Another question about modes

[jf]

Want i want to know is, say you have the c major scale cdefgabc, if you change to a different mode, say efgabcde, you start on the 3rd note of the c major scale, the E, but when you get to the last note of the C scale do you go back up to the top of the scale i.e the first two notes C + D to complete the mode you use or do you continue going up to higher notes- i dont know if you understand or not?

[StoneDragon]

If you look at a scale or mode as a collection of notes leading from the root up to the octave, then the correct way to play E phrygian would be to start on E, play F G A B C D and end on E one octave higher. All of the pitches are in order from low to high or high to low if you descend from the octave back down to the root.

Technically, that is how you play a scale.

Musically, you can mix the notes of a scale up in any way you can imagine. But in order to exploit the sound of the particular scale or mode, you have to play the notes in such a way that the listener hears the correct root note. In the case of E Phrygian, you are playing the notes of C major, but you're playing them in such a way that the listener hears E as the root note instead of C.

Like this (Keep the low E string ringing while you play the high notes):

------------------3--5--3-------------------
------5--3--5--6-----------6--5-------------
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--0-----------------------------------------