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Posts for dorian mode

Deadly Dorian – Modal Sweep Picking Ideas in the key of E Dorian

Sweep Picking - CJ

In this lesson we’re going to look at a creative way to approach sweep picking using the dorian mode as our road map. We’ll also take these ideas to make a blazing sequence across all six strings.

Conventionally a lot of players will tell you that sweep picking is essentially taking chords and playing them in a single note, or arpeggiated fashion. While this is true we can break out of the norm by using our mode shapes to create new and exciting possibilities for advanced sweep picking ideas.

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Major Scale Modes – 3 Notes Per String Shapes

Scales & Modes - CJ

Okay kids, this is where it all starts! The major scale modes! You’ve probably seen around the internet, in books and many other resources that there is other ways to play these scales. In fact, any scale. We would highly suggest to avoid playing your scales in a non 3nps (or 4nps) way.

3nps scales make things very easy and give you the most mileage of notes. ‘Cowboy’ shapes can be very confusing because of the varying number of notes per string. The 3nps shapes make it nice and easy to string things together and quickly navigate the fretboard.

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Major Scale Modes – Dorian

Modal Theory - Joe

Dorian is the second mode of the major scale so we get it by starting from the second note instead of the first. In the Key of C major the Dorian mode would be D Dorian, the notes would be D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D. The same notes as C major but starting from D instead of C.

The Dorian mode is normally used over a m7 chord, this is because the II chord in a major key is a m7. See our post on building chords from the major scale for more information. So if we have a chord progression which contains a II chord we can use the Dorian mode to solo or write a melody over it. We can also write chord progressions which resolve to Dorians I chord. For example dm7.

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