Dorian Mode ( Upper Strings / 3-String Form )

The only perfectly symmetrical mode is the Dorian mode. Based on the second scale degree, the interval pattern of the Dorian mode is;

If you look at this mode from the center whole-step and go both directions from there, you'll see that the intervals mirror each other. As a result of this, the Dorian mode appears in opposition to itself on the fretboard as seen in this diagram;

In the next entry, we'll sum up the overall structure of modes within a given key.

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Lower 3-String Modes

Our next modes are Lydian and Locrian, modes IV and VII, respectively.

These modes are also paired symmetrically. They differ from all other modes in that the central interval in each of them is a half-step. 

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More 3-String Mode Forms

The next two modes we'll examine are the Mixolydian and Aeolian modes, the Vth and VIth modes, respectively.

Like the Ionian and Phrygian, these two modes are mirror image interval patterns;

Study the diagram at the top of this post. Notice that the modes are geometrically opposite.

As with all patterns on the guitar, there are various forms for playing each mode. The specific forms in these diagrams are chosen because they clearly illustrate the symmetry of the patterns. This is a useful way of learning modes, because you can learn two at a time while also achieving a better understanding of their tonal character.

Remember that symmetry is an inherent element in the diatonic system. ( Review the blog entry on this subject ) Just as specific tones are arranged in geometrically opposing pairs, so are modes.

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The Circle of Fifths

Sooner or later, the legendary Circle of 5ths must make an appearance. For our purposes, we are highlighting the keys of C and Gb/F#. As we've established in the previous post, Gb is preferable to F# in Fretography theory because it's a flat-5th above C, as opposed to F# which is a sharp-4th. The theoretical difference may seem arbitrary, but there are ramifications of each key which lead in different directions.

Consider that all the keys in the circle containing sharps are based on natural tones, F# would be the only practical exception. The key of C#, which follows F# in the circle has 7 sharps, while its enharmonic Db has 6 flats. As a rule it's preferable to opt for the key with more natural tones, so Db wins out over C#. Also, were we to accept F# over Gb, we would have, by default, seven keys with natural tonics, one key with a sharp tonic and four keys with flat tonics. If we choose Gb we have seven natural tonics and five flat tonics; much more logical since there are seven white keys and five black keys.

That said, treating the black-key tones as sharps in no way undercuts the Fretographic symmetry as we have outlined it. This point is largely a theoretical one. If we chose F# as the key, the Axis would still be Aeolian, but it would be based on D# and not Eb as it is in the key of Gb. In fact Fretography theory would be flawed if it was at odds with the enharmonic relationship between F# and Gb.

This blog is more concerned with mapping the notes on the fretboard than explaining every nuance of music theory, so we'll leave it at that for now. Suffice to say that here we will refer to the axis of black-key tones at the 11th fret as the Secondary Aeolian Axis which is based on its theoretical tonic of Gb on the 3rd string.

Next .... Black-key chords.


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11th fret Symmetry

The 11th fret is the location of the only natural alignment of black-key tones on the fretboard. In Fretography we refer to this position as The Void. However these same tones can be part of three flat keys; Db, Gb and Cb which have five, six and seven flats respectively.

Notice that these tone positions follows the same logic of 'paired symmetry' we've previously examined. With five tones to consider, they are paired in rotational symmetry as follows:

Gb - Bb

Ab - Ab

Db - Eb

In other words, wherever you find Gb on one side of the Axis - within the top four strings (white background) or within the bottom three strings (blue background), you'll find Bb in the diametrically opposite position. The same is true of Db and Eb. Ab (the second tone of Gb) is opposite itself, just as D is opposite itself in the key of C. The piano keyboard in the diagram makes the symmetry even more obvious. Can any note other than Ab be seen as the 'middle' of the five black keys?

When seen from this perspective, we are thinking of these tones as belonging to the key of Gb, which is found on the 3rd string of the Axis, shown on the 11th fret in the diagram above. Gb is structured as follows;

Gb W Ab W Bb H Cb W Db W Eb W F H Gb

Notice that our set of black-key tones excludes the 4th and 7th tones of Gb.

Gb W Ab W Bb H Cb W Db W Eb W F H Gb

[ An interesting coincidence is that the Cmajor/Aminor pentatonic scale (C D E G A) is produced by removing the 4th (F) and the 7th (B) from the key of C, and that the elimination of these same tones; The 4th of Gb; Cb (enharmonic of B) and the 7th of Gb; F, result in a pentatonic scale based on 5 different tones (Gb Ab Bb Db Eb). ]

C W D W E H F W G W A W B H C

This is the template for Pentatonic Scales typical in rock and blues. If you are already familiar with Pentatonic scales on the guitar, you'll recognize the pattern. But rather than approach these tones from that angle, we'll look at them in their diatonic context as the black-key chromatic tones of the key of C major/A minor.

