MASTERCLASS BOOKLET

Luca Mantovanelli

MAPPING THE
MODES: VOL.3
ADVANCED
INTRODUCTION
Hey folks, thanks for buying my modes masterclass!

My intention here is not to give you the usual guide to the modal system, with lots of boring
scale diagrams and stuff. Instead, I’m going to show you how you can create cool licks using
outside notes, but in all positions, all over the fretboard. This is why this masterclass is called
Mapping the Modes… we want to be able to find the important target notes wherever we are
on the fretboard. This is how you become a fluent improviser.

In this volume I’ll be showing you patterns, approaches, 7th chord arpeggios, mode switching
and how to create a good phrasing vocabulary.

For a basic guide to the modal system, check out Volume 1. Let’s move on to our new practice
routines…

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6 NOTE APPROACH STARTING WITH INDEX

(Tab files: 6notes_index)

Once again we’re creating little “melodic cells” (like mini phrases) where we approach a target
note in different ways. A “target note” is a strong melodic note which can be held over a chord.
Normally, the root, 3rd and 5th are the most powerful target notes. Over a G major chord,
these would be the notes G, B and D.

The idea here is to take these simple melodic cells and work them through all our scale
shapes, increasing fretboard knowledge and melodic flexibility. This time, we’ll start on the
index finger and running through six notes, ending on a target note.

Using the intrinsic layout of the five CAGED scale shapes (see Vol 1), we only have three
possible fingerings on a single string: 1-2-4, 1-3-4 and 1-3. For example, if you look at the first
scale shape (Tab file modes_5shapes_shape1_tab) you’ll see that we’re using 1-2-4 on the low
E and A strings, 1-3-4 on the D and G strings, 1-3 on the B string and then 1-2-4 on the high E
string.

Each of these fingerings has its own pattern of scale notes and chromatic passing notes,
leading to the eventual target note. This is essentially the same as the 5-note (index) pattern,
but we’re adding an extra note at the start… a semitone below, on an upbeat. Use your index
finger for the first two notes. You can connect them with a slide, if you like.

1-2-4 = 1-1-4-3-1-2
1-3-4 = 1-1-4-1-2-3
1-3 = 1-1-3-1-2-3

The easiest thing is to play through the exercises, referring back to the 5 mode shapes in
Volume 1 to see how they relate to the five-note melodic cells.

ARPEGGIOS IN THE SHAPES

(Tab files: arpeggios_8ths, arpeggios_triplets)

For each shape we can build triads from all notes, but we’re just going to take one set of
shapes, using the highest note on each string as the root. In volume 1 we played ascending
triads, in volume 2 we played descending and “walking” triads, so this time we’ll add a note to
each triad, creating 7th and 6th arpeggios.

Remember, we’re in G major here, so our diatonic triads are…

G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor, F# diminished.

Adding a note gives us the diatonic 7th arpeggios…

Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Cmaj7, D7, Em7, F#m7b5

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I decided to add the 6th to the G major triad, instead of the 7th. This means I’m always playing
a G6 arpeggio. It just seemed to fit the patterns better. These are the triads for each of the
CAGED shapes…

Shape 1: Am7, D7, G6, Bm7 (Diagrams: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Shape 2: Bm7, Em7, Am7, D7 (Diagrams: 5, 6, 7, 8)
Shape 3: D7, G6, Bm7, Em7 (Diagrams: 9, 10, 11, 12)
Shape 4: Em7, Am7, D7, G6 (Diagrams: 13, 14, 15, 16)
Shape 5: G6, Bm7, Em7, Am7 (Diagrams: 17, 18, 19, 20)

How to practise that stuff? Let’s look at the picking first. When ascending through the
arpeggios, I pick down-down-down-up, but you could use hybrid picking and go down-down-
fingerpick-hammer. When descending through the arpeggios, I just reverse everything: up-up-
up-down. You could hybrid pick it too: fingerpick-pulloff-up-up.

Work on these arpeggio patterns through all five shapes, using a variety of rhythms.

MODE CONNECTIONS THROUGH ARPEGGIOS

(Tab files: mode_connections_arps)

Shape 1 to Shape 2: Cmaj7 arpeggio to connect the shapes. (Diagram 21)

Shape 2 to Shape 3: D7 arpeggio (Diagram 22)
Shape 3 to Shape 4: F#m7b5 arpeggio (Diagram 23)
Shape 4 to Shape 5: Gmaj7 arpeggio (Diagram 24)
Shape 5 to Shape 1: Am9 arpeggio (Diagram 25)

If you look at the tab files, you’ll see what I played. The first time, I go straight up and down
through the scale shape, but on the repeat, I ascend the scale to the start of the arpeggio, play
through the arpeggio and then descend through the scale.

