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One Pattern To Rule Them All
Written by Bryan Helmig   
Monday, 14 April 2008
 

A quick rundown of an easy way to view major scales, minor scales, and modes.

Pop-up instructional video to the left.

I've covered this briefly in Understanding and Choosing Modes, but I thought I should go ahead and show everyone one specifically how major scales, minor scales and modes work.

Today I am going to show you how learning only one pattern that covers 12 frets can instantly give you the ability to play ANY major scale, natural minor scale and each of the seven modes in ANY key! This is the one pattern method.

If it sounds to good to be true, it kind of is. This isn't the "proper" way to understand modes and such, but it does work. Let's get started.

Different names for the same thing:

Major or Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aoelian or Minor, and Locrian

Now that I've said it, you should know its only half-true. Here's why: One pattern (the major scale pattern), contains ALL of the above modes.

Is that confusing? If so, its okay. Just understand that the major scale pattern contains all of the above modes. So now lets learn the pattern that is so darn helpful.

One Pattern To Rule Them All

Here is the pattern, its twelve frets long and simply repeats as you go up further. Thats it, I'll explain it more in a second.

guitar neck scale pattern

Alright, now that you see the pattern, all you have to do is play it. Let's get around to seeing the pattern in terms of modes.


Just paying the bills:

Major Scale or Ionian Mode

This is your standard scale, best served over a Major 7th chord. There is no difference between Major and Ionian. The root, or starting note, is labeled as "1".

major or ionian guitar neck scale pattern

Let's say you want a G major scale, simply start on G as the 1 in this pattern. Easy!

Dorian Mode

This scale is great for Minor 7th chords. Again, the root, or starting note, is labeled as "1".

dorian minor 7th guitar neck scale pattern

Ah ha! I think you see the pattern! It's the same as before but the root starts on a different note of the pattern! Let's do some more...

Phrygian Mode

Useful for its flat ninth and sixth, Phrygian sounds best over minor chords with a b9 or #5. Again, the root, or starting note, is labeled as "1".

phrygian flat ninth 9th guitar neck scale pattern

More of the same eh? Well, why stop now? Moving on.

Lydian Mode

This mode is useful for playing over Major 7th chords, the sharp 4th lends more airiness to the sound. As always, the root, or starting note, is labeled as "1".

lydian major 7th guitar neck scale pattern

Mixolydian Mode

Popular over dominant seventh chords, Mixolydian has a flat seventh that makes it great for blues and jazz. Root is still labeled as "1".

mixolydian seventh dominant 7th blues guitar neck scale pattern

Minor Scale or Aeolian Mode

The minor scale works fine over minor chords with and without a sharp fifth. Root still labeled as "1".

minor natural aeolian guitar neck scale pattern

Locrian Mode

An extremely diminished mode that is best on top of flat fifths and so forth, the locrian mode sounds foreign to most players. 

locrian guitar neck scale pattern

Now there you go. Modes are not complicated at all. One pattern contains all seven, pretty easy huh? 

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Users' Comments (11)
Posted by Martin Veldsman, on 30-04-2008 10:04,

1. great job

dude i am busy learning this stuff in my guitar lessons, you can cover the modes to play any scal in pretty much any place on the fretboard. good job explaining it!
 
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Posted by gaga, on 06-07-2008 04:33,

2. patterns

hej! 
I am little bit confused with this pattern look. 
Where should I start to play , and on which frets , there are to many on this picture so I do not know whre to start and play the scale and how it is related to each other ????
 
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Posted by michael scalzi, on 19-07-2008 15:41,

3. please help Part one

hey i want to thank you for all your very helpful videos. i am a self taught guitar player and the modes right off the bat interested me because of the different feels you could creat by simply starting and ending on different notes within the major scale. but what i dont understand is that you say there is a . . idk . . "raised whatever". how can there be a raised note if you only playing notes of the scales. And lets say you make up a really cool lick for your band but you dont know what to give your rhythm guitarist to play. how can you find the chords from the scale?? please email me with
 
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Posted by mike, on 04-08-2008 05:38,

4. lost

i thought i was following you untill i saw the fretboards,i don't follow at all.
 
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Posted by DRB, on 26-08-2008 04:54,

5. TAB?

It may be easier with a tab of the scale up the neck rather than the picture of the fret board, as it's not 100% obvious which way is up and down... 
 
Keep up the good work! 
 
DRB.
 
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