C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B C

Keep in mind that, though the diagram shows the pattern from the 5th fret up, the pattern from the 12th fret to the 17th is exactly the same as from the open strings to the 5th fret, so nothing is really missing. By placing the Secondary Aeolian Axis at the center of the diagram, the symmetry becomes clearer (refer to the previous post for the view beginning at the open strings).

In an upcoming post we'll look at chords based on the five black-key tones. But first, more about the difference between the keys of Gb and F#.


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Black Keys /Accidentals in C

There are seven tones in the key of C (as there are in all 12 keys), these are the natural tones. And since there are twelve tones in the entire system, five tones remain. The black keys of the piano are those five tones not belonging to the key of C. These tones are the sharps or flats; C#/Db - D#/Eb - F#/Gb - G#/Ab - A#/Bb. On the guitar these same five tones are aligned at the 11th fret and also distributed across the fretboard in the symmetrical system we've been mapping out in this blog. These 'black-key tones' are also known as the accidentals in the key of C.

The natural tones align in three axis positions on the fretboard between the open strings and the 12th fret; the Phrygian Axis at the open strings (and 12th fret), the Aeolian Axis at the 5th fret, and the Dorian Axis at the 10th fret (see 'What is Fretography'). But there is one more axis; the axis formed at the 11th fret by the alignment of the 'black-key tones.'

Naming this axis is not so simple. We could call it the Black Key Axis, or the Sharp and Flat Axis, or the Accidental Axis But it would be better to use a term that is more in keeping with the names we've assigned the other three axes, which are each based on a Diatonic Mode.

Taken as a group, the five black-key tones can be described as the 5 flats of the key of Db, which is the first of three keys which incudes these tones; Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb (with C and F remaining to complete the key). The two other keys which include these tones are: Gb - has all five plus the addition of Cb (which is enharmonic with B), and the key of Cb - all 7 tones are flats.

The black keys can also be thought of as C#, D#, F#, G# and A#. which can in turn be found in three keys which are enharmonic with the three flat keys we've just described; B (enharmonic of Cb), C# (enharmonic of Db), and F#(enharmonic of Eb).

We'll use the key Gb as the context for this Axis because it comports with the symmetry principle better than F#. In doing so we are choosing a key signature which is a b5 above C, as opposed to F# which is an augmented 4th above C. Theoretically, a flat 5 trumps a sharp 4. Thinking of it as the Secondary Aeolian Axis places it at the center of another layer of symmetry, as we shall see in the next blog post.

In Fretography we the Axis of tones not belonging to the key in which we are working as the Void Axis. The Secondary Aeolian Axis of the key of C is simply the Aeolian Axis in the context of the key of Gb. In C, it is the only fret position made up entirely of tones outside the key. In Gb it is at the center of the diatonic symmetry. Each key, then, contains a Secondary Aeolian (or Void) Axis on the fretboard based on the position between its Dorian and Phrygian Axes.

In music theory there is always more than one way to describe a given concept. For example, The 'Major Scale' is also known as the 'Ionian Mode.' The tones of an A minor 7th chord can also be described as an inversion of a C 6th chord. It all depends on context. For that reason, some structures in Fretography can have more than one name.

__________

The five black-key tones also comprise a pentatonic scale based on the same interval structure as that typically used in rock and blues. If you're familiar with pentatonic scales on the guitar, play the black-key tones shown on the diagram above and you'll recognize the patterns.

But pentatonic scales are not just for playing rock and blues, and the black-keys needn't only be seen in the context of pentatonic scales. As important as it is to know where the natural tones are, it's equally useful to know where they are not. The pattern of black-key tones, studied in their natural context as sharps and flats, will enhance your fretboard comprehension.

We'll look at more theoretical possibilities for the black-key tones in the next post.

The diagram above shows all the positions of the black-key tones, and also includes Cb and F (in gray) which complete the key of Gb.


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Tritones and Major 3rds (The Double Helix)

Here's a simple exercise based on the diatonic symmetry we examined in the previous post. The notation includes fingering in small italics and strings indicated with circled numbers. The diagram shows the symmetrical geometry of the pattern, beginning with C and E at the 5th fret and then moving out from there, first higher, then lower. Click on the image to enlarge.

C and E (red) comprise a major 3rd (two whole-steps). F and B (black) are a tritone (three whole-steps).

You can also see how the positions of middle C and E on the piano align with the same pitches at the center of the system on the fretboard, at the 5th fret.


