The earliest acknowledgment of the scales and modes were said to have been formed and given credit to the ancient Greeks and their tribes, naming the scales and modes after their most important tribes, for example, the Ionian tribe, or the Phrygian tribe. It was also rumored that many churches during the early middle ages had also used these scales. They have since been changed over the course of time, to what we as bass guitarist and musicians know today as the 7 modes of the major scale.

                    Diatonic Scales

A diatonic scale may be defined as dia=8, tonic =note. In thus , meaning that the diatonic scale, is an 8 note scale. There are 7 different notes, and the 8th note being the octave.

Here are the 7 modes in correct order, in the key of A Diatonic Major. You will see how each mode goes from the tonic note to its octave. In other words, Ionian goes from the tonic note A to the octave A. Dorian is played from the tonic note B to B octave and so on. Each mode has a different use and a different sound.

A Ionian                       B Dorian
G :-----------------------------------------------4------
D :----------------4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------
A :-------4--5--7---------------4--5--7------------------
E :-5--7---------------------7---------------------------
    A  B C#  D  E  F# G# A   B  C# D  E  F# G# A  B


  C# Phrygian                 D Lydian

G :-------------------4--6------------------4--6--7------
D :----------4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------------
A :-4--5--7------------------5--7------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
    C# D  E  F# G# A  B C#   D  E  F# G# A  B  C# D


  E Mixolydian               F# Aeolian

G :-------------4--6--7--9------------4--6--7--9--11-----
D :----4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------------------
A :-7----------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
    E  F# G# A  B C#  D  E   F# G# A  B  C# D  E  F#


G# Locrian                     A Octave

G :-------4--6--7--9--11--13------4--6--7--9--11--13-14-
D :-6--7-----------------------7-------------------------
A :------------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
    G# A  B  C# D  E  F#  G#   A  B  C# D  E   F#  G#  A


                 Playing Modes In Boxes

Don't confuse this with the modes taught above. These modes are ALL in the key of A. The modes taught above began in the key of A Diatonic Major. First was A Ionian, B Dorian,C# Phrygian, and so on. Show here is A Ionian, A Dorian, A Phrygian etc... All of these scales are widely used for all forms of music.

  A Ionian                   A Dorian

G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------4--6--7---------------------5--7-----
A :-------4--5--7---------------------5--7--9------------
E :-5--7---------------------5--7--8---------------------
    A  B C# D  E  F# G# A    A  B  C  D  E  F# G  A

   A Phrygian                A Lydian

G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7------------------4--6--7------
A :----------5--7--8---------------4--6--7---------------
E :-5--6--8------------------5--7------------------------
    A  A# C  D  E  F  G  A   A  B  C# D# E  F# G# A


A Mixolydian                 A Aeolian

G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------4--5--7---------------------5--7------
A :-------4--5--7---------------------5--7--8------------
E :-5--7---------------------5--7--8---------------------
    A  B  C# D  E  F# G  A   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  A



A Locrian                     A Super Locrian
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7----------------------5--7-----
A :----------5--6--8-------------------4--6--8-----------
E :-5--6--8-------------------5--6--8--------------------
    A  A# C  D  D# F  G  A    A  A# C  C# D# F  G  A


A Phrygian Dominant          A Lydian Dominant


G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7------------------4--5--7------
A :----------5--7--8---------------4--6--7---------------
E :-5--6--9------------------5--7------------------------
    A  A# C# D  E  F  G  A   A  B  C# D# E  F# G  A

A Harmonic Minor

G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------6--7-------------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  E  F  G# A

                   Synthetic Scales

These are known as scales that are not considered to be from the Diatonic Major Scale family. These scales are commonly used by such great bassist as Stu Hamm, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, and many more. These scales are known for their dissonant "odd" sound. The half tone and whole tone scales are only common among extremely odd playing situations. You may hear a lot of these on soundtracks to horror movies, or studio outtakes for scary movies, as well as your favorite songs by your favorite artist or group.

                      A diminished

G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------4--6--7----------------------------
A :----------5--6--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
    A  B  C  D  D# F  F# G# A

                       Half Tone

e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------4--5--7----------------------------
A :----------4--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--8----------------------------------------------
    A  A# C  C# D# E  F# G  A

                      Whole Tone

e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------4--6--8----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
    A  B  C# D# F  G  A

                    Pentatonic Scales

Although these scales are not from the Diatonic scale family, there is a major and minor pentatonic scale. Pent=5, Tonic=note So basically this is a 5 note scale. These are among the most common for rock/metal/country/southern rock bass guitar riffs.


G :----------------2-------------------------------------
D :----------2--4-----------------------5--7-------------
A :----2--4-----------------------5--7-------------------
E :-5-----------------------5--8-------------------------
    A  B  C# E  F# A        A  C  D  E  G  A

                Other Dissonant Scales

These scales will provide a far eastern dissonant sound.

Enigmatic Scale              Hungarian Minor
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------6--7----------------------6--7-----
A :----------6--8--9-------------------6--7--8-----------
E :-5--6--9-------------------5--7--8--------------------
    A  A# C# D# F  F# G# A    A  B  C D# E  F G#  A

                 The Actual Blues Scale

Many guitarist are under the impression that they have learned the blues scale after they have learned the pentatonic minor scale. This is the actual blues scale which contains a flatted fifth from the diatonic major.

   A Blues Scale
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------5--6--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
    A  C  D  D# E  G  A

                    Mixo Blues Scale

This scale can be used in a variety of ways. It often sounds best adding techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs to the added major 3rd note, C#.

   A Mixo Blues
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--5--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
    A  C  C# D  D# E  G  A