Modal Soloing Strategies for Guitar: Guitar Book & CD

This book treats modes as a living, usable vocabulary rather than a theory exercise. The progression from sample licks through extended solos, paired with 12-key applications and play-along tracks, means students hear and internalize modal sounds in real time instead of memorizing patterns on paper.

Methodical and grounded. The book walks you through modes as functional tools within chord changes, not abstract theoretical constructs. The combination of written examples, play-along context, and multiple key applications creates clarity where modal soloing often feels vague.

Guitarists who have solid major scale facility and want to move beyond scale shapes into actual soloing application. This works for intermediate players in jazz, fusion, and rock contexts who need to build modal fluency without years of transcription work.

• Start with the play-along tracks for a single mode before moving through all 12 keys. Lock into the harmonic context first; the fingering variations will follow more naturally.
• When learning the modal formulas and their diatonic relationships, play the parent major scale and the derived mode back-to-back on the same chord to hear the tension points that define each mode.
• Use the sample licks as building blocks for your own phrases rather than memorizing them as set pieces. Isolate intervals and rhythmic motifs that resonate with your ear.
• Work through the extended solos slowly, focusing on phrasing and targeting chord tones before attempting tempo. Understanding *why* a note works in context matters more than speed.

Assign this as core material for jazz ensemble soloists or advanced private students in the fall and winter. The 12-key work pairs naturally with repertoire in non-diatonic keys, and the play-along tracks let students develop soloing confidence independently between lessons.

• Playing all seven modes in all 12 keys
• Targeting chord tones within modal contexts
• Understanding the interval formula for each mode and its parent scale relationship
• Phrasing and articulation choices that highlight modal flavor
• Harmonizing modal lines over diatonic chord progressions
• Recognizing and applying altered scales derived from mode families