Understanding & Mastering Modes for the Cuatro Puertorriqueño
Expand your musical scales vocabulary by adding modes to your improvisations
The concept of modes can be a bit daunting for many beginners. The truth is that you’re already playing modes without realizing it. If you know how to play a major scale, you’re playing an Ionian scale. The first of seven modes we’ll be discussing on this course. We'll also discuss how to incorporate these into your jam sessions.
At the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify and play 7 modes on the instrument
- Execute modes in different position of the fretboard using three-notes-per-strings
- Create simple modal melodies and play-along to chord progressions
- Identify modal characteristics and tonal colors
This course is for anyone looking to learn the modes in an easy-to-understand manner--without all the technical jargon.
Your Instructor
Samuel Ramos is an experienced educator, instructional designer, and musician. He graduated from Antillean Adventist University with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Full Sail University with a Master's Degree in Educational Media Design and Technology, giving him the knowledge to excel in both academics and music.
Not only has Samuel served as a music teacher and assistant professor of guitar at the Inter-American University of San German, Puerto Rico, but he has also had the opportunity to become a multimedia designer for the Walt Disney Company, a digital learning designer for the University of St. Augustine at the San Marcos, California campus, and a senior instructional technologist for the University of San Diego. His skills have also extended to LMS Administrator/Instructional Designer for Taylor Guitars in San Diego, California. He has written several instructional books on playing various instruments, including the Puerto Rican cuatro, guitar, and mandolin.
When he is not busy teaching or creating content, Samuel dedicates his time to 4jibaro.com - a website that serves as an online community to promote awareness of Puerto Rican folk music and heritage. Through his work here, Samuel seeks to bring hope and joy to people through music by changing the world - one note at a time!
Course Curriculum
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StartIntroduction: How to Get Your Head Around Modes
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StartWhat are Modal Scales?
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StartModes: The Parallel Approach
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StartThe Ionian Mode
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StartIonian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Dorian Mode
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StartDorian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Lydian Mode
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StartLydian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Phrygian Mode
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StartPhrygian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Mixolydian Mode
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StartMixolydian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Aeolian Mode
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StartAeolian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartThe Locrian Mode
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StartLocrian Diatonic Arpeggios in C
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StartPutting It All Together