MODE CONNECTIONS

(Tab files: mode_connections)

This is the 2nd way to connect the modes, this time with a different rule…

Start on the 1st string, play a 5-note approach (starting index finger) then the ascending triad, a
quick chromatic descent (with a ghost note on the 2nd string), then a 4-note approach starting
with pinky on the 2nd string.

In the Tab files, you’ll see how I’ve applied that concept to every pair of shapes, moving down
through the strings. You could vary the pattern in many ways… for instance, choose your own
approach lines (4, 5, 6 notes, index or pinky, upbeat or downbeat).

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MODE CONNECTIONS OVER ALL THE FRETBOARD

(Tab file: mode_connections_allover)

This is the same concept as above but to connect all the shapes in one long phrase. It’s the
same basic pattern as the regular mode connection lines, but without that ghost note or the
chromatic descent - we’re staying in one position here.

I recorded just one example, starting on shape 1 on the 1st string and going through all the
shapes. Your job is to start in other shapes, on other strings and practise joining the shapes
together.

10 LICKS

This is the same process as before… two different backing tracks, and licks 1-5 focus on
individual shapes.

Lick 1: The first five licks are in G Mixolydian (G A B C D E F) which is relative to C major. This
lick uses shape 4 and starts with ascending arpeggios: Fmaj7, Dm7, G7, C6. After a chromatic
line, some descending arpeggios: C, G7, Dm7.

Lick 2: Using shape 5, I play the 6-note approach on the 2nd string, a 5-note approach (pinky)
on the 1st string and then a 4-note approach (pinky) on the 2nd string. These are all connected
with scale fragments. After a mixture of chromatic and Mixolydian scale fragments, we have
descending arpeggios: Dm7, Am7, Em7.

Lick 3: In shape 1, this is all about arpeggios. We ascend through Dm7, G7, C6, Em7, then
descend and ascend again through the same sequence.

Lick 4: This lick uses shape 2, and starts with a 6-note approach on the 1st string followed by a
chromatic line on the 2nd string. After an ascending Dm triad and a short Mixolydian phrase, I
end with a descending D minor pentatonic (D F G A C) pattern, using quick grace-note slides.

Lick 5: Here we have some little chromatic patterns around shape 3. The lick ends with a slide
up to the major 3rd (B) and then the root (G).

Lick 6: The second backing track is in E Dorian (E F# G A B C# D) which is relative to D major.

We’re now moving all over the fretboard. At the end of bar 1, I move from shape 5 to shape 4
just as we did in the “Mode connections through arpeggios” exercises. The arpeggio here is
E minor. At the end, I return to shape 5 via an E minor pentatonic (E G A B D) line and the lick
ends with an Em9 chord.

Lick 7: Starting in shape 2, I used a couple of parallel 3rd intervals on the 2nd and 3rd strings.
After the B minor triad I slide down to shape 1. After the ascending scale we have a sequence
of descending arpeggios: A7, Em6, Bm7, F#m7, C#m7b5.

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Lick 8: Starting at shape 3 on the 1st string, we have 6-note approach (pinky) followed by a
4-note approach on the 2nd string. The Bm triad and chromatic descent takes us into shape
2. We then have a series of ascending triad patterns, moving back through the diatonic
sequence: Bm, A major, G major, F#m, Em, D major.

Lick 9: This one is built around shape 4, and is an example of how you can create a pattern
with legato over a single shape. It’s an easy concept! I play the same pattern on each string
while descending and then I simply ascend through the scale.

Lick 10: This one starts at shape 1, using a 6-note approach on the 1st string and I use a cool
jazzy pattern to drop to shape 5. After the Bm7 triad, I use a chromatic pattern to move down to
shape 4 where I play an Em triad.

FINAL WORDS

And there we have it, you’ve made it to the end! As with the previous two volumes i’ve also
included a full solo for you to learn and extract ideas from. Take it slow and try to see where I
have used the concepts behind the exercises/licks in this volume in my own soloing.

Try to create your own licks with the concepts I’ve shown you so far, in different keys and over
different backing styles.

I hope you have fun working through this masterclass. There’s a lot of exercises here and a lot
of patterns to learn. This systematic approach can really help you to understand the structure
of the modes… with regard to the notes and arpeggios they contain, and the patterns they
make on the guitar fretboard. Take your time and try to apply these phrase ideas in your own
playing!

Thank you, I hope you’ve had fun and learned a lot!

Luca Mantovanelli

P.S Please scroll down to find the TABs!

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