitive?

Hi Tim! I'm a member of the Master Class. How do I find this backing track?