How And Where To Use The Modes On Bass

If you’ve checked out the previous lesson all about how to play the modes on bass, you would have learned how the modes work and that they’re all related. But what now? You might be wondering,

“If the modes are all the same set of notes, why bother with them at all? Won’t everything just sound the same?“

Well yes AND no. Yes – it is the same set of notes, but no – they don’t all sound the same.

You see each of the modes have a distinct sound – even though they all use the same notes. This seems counter-intuitive, right? You would think the same notes should produce the same sound, even though they’re in a different order. However, the way the modes are structured makes each of them sound very different.

Some of the modes sound very ‘bright‘ like the Lydian mode and other sound very ‘dark‘, like Locrian. Each of the modes also corresponds to a chord – and this is where the modes shine!

Check out the lesson to see the relationship between chords and the modes and learn exactly where and how you can use the modes to create music.

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This is fantastic, right? There are 7 notes in a major scale, 7 chords that you can make from the scale and 7 modes. As a result, everything lines up perfectly. If you know the key you’re in and the chords of the song, then you’ll never play a ‘wrong‘ note again.

All you have to do is play the appropriate mode for the chord and the mode will take care of the rest. This is great if you’re improvising or making fills, but it’s also handy if you’re making your own bass lines.

I highly recommend you try out the exercise from the lesson – it’ll have you playing all of your modes right away. If you sign up for The Ultimate Guide To The Modes For Bass, you’ll get the practice tracks from the lesson in every key as well as the charts for the modes. You also get the notation and tabs for each of them as well. I’ve got you covered no matter which one you prefer.

You’ll also learn how to ‘translate‘ a set of chords into a modal roadmap so you’ll always know exactly what to play. This can be an absolute blast when you get the hang of it so go for it! If you have any questions about anything in the lesson or the Ultimate Guide, just email me or leave a comment below.

Good luck with the lesson and happy playing!

Cheers,