Play these notes starting on C and you're playing the C major scale (also known as the Ionian mode – the 'first' mode). Start on D and you're playing the second mode (D Dorian, as it happens). By the ...

The subject of modes crops up time and again among guitarists wishing to inject new flavours into their solos. The main challenge is learning a bunch of new scale shapes. However, this can be made ...

Built on the 2nd degree of the major scale and with a trademark bittersweet sound, the Dorian mode is a favourite amongst jazz and blues players. And, though you can certainly use it in any genre, the ...