Ask any fully trained classical musician about them modes....and they will tell you more or less the same thingmabob I just did.

Modes are like those Rodents of Unusuall size...I dont think they exist.

There are many ways to look at modes. One way is called "derivative." This is what I like to call the beginner music theory 101 textbook way because it seems this is the way that most people teach the modes. Nothing wrong with it although I personally find it more fits the classroom setting better than actual real world on the spot improv. That being said, it definitely has it's place and many people use this method.

Basically, it says that each note of a major scale can generate it's own scale. The term "mode" was taken from this principle because it's a new scale, but using the same notes as a parent scale. So, instead of calling it the Lydian scale they called it the Lydian mode because it was derived from a parent major scale.

Example using G major as the parent scale.
Notes in G major scale are: G A B C D E F# G (W W H W W W H)

G Ionian mode: G A B C D E F# G (this is the major scale)
A Dorian mode: A B C D E F# G A
B Phrygian mode: B C D E F# G A B
C Lydian mode C D E F# G A B C
D Mixolydian mode D E F# G A B C D
E Aeolian mode E F# G A B C D E (this is the minor scale)
F# Locrian mode F# G A B C D E F#

Some modes sound major (Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian)
Some modes sound minor (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian)
Some sound strange (Locrian)

This is the basic way modes are taught in guitar magazines, music theory textbooks, and on the internet.

A lot of good information from everyone, thank you! I've read every post and watched the videos, and decided my starting point for all this is going to be learn the full fretboard-notes. That's my first objectice, to learn them fluently, but once I feel semi-comfortable, I'm doing as Pebber's video suggested and go over it and the posts in here again and write the mode-steps down and the mode-notes as it should help out getting fluent on the fretboard. Thankfully for some unknown reason I know what the fretted notes sound like, so putting notes to the sounds makes sense, and so should scales and their derivatives, I think.

Hi Tom
look at Pebbers Dom7 Chords seres videos on you tube i think that should cover everything

A very good series, thank you. I'm on part 4 and it demonstrates a lot of modes and scales in action so far!