Lydian Mode

[PtoblemChild]

Hi,
I have read in some tricksthat lydian mode is the same as the major scale only with the 4th degree of the scale removed aand the 5th flattened, therefore:

C major: C D E F G A B C

Becomes

C lydian: C D E G-flat A B C

Am I right?
thanks.

[TheDirt]

Not exactly... to make any major scale into its respective Lydian scale, you just need to sharpen the 4th.

C Ionian - C, D, E, F, G, A, B
Sharpen the 4th to get...
C Lydian - C, D, E, F#, G, A, B

One more example...

Bb Major - Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A
Sharpen the 4th...
Bb Lydian - Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A


Another way to look at this - to turn a major scale into a lydian scale, play the major scale beginning on the fifth note of the major scale you want to change. So, to change C Major into C Lydian, you'd be playing the major scale starting on C Major's 5th note, which would be G Major.


These are all just tricks, though. What's important is to get the sound of the Lydian scale in your head and know how to make a Lydian scale from scratch, not from other scales (1, 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1/2).

[BarHook]

ermmm i was always under the impression that lydian was Cm 4th note

[SLY]

Originally posted by BarHook
ermmm i was always under the impression that lydian was Cm 4th note


You're right, lydian mode is playing the major scale starting from the forth note which is F in a Cmaj scale.

That would be called F lydian mode in key of Cmaj... C lydian the fourth of Gmaj scale (key).