Are you kidding me with this title?
Absolutely not! Let's get started.
Check out the major scale diagram. If you position your hand such that your middle finger covers the root note (the 2 on the low E string at the bottom) then you can play the major scale without moving your hand (each finger covers a fret - index, middle, ring, pinky - top to bottom).
The fret that your middle finger starts on is the root note which tells you what major scale you're playing. For example, if it's placed on the low E string 5th fret then you're playing an A major scale. Slide it up 2 frets and you're playing a B major scale. See? Easy.
There are 7 notes in the scale so as you can see the diagram shows you how to play 2 octives (the scale runs through twice).
Now, to play the modes (a mode is just the same major scale pattern but starting and stopping at a different point along the way) simply start the scale on the finger that corresponds to the mode.
- Ionian (middle - this is the same as the major scale)
- Dorian (pinky - 2nd scale degree)
- Phrygian (index - 3rd scale degree)
- Lydian (middle - 4th scale degree)
- Mixolydian (pinky - 5th scale degree)
- Aeolian (index - 6th scale degree - same as minor scale)
- Locrian (ring - 7th scale degree)
So to play A Phrygian, just start your index finger on the low E string 5th fret (the A note) and play through the major scale from that point in the pattern. It's the same for any mode. Just play the same major scale pattern but start on the appropriate finger!
For pentatonic just learn the minor pentatonic pattern and then to play the major pentatonic just start the same pattern on the appropriate note for the scale you want (e.g. A) with your pinky and play the same pattern through!
So you see, you only need to learn 2 easy patterns, one for the major scale and one for the pentatonic. Then you simply start and stop the scale as required for the various modes you want to play. No more memorizing 5 scale positions per each and every mode! That would be 45 patterns you'd need to memorize!
Holy cow!
Once you see this and get it, then you can play up and down the neck all day long in any scale or mode and never make a mistake. You will have total fretboard mastery!
