CLICK HERE for Steel modal navigation / substitution lesson text.

CLICK HERE for 6th Tuning mode charts (C6 example chart).

Mode Structure in Each Key
Quick Reference Chart

The "mother" Ionian / Maj7  scale notes from which each mode is derived is shown horizontally.

The Key / Root Note for each mode in each key is listed in the verticle column under each mode.

EXAMPLE: The root note for D Dorian / Dmin7 is of course D, while D Dorian / Dmin7 scale notes are the same as CMaj7.
Similarly, the "C" root note of C7  /  C Mixolydian shows us that C7  /  C Mixolydian has the same notes as FMaj7  /  F Ionian.

    The chart also shows us that to play what might otherwise be an unfamiliar scale, all we need to do is know what easier Maj7 scale substitutes for the difficult one.  For instance, if we want to play harmonic diminished (half dim / Locrian) notes, then all we have to do is move the root up one fret and play Maj7 scale or chord (example: Bhalf dim  /  B Locrian = C Maj7  /  C Ionian).  Similarly, if we're playing Dmin7 blues and want to play a harmonic Ddim, then all we have to do is move our Dmin7 blues fretboard pattern up 3 frets to F root to make our pattern D half dim (Fmin7  /  F Dorian  =  Dhalf dim  /  D Locrian)!  Interesting and quite effective is that in such transpositions, the root-relative tone center being transposed might become a different tone center to the new scale's / chord's root;  Which at first the brain is reluctant to accept because it expects to hear the tone center it's familiar with using that lick, ...but the brain will accept the new tone center and technique (usually with intrigue) once it understands what is happening.  This gives us the ability to play some new and advanced sounding stuff simply by knowing where to transpose favorite licks in one mode root to a correct but different substitution mode & root.
8-9-05
CLICK HERE for Steel modal navigation / substitution lesson text.

CLICK HERE for 6th Tuning mode charts (C6 example chart).

Find Keys for each mode vertically and read each mode's Scale Notes horizontally from it's Key Root Note:
This keyboard panel is provided simply for convenient step-sequence reference if needed.