A Book Of Five Strings - online tutorial

Strategies for mastering the art of old time banjo.

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	The other modes are just ways to create a different series of notes in a scale. We've already been working in the Mixolydian mode because that's the mode "Old Joe Clark" is written in. If you play around with the whole and half steps listed above for the Major and Mixolydian modes you will see what I mean. In Major mode for the key of G the seventh note is an F#. In Mixolydian mode the seventh note is an F natural. You will be using modes all the time without realizing it and that's actually a good thing because you wind up with fewer details to remember. At the same time it's a good idea to get used to the sound of the different mode patterns even if it's only to develop your expertise with the fretboard. Chording The Scale Another exercise you can experiment with is playing a scale up and down the neck by strumming each chord associated with the notes of a major scale. Example One
	In this example we are playing a G scale starting with the open G chord and moving up the fretboard as we strum along the G major scale. Example Two
	In this example we are strumming along a C major scale. Example Three
	In this example we are strumming along a D major scale. Compare this pattern of chord forms with example two and you will find that this is the same pattern starting at a different fret. Can you see where I'm going with this? That's right. Even this exercise follows a specific pattern for each chord form. If you work up the F major scale chords on your own you will be able to play virtually any scale along the fretboard.