Mode Lesson 1: Focus on Lydian - THE SIMP-SONS!

[jem7vwh]

The Lydian mode is a frequently used pattern by guitarists with styles ranging from jazz to shred. It is based on the major scale pattern, only the 4th note is raised one half step. This sharp four helps to lend this mode a floating dreamy passage. Among other popular tunes, the whole space between the 3 and 4 is heard in the theme song to the Simpsons. Remember that a mode's attributes are all relative to the chord they are played over. For instance, E Lydian are the exact same notes as B Major, but over an E chord they sound Lydian, and over a B they sound Major, over an F# they sound Mixolydian and over a C# they sound Dorian. So it's all relative. For the confines of this lesson, let's try to contruct a lead that utilizes the Lydian mode and observe it's mutations over chord progressons.

Let's use E (because I like it and it goes well with Pianos).

-----------------------------------------12----12----12-19-24
--------------------------------------12----14----16---------
-----------------------------13-15-16------------------------
--------------------13-14-16---------------------------------
-----------13-14-16------------------------------------------
-12-14-16----------------------------------------------------

This is just a real basic ascending riff in E Lydian. There are two reasons I say this is in E Lydian instead of any other mode.
A. The phrase begins and ends on E, it also emphasizes the A#, which is the mark of the Lydian scale.

B. We already said we're working in Lydian.

In the best case scenario, you're playing this riff over an E chord. Notice the dreamy quality this mode has to it.

This sort of thing works great over the Root chord, but what do you do when the chord changes? Well, you can either continue to play the same notes while the feel of them changes. The dreamy Vai-esque riff you were playing over E sound like Santana over a C# chord. So you can either be conscious of this and switch over to something more conventional, such as a major scale, or you can play C# Lydian (C#, D#, E#, F##, G#, A#, B#, C#) over C# and B, but be careful as it does not sound very pretty over E

Most of all just be conscious of what the progression is going to do to the tone of your phrases and adapt to the current tonality. If you're going for a bluesy or plaintive sound, playing the notes from E Lydian over E-G#-C#, this should be fine since it sound Minor over G# and Dorian over C#. However, if you don't like it over F#, flat the G# to G and you'll find Aeolian more helpful than Mixolydian. Keep working, practice practice practice.

[bachle7]

Thank you! *Thank you! *When I first learned what Modes were, I kept talking to friends and even my guitar teacher. *I said, "So it's still a major scale, right?" *Response, "No, it's a Lydian scale."
Your lesson here makes perfect sense! *Thank you very much! arty:

[jem7vwh]

very glad to help

[littlegreenman]

So, I know the Lydian scale, when are you gonna tab out the simpsons theme for us * hehe, just buggin man,
Jeremy

[kennydoe]

i always thought that Vai should have named one of his kids "Lydian". *If it wasn't for this mode, steve would be very quiet. *well, probably not, but he's soloing over lydian at somepoint in just about everything.

I went thru my lydian (or #11, as i sometimes call it) phase in college. *I'm more of a '13' man now. *Either that or a 'minor/major 7th man'....not sure which.

Anyone with me? *Come on!
~K

[Josh Blagg]

minor/major 7

about as attractive to me as a pinto bean cassarole.

[kennydoe]

Josh

Give it a few years. *You'll learn to love it. *
~K

[julio]

Yep, theres nothing like the sound of a Dmin7, on the fifth fret, strummed with a clean sound ,on the neck pu of my jem7v

The CMAj7 is not bad either

Thanks *Kenny for your pp story *

Julio

[Kremlin]

kennydoe on 12:59 am on June 2, 2001
i always thought that Vai should have named one of his kids "Lydian". *If it wasn't for this mode, steve would be very quiet. *well, probably not, but he's soloing over lydian at somepoint in just about everything.

I went thru my lydian (or #11, as i sometimes call it) phase in college. *I'm more of a '13' man now. *Either that or a 'minor/major 7th man'....not sure which.

Anyone with me? *Come on!
~K

Stu Hamm's daughter's middle name is Lydian.

[jkeithc82]

I'm new to the site and have been playing for about 3 years. For the life of me I cannot understand modes, but really want to learn the lydian in particular. Is the scale that was posted earlier in the thread the only lydian scale? Could someone tell me some basics of modes and how I can learn them easier, either in this thread or in an e-mail? Thanks guys.

[Jejouelesguitares]

I think that a lesson should be created with Jazz Guitarists in mind becase I'm stuck in my own world. Thanks

[timdog]

If you want to have some fun soloing with Lydian tonality (and at the same time practice your pentatonics):

Play a minor pentatonic scale starting on the 7th degree.
For example: F Lydian - Play E minor pentatonic (7-2-3-#4-6)

And for some real fun turn your Lydian into Lydian b7 (mode 4 of melodic minor). F-G-A-B-C-D-Eb.

[ultra zone]

Jem7vwh, respect. You certainly know your scales!

[Keeley]

Howdy!
Thanks for the great lesson! I just had about an hour or so of pure fun with that. So may I ask a dumb question!??! What if the progression goes Emaj7 F...back and forth...is E Lydian the thing to do is there something that would give it a Zappa-esque type or Vai type of feel?
Thanks!
rk

[ChrisReedSmith]

Why didn't anyone tell me you guys had this crap going on here!? Dammit! Heheheh thats ok At least I found it. Im going be eating all of this up for quite a while.

Thanks jem7vwh!! You have a new student!