According to the Interactive Online Circle of Fifths (see link below) there are 7 Modes. Which of these Modes are most commonly found in Bluegrass / Gospel music?
Lydian
Major / Ionian
Mixolydian
Dorian
N. Minor / Aeolian
Phrygian
Locrian
Interactive Online Circle of Fifths https://randscullard.com/CircleOfFifths/
Just guessing here, but I would go with “Mixoldian” because it Bluegrass is a “mix” of many genres and it contains the word "'ol, as in “good ol boys.”
How’s that for music theory! 
I wish music theory was actually like that.
I probably hear Ionian and Mixolydian most in BG.
Don’t forget aeolian. It would make it sad if we did.
All I hear is slow, fast, cool, epic, sad, and happy modes 
Same. This is all over my head.
It’s actually very simple but there’s usually a lot of terminology involved. Basically play a C major scale on the piano. Now do it again, but start and end on D. You’re now playing a different mode than if you were just playing a D major scale. Now do it again with E, playing only white keys but starting and ending on E notes. This is another mode, and so on and so forth.
I think Major / Ionian since it has the F# in G
Mixolydian I am not so sure since it has F major in G and it has B7 as the Diminished Chord. Which I am struggling to get my head round.
Modes really confuse me. Can you suggest a tune that uses the Mixolydian mode. I am guessing it’s one of those darker tunes involving death 
Clinch Mountain Backstep, Old Joe Clark are a few that come to mind.
Ah yes and Little Maggie it’s all coming back to me.
Thanks Archie!!!
Mixolydian is based on the fifth degree of the major scale, so any tune that centers on Dominant7 chords (like most blues tunes) will use Mixolydian. Example… the C7 chord is the dominant chord in F, right? (1-4-5… F - Bb - C7). So the C Mixolydian mode is your scale… C to C in the key of F or… C D E F G A Bb C.
I will work up a video that simplifies things…
C scale, C Chordal Scale… and a smattering about modes
Not sure if this helps or if it muddies up the water even more. Let me know if this draws back the curtain a little more for you!
Mr g
Hi @Mr_G Thank you for this. It was helpful up to a point. But I am more of a visual learner. I get lost when someone starts talking a lot of theory. “THEY” understand what “THEY” are talking about but for me it goes right over my head hence my original post.
So my way round this is to use this Interactive Online Circle of Fifths https://randscullard.com/CircleOfFifths/
as a way of visualising notes. I relate to the names of the notes by their letters.
This is the way I was taught music in primary school as a child. Memorising the letters stuck with me i.e. G Major Scale GABCDEF# C Major Scale NO Sharps or Flats, Doe, Ray, Me etc
However as an adult I am being introduced to other peoples way of thinking. For example the National Number System. The 145 (I IV V) was all new to me till I picked up the banjo and started checking out the FREE lessons on YouTube.
Along the way I stumbled on Kyle Tuttle. Now Kyle is a brilliant banjo player and clearly he knows all about music theory but once he started talking about degrees he lost me and my mind goes blank. I just switch off completely and everything he says after that just fades away.
I am hungry to learn this stuff not that I need to know theory to play banjo but to get a better understanding of the theory behind the music whilst chatting with others on the forum. For someone lacking knowledge whilst engaging in a conversation with those who hold the key to this information you are are left feeling isolated because you don’t know what they are talking about to enable you to engage.
My question about the seven 7 Modes. Is my attempt to identify “Which of these Modes are most commonly found in Bluegrass” to use this Interactive Circle of Fifths to help me SEE and better understand which of these Mode’ s work and more importantly why they work.
Lydian
Major / Ionian
Mixolydian
Dorian
N. Minor / Aeolian
Phrygian
Locrian
Unfortunately I am unable to travel so I’ll never get to a Cabin Camp. Hopefully @BanjoBen and his sisters will record their live session as you mention in your tutorial and post it on the website. Perhaps they may not because it’s best used as a way to engage in a group session with multi instruments.
Thank you @Mr_G I appreciate your help and your patience.
Music theory just makes me want to scream 
If you think about music theory less about rules and more about it being a language that we musicians use to communicate with each other, a lot of the frustration goes away. There’s lots of music theory that just is not applicable to anybody’s particular situation. For instance I am dyslexic so long strings of letters can sometimes confuse me so it is easier for me, for some reason, to think in terms of numbers rather than letters. When it comes to the modes of the major scale, to be honest I don’t think in terms of those. To me the caged system is a five shape system that I can relate to because I’m relating to a shape of a cord and not worrying about letters or numbers. I like discussing this stuff with you, Because as a teacher, I am constantly being forced to explain what I know in a different way because everybody I teach is different. Let’s not give up on this conversation, as I am learning a lot just discussing it with you.
