Metal for Life: Unlocking the Seven Fundamental Modes Favored by Randy Rhoads, Part 2

The following content is related to the May 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

In last month’s column, I set out to demonstrate a clear and effective way to memorize the series of scales that are known collectively as the seven fundamental modes.

For many of us, our awareness of these modes arrived via the guitar playing of the great Randy Rhoads, who based many of his classic solos heard on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman on one or two specific modes from this group. Randy was an avid student of the guitar and spent countless hours mastering the modes all over the fretboard. As a teacher, he advised his students to dedicate a great amount of study time to achieving a complete understanding of the modes.