Modes have always been a thing that many guitarists either get obsessed about or confused about. Although many people create videos, books and courses about modes, not every one explains things in a clear way.
For me personally, the biggest revelation about modes came to me when I watched Frank Gambale’s Modes No More Mystery course likely around 1998 or 1999 on VHS tape in music college. That was the one that helped me the most when I started out. Since then, I’ve studied about different aspects of scales, modes and melodic improvisation through many different avenues.
I’m always curious to see what other experienced guitarists and music educators approach this topic… and when I received an email from Roy Ziv about his new course, Guitar Modes Navigator – my interest was piqued.
Talk about timing and synchronicity, I soon (within less than 24 hours as I recall) received a wonderful email from Roy Ziv who inquired whether I would be interested to check out and possibly review this course.
Now for some context, I first reviewed one of Roy Ziv’s earlier courses, Guitar Speed Builder back in 2021. That’s how I got on his radar. And that course is amazing by the way – you can read my review for that here.
So, when I got the opportunity to review this new course, I of course agreed to check it out.
Now, there’s a few things worth pointing out about the course.
- There are 7 hours Of video lessons in the course (this isn’t a short course!)
- You get lifetime access + free updates with the one time purchase of the course (this isn’t a subscription)
- It’s laid out in a very step by step way
- The video production, graphics, on-screen visuals are done with a lot of care (this isn’t just a recorded zoom class)
WIth all that out of the way, let’s talk about what Roy Ziv covers in the course and how it’s all laid out.
The course is divided into 15 sections:
- Intro
- Understanding Modes
- Theory
- Learning The Modes
- Ionian
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Aeolian
- Locrian
- Practicing all 7 Modes
- Using The Modes
- Scale Sequences
- Advanced Concepts
In the beginning Intro section, Roy explains the basic premise of how to use the course. Essentially, he suggests to go through the entire course from beginning to the end so that everything is clear.
Then in the next part, Understanding Modes, Roy shares his basic perspective on what modes are. This is probably (in a way) simplified at this point, but it is just enough information to get started with.
Moving on to Theory, Roy helps us get a strong foundation by explaining the nuts and bolts of what a major scale is, and how important concepts such as intervals, triads, scale degrees and diatonic chords work.
This is really important as Roy actually is making sure that no one get confused for the following sections. It was at this point of the course that I particularly love how the on-screen visuals help make the explanations even clearer. Good stuff!
To be honest, this whole Theory section could easily be a separate mini-course.
Another thing to mention is that up to this point, this is pretty much a lecture/demonstration course – except for a diatonic chord practice exercise.
That being said, this is all important stuff that needs to be covered before going into other more hands-on material.
In the Learning The Modes section, there is a video which lays out Roy’s thoughts on “3 Notes Per String VS. Caged” – this is a very important video as it explains why the entire course is laid out using the 3-note-per-string fingering concept.
Following that we get downloads of all the exercises in the course in both PDF and Guitar Pro file formats.
The course continues with each mode: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian following a clear format.
Roy explains his thoughts on each modes, shares some song examples that use that mode (when appropriate) and then proceeds to explain the fingering for each mode.
He also includes a specific 5-exercise practice routine that is helpful for newbies to modes to internalize each mode.
After that, we also get licks that demonstrate each mode in a musical context. In addition to that, we also get backing tracks for each mode and a wrap-up section with his suggestion practice routine to really master each mode.
The next big section after this in the “Practicing all 7 Modes” section, here Roy shares his explanation on how ALL the modes and fingerings covered work together.
In the section “Using The Modes” – Roy actually starts to deconstruct everything that we’ve learned so far in the bulk of the course and how you can practice the material once the visual (fingering) and technical (fingering and picking) aspects are covered.
As someone who has already been using modes for years, this is the part that I was looking out for in Roy Ziv’s course. In the beginning, I was kind of questioning how he would tie the material together, and as we reach the later sections, it became clearer to me Roy’s approach to the material.
I would definitely say this course is more suited for rock and metal players, especially if:
a) you come from a heavy pentatonic or hexatonic soloing background
b) your approach to playing relies heavily on three note per string fingering patterns
c) you love a systematic, gym or practice routine type approach to learning guitarIf you’re more intuitive or like to explore sounds based on pure curiosity and if you dislike systems, this course might be too regimented for you.
For me personally, I do like how Roy managed to create a step-by-step system that works great, as long as you actually go through the whole course chronologically. This is not a course that you can simply jump around. It would not make sense if you did that (especially if you don’t have a strong music theory background and really good ears). It would also be counterproductive to do so.
Roy’s explanation of Modal Chord Progressions is an important part of the course. This two part video around 15-minute long is worth watching at least a few times if you are unfamiliar with modal chord progressions.
The next part, Recognizing Modal Progressions is the video that answer the popular question:
What mode or scale do I use for soloing here in this chord progression?
I like this part because Roy includes popular song examples and signature chord progression which giveaway what mode the song chord progression is in.
Another section that is pretty cool is one that is called Connecting Modes + Pentatonic. This one shares the modes and which pentatonic scale to use so that you have a cooler combination of modal and pentatonic soloing ideas. It seems like this would be predictable, but the truth is Roy shares some cool combinations that I don’t usually use. Love it!
The final video in the course under the Advanced Concepts section – Chromatic Lines Inside the Mode Shapes is a really cool part that gives a practical way to create chromatic lines that expand on the modal ideas covered in the course.
In the end, this course is really a massive course that combines teaching music theory, harmony, scale fingering, melodic playing, chord progressions and an overall exploration of the different sounds that you have when you go deep into each of the seven modes from the major scale.
Pros: Tremendous value in a single course, very rock/shred/fusion-oriented approach, lot of explanations that can help you understand modes.
Cons: The ambitious nature of the course might be a lot for some people to handle in a single course. That being said, if you take it bit by bit, this course might be what you’re looking for.
TLDR: For the rock/metal/shred guitar playing that wants to get out from playing pentatonic and blues-based solos, this course might provide a systematic path for you, as long as you’re a dedicated and hardworking guitarist!
You can buy this course here: https://www.royzivmusic.com/guitarmodesnavigator1
Many thanks to Roy Ziv for giving me complimentary access to the course for this review. I deeply appreciate it.
Do note that even though I received complimentary access to the course, whatever I wrote are my honest thoughts on the course.
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