I'm not sure if everyone does, but I have several modes I tend to turn to when soloing/song writing/improv.

When I'm using a major triad base, I tend to favour Lydian and the simple major scale.

For minor, I like Dorian, and harmonic minor :giggly:

In fact, I only ever use Harmonic Minor, and I only use the same 4 licks EVER.

Yes, I AM YNGWIE

WOHOHOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHA

:no:

Seriously though, what do people use? What do you like about the sound? Does it affect you in a certain way? Are you a swedish shredder?

Pentatonics are all I need

I might hit another note by accident to form some other scale who knows.

Guitar Muscle

I tend to use pentatonic and pentanonic minor, seeing as I play mostly blues based stuff.
I occasionally stray into the Dorian mode and some non-descript jazz scales every now and then. Any other scale or mode I play is more luck than judgement.
Hell, that's my style, more luck than judgement

Harmonic Minor is OHHHH sooooo cool.......
I developed an intervalic style to my playing where I use a seires of half steps in my modal playing...I really developed an errie quality to many of my licks.....

I like all 12 notes

I have a problem with A#.

Stupid A#

Yeah Bb sucks too

I notice I can burn through most of the seven modes in all positions with the exception of one or two stinking patterens .....the Dorian in its fith position slows me up...same with Phrygian in its fourth....same pattern, same problem...I dont know why...I think it's a mental thing....

[Edited on 5/17/2004 by ricoboc]

[Edited on 5/17/2004 by ricoboc]

What modes do those melodic metal ppl use that sounds eerie and gloomy and very depressing?....

Well the minor modes are the obvious place to start.

The Aeolian and Phrygian are constructed from the major scale, and dont pose too many problems, and they work over common chords (not that metal has many chords )

If you want to capture that majestical melodic 80's sound try the Harmonic minor and double harmonic (see my neoclassical lesson, check out the file archives)

If you want to create something mystical and eastern sounding perhaps the Phrygian Dominant (also called phrygrian major)

Most, if not all of the modes mentioned are used by bands like Iron Maiden, Dream Theatre, Randy Rhoads, Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Tony Macapline, Megadeath, Metallica, Rainbow, Dio, Jason becker, Paul Gilbert and Racer X

The list goes on...

I play alot of Blues and I'm finding that I really like playing in E. I'm liking the Blues Scale in E as well as minor pentatonics in E.

I mostly use the major pentatonic , major, minor pentatonic, blues, natural minor, but sometimes a stray from my usual and use a Hungarian minor, melodic minor or one of the modes.