Hi , Spacey. Hope you have been well. This is indeed an interesting look at the physical geometry of the modes as they relate to the guitar and I am certainly glad that due to the heavy influence jazz has had on how musicians view music these days that these types of ideas are poking through to the mainstream. Before the emphasis was always on the Major (Ionian) and minor (Aeolian) scales/modes and ommiting all those crucial in between steps of logic that tie them together. Then when discussing what could be easily explained in modal terms to even beginner students theory twisted its way around complicated schemes involving chords and cadences. Kind of like only teaching someone how to count to ten using only the numbers 1, 6 and 10 then expecting them to learn how to add, subtract, divide, multiply, find the square root of potato and so on based on that. Very silly.
I do still find it disheartening that when these more through, accurate and, IMO, simpler and linear approaches to theory are explained they are always associated with jazz which I think in many ways intimidates students. When one thinks of jazz theory and they are not familiar with it it conjures up images of ultra complex and highly advanced techniques and concepts. I think more traditional theory and methods are the more confusing and erratic and inhibit not just guitar players but musicians in general. Us as guitar players then tend to have a harder time because we don't have a linear and preorganized/preordained sequence of notes on our instruments like single note instruments like brass or woodwinds or the piano where you can just create keys by adding and subtracting the amount of black keys you use then applying it across the entire keyboard.
Modern modal theory is the full picture of the diatonic/twelve tone system we use in all western music. The only difference between genres is what is added, taken away and occasionally slightly altered (like happens with harmonic and melodic minors and their relative modes both of which are completely based on the standard modes created by the Major scale with only one note modified) and the rhythm/timbre the notes are played with.
I think the the article you linked to is a useful one for physically learning the various patterns the modes create on guitar but I think they really should have emphasized more the importance of placing the patterns into their proper order after they have been learned. On top of that they should have explained that although these patterns when played from root on the low E string to the double octave on the high E string that each of the patterns contains all seven modes.
There is also the matter of how the flat/sharp keys are formed in 1st position which severely alters these patterns and since they specifically mentioned jazz theory and a lot of jazz theory is written in those odd keys due to horn parts and whatnot it could lead to some serious frustration.
All in all... awesome find and extremely encouraging to see the educational community finally analysing guitar theory in this manner. I agree any guitar players here should take a look at this article and perhaps the forum hosts could make this a dual sub forum thread (instead of simply moving it) so it can be in both the CH and the Techniques forums.
This type of intensive theory is actually what has been keeping me busy and away from the forum (but I am lurking). If you liked this article I am working on something that explores every nook and crannie of exactly these types of topics and I intend to share it with my friends here first before releasing it to the world at large. It's a lot of work though but I think it'll be worth it.
Take care. I'll be off furiously lurking in the corner. ;-)