Over the following lessons, Nick and Bobby break down the theory and applications of the Modal System step by step, giving you plenty of demo solos to inspire you, encouraging you to play along with the 7 backing tracks and come up with your own ideas. Later, Bobby and Nick show you how to incorporate pentatonic scales into your modal playing, giving you even more possibilities when soloing.

Bobby kicks things off by giving us a basic understanding of how the modal system works.

Next, we look at the Ionian mode. We’re going to learn two commonly used positions of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using these shapes.

Our second mode is the Dorian mode. We’re going to learn two commonly used positions of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using these shapes.

Our third mode is the Phrygian mode. We’re going to learn two commonly used positions of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using these shapes.

Our fourth mode is the Lydian mode. We’re going to learn a commonly used position of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using this shape.

Our fifth mode is the Mixolydian mode. We’re going to learn a commonly used position of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using this shape.

Our sixth mode is the Aeolian mode. We’re going to learn a commonly used position of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using this shape.

Our seventh and final mode is the Locrian mode. However, we’ve only just scratched the surface with this series of lessons. We’re going to learn a commonly used position of this scale. Try soloing over the backing track using this shape.

Another common approach to learning and memorising the modes is to treat each mode as either a major or a minor scale with certain degrees raised or flattened by a semitone. In the previous 8 lessons, we treated each mode as a major scale starting on a different point. Using the formula in this video, the end result is the same as the previous approach, but the theory is different. It’s well worth learning both methods for a deeper understanding of the modal system.

Now it’s time to learn the major scale all over the neck. This will enable you to navigate the fingerboard more fluently when soloing, effectively viewing the entire fretboard as one big scale.

Next, we revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The first mode we’re going to revisit is the Ionian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The second mode we’re going to revisit is the Dorian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The third mode we’re going to revisit is the Phrygian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The fourth mode we’re going to revisit is the Lydian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The fifth mode we’re going to revisit is the Mixolydian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The sixth mode we’re going to revisit is the Aeolian mode.

We revisit the seven modes, but this time we’re incorporating major and minor pentatonic scales for more musical results. This will enable you to solo using some of the blues or rock pentatonic licks that you already know. For example: C Major Pentatonic contains five of the seven notes from the C major scale, so it makes sense that you can use pentatonic licks in modal playing. We break down each mode once more and show you the most common pentatonic scales you can use with each mode. The seventh and final mode we’re going to revisit is the Locrian mode.

In this summary, we look at how much milage we can get from what we’ve covered so far, but we also discuss tips on using different parent scales, soloing over modal chord progressions, modal songwriting and using modes to compose riffs.

Next, we dip our toes into pentatonic substitution. In addition to using the diatonic and pentatonic ideas that we’ve covered so far, it’s also possible to imply modes by using other pentatonic scales, adding yet more flavour to our solos.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Ionian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Dorian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Phrygian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Lydian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Mixolydian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at the additional pentatonic scales we can use with the Aeolian mode – adding more colour to our lead playing.

Continuing with our short study of pentatonic substitution, we look at an additional pentatonic scale we can use with the Locrian mode, by flattening the 5th degree of the minor pentatonic.

This concludes our study of the modal system. We hope you've learned some valuable theory and had fun. Continue to practice over the backing tracks in order to internalise the scale shapes and train your ears to identify the tonality of each mode.