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Diatonic Symmetry 2

The key of Gb is halfway around the circle of 5ths from the key of C natural. The relationship of these two keys is significant because it illustrates the relationship between the symmetry of the Diatonic system and the geometry of the tonal array of the guitar fretboard.

The diagram above shows how Gb is arrayed on the fretboard and the piano keyboard. Notice how the axis positions of Gb are nested symmetrically between those of the key of C. For instance; the Aeolian Axis of C is found on the 5th and 17th frets, while the Aeolian Axis of Gb is on the 11th fret, precisely halfway between them. The Phrygian Axis of Gb is at the 6th fret, one fret above the 5th fret Aeolian Axis of C, while the Dorian Axis of Gb is at the 16th fret, one fret below the 17th fret Aeolian Axis of C. The Dorian and Phrygian Axes of C are at the 10th and 12th frets respectively, flanking the central Aeolian Axis of Gb.

Of course Gb has the same symmetry as C, but its complementary relationship with the Natural key makes it unique. Any two keys at opposite ends of the Circle of 5ths (A major and and Eb major, for example) will have a similar complementary symmetry.

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Diatonic Symmetry

Fretography focuses on the symmetrical distribution of tones on the guitar fretboard. This symmetry is not some graphic trick. It's not an accident that the notes line up the way they do. The symmetry is inherent in the Diatonic system itself. Out of the twelve tones which comprise the diatonic system (which is the basis of western music), a set seven tones make up each key. The interval relationships within each key are the same (see "Tetrachords" in this blog).

The whole-steps and half-steps are sequenced symmetrically in a repeating pattern. Strangely, this symmetry is obscured in the major scale;

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

However, if we look at the Dorian mode, which begins on the second scale degree, we can see a clear mirror symmetry around a central whole-step;

W-H-W-W-W-H-W

This mode is central to the Diatonic system, and the underlying element of the symmetry of the fretboard.

In the key of C, D becomes the fulcrum around which the entire system revolves;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

D W E H F W G W A W B H C W D W E H F W G W A W B H C W D

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If you study the line above you'll see that the whole-steps and half-steps are symmetrically arrayed around the D. There is no other tone in the key which can function as the fulcrum. Place any other tone at the center and you will have asymmetry.

Notice that, except for D, all the other tones are paired symmetrically; C&E, G&A, B&F are each paired. They are three sets of symmetrical counterparts on either side of the fulcrum, while D is its own 'partner'. This arrangement is precisely what we see on the guitar fretboard in the Fretography system.

From the open strings to the 10th fret, within the four top strings as a set (D-G-B-E low to high), and within the three bottom strings as a set (E-A-D low to high) the tones are found in symmetrical opposition to each other in the same pairs as we've just laid out. Where C appears on the 1st fret of the 2nd string, E is found on the 9th fret of the 3rd string. At the center of the span, C is on the 3rd string 5th fret, E is on the 2nd string 5th fret, and so on.

Study the diagram at the top of this post, and those in the previous posts and you will see how this method will enable you to achieve a greater awareness of the relative positions of all the notes on the fretboard, not simply as linear progressions, but connected over the entire grid in every direction and across wide distances.


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Fretboard Symmetry

The diagram above shows the tones of the key of C as they are arrayed on the fretboard from the open strings to the 10th fret. There are no tones in the key on the 11th fret, and the system begins again at the 12th fret. By splitting the system into two groups of strings, upper and lower, we can see the clear embedded symmetry.

The 'upper string group' comprises the top four strings (D, G, B, E from low to high), the 'lower string group' comprises the three bottom strings (E, A, D from low to high), the 4th string (D) is shared by both groups.

The three half step clusters in the upper string group each comprise the same four pitches - middle B, C, E, F on the piano - shown as VII, I, III, IV in the diagram. The two clusters in the lower string group contain the same four tones and octave lower. Also, each of the string groups contain two partial clusters with two tones in each.

Just as the repeating pattern of black and white keys on the piano is essential in understanding and accessing the tones on the piano keyboard, this method of mapping and diagramming the guitar fretboard has real advantages over the conventional linear approach.

Every scale, mode, interval and chord can be understood more comprehensively with the help of the symmetrical approach offered by Fretography. Regardless of the style of music you play, your understanding of music theory as applied on the guitar will be enhanced.

Take some time to study the diagram above. Find your way around the fretboard using it as a guide. Let yourself meander, don't try to play scales, but treat the diagram as a roadmap and learn the terrain the way you would make your way around if your were visiting a new city.

You might start with the central half step cluster, positioned at the 5th fret, and then venture out from there in all directions, returning to the center again. Remember that the symmetry is based on two separate string groups, so stay within the top four strings for a while, then the lower three, before crossing between the two groups.


All contents of this blog are © Mark Newstetter