The Lydian Dominant is also a Mixolydian with a #4(just a note). Also with what you said griphon, the lydian dominant serves its function as fundamentally being "dominant". Both major chords that exist within its scale are dominant chords, every other note fits easily into an extension of that chord. It's also serves a good purpose of harmonizing over "dominant chords".

If you were to use a chord progression like B7 - Em - A7 - Dmaj, the lydian dominant plays a role in this movement. Since the movement is primilarly in a descending fashion, this is easy to accomplished with the use of modulation and the lydian dominant in thought. The last 3 chords are simple and common chord progression on a Major scale, D major (ii - V7 - I). Although the first one isn't, but it plays an important role in the modulation from a Lydian dominant to a Major key. The B7 might be the second chord of the A Lydian Dominant scale, and the Em would be the "v/ii in the key of Dmaj". So the process of modulation would be smooth, and the lydian dominant plays a large role if a dominant chords appear in estranged positions. Here's the movement again:

A lydian dom. II7 _v
_____________B7 - Em - A7 - Dmaj
_________________ii ----- V7 - I D major.

The process of modulation is expodential.

Chris- actually chords are not meant to stand alone. There whole function in music is to create movement, which is what music is about. So one single chord doesn't want to stand alone, and the progression v, ii, vi, to major V in the key of E major. There is some use of modulation there which what creates flow or movement. Music doesn't really want to stay in one key, at least I don't think so. A song will become stagnant if it stays in one key the whole time, moving through different keys as the song progresses help the music keep its flow. Like griphon said, a song doesn't necessarily have to end with the same note it started with. Most music does though, and its a good starting point if your tryin to learn a song and you want to know what key it's in.

Knowing how to move through keys is a call for the ear, you must understand how each key is going to sound before you move from one to another. At least to be effective with it, the game for "pitch perception". Like you would play a song in G major and you wanted to go to Ab major. Everyone knows that the impression of the music is going to change, but how. G major is going to show more warmth in it's sense, when Ab more is going to lean more towards the mellower side. Regardless if you played soft and mellow riffs in G, and then rocked out in Ab. So modulation is a skill of the ear, not mind. Music theory science shows how to get there, but not what impression it's going to leave.

Biggest reason why you should let your ear decide, not your mind.

Originally posted by Griphon2
V I, still always sounds alone, no matter how you disguise it.

What do you mean by alone? Yeah they would have a different role to play when relating to the Key. V is always dominant sounding, and the I is always solid sounding. Along with all the other chords in the sense of movement.

If I was just to play G dominant chord, what chord would it be?? I7, II7, iii7, V7??? These roman numerals don't mean squat without a key to give them a role to play.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 02-09-2003 at 12:30 AM]