What are Modes? | The Songwriters Guide

So, you’ve just learned a new scale, or maybe you already know quite a few.
Well it turns out you actually know 7 times as many scales as you thought you did.
How? Modes.
I've been wanting to do a video explaining how I approach modes for a long time, hopefully you find this simple way of thinking about them as helpful as I do.

Correction: The top two strings of the Dorian diagram are drawn a fret lower than they should be.

Contents:

0:00 Intro
0:15 Part 1: What is a Mode?
0:54 Part 2: What are the Modes?
1.12 2a: Ionian (Major)
1.36 2b: Dorian
2.16 2c: Phrygian
3.08 2d: Lydian
3.37 2e: Mixolydian
4.17 2f: Aeolian (Minor)
4.31 2g: Locrian
5:10 Part 3: Ways to use Modes
5.53 3a: Tonal Centre
6.03 3b: Modal Interchange
6.24 3c: Shifting Centre
6:39 Part 4: Writing in a Mode
7:49 Part 5: The finished piece

[singingworx]

Thanks so much. This is great.  
I remember the names of the modes and the order as follows:
I don't punch like Mohammed A-li

I (Ionian)
Don't (Dorian)
Punch (Phrygian)
Like (Lydian)
Mohammed (Mixolydian)
A- (Aeolian)
li (Lochrian)

[rcimerman]

your guitar Dorian scale is drawn wrong. 2 top strings one freight higher. cheers