3 Ways To Create Music Using The Lydian Mode On Guitar
by Simon Candy
In this video, you learn how to create music using the Lydian mode on guitar.
The Lydian mode is perhaps the most beautiful of all the modes. It has an awe-inspiring sound about it and is a favourite sound for many a film composer.
In this lesson, I simplify the Lydian mode for you by breaking it down in great detail, showing you several ways you can create music with it on your guitar.
First, you learn the easiest way to access the Lydian mode.
This is on a single string and helps you understand the mode before looking at other ways to play it.
Once you have this down, you then learn to play the Lydian mode in the following ways:
• The derivative method: This is when you relate the mode to its parent sale (ie. the scale it is a mode of)
• Pentatonic scale with added notes: This is great for integrating all your pentatonic blues and rock licks into the mode
• Triad Shapes: This produces a very melodic sound, different to using scales
You also learn an added bonus way to access the Lydian mode via the pentatonic scale. It’s so simple and sounds so good!
Watch the video below to learn more:
The Lydian Mode
The Lydian mode is the fourth mode of the major scale.
We will be looking at F Mixolydian in this lesson, which is the fourth mode of C Major:
F Lydian is a mode of C Major because it has the same notes as C Major.
The important difference is that the root is now F, not C.
You can also think of F Lydian as an F major scale with a #4:
Looking at a mode on a single string is a great starting point because you can more easily see the relationship between each of the notes:
Approach 1: The Parent Scale
The first way we can access the Lydian mode on guitar is via its parent scale. For F Lydian this is the C Major scale:
When played over a Lydian progression, as demonstrated in the video, this scale takes on the role of the Lydian mode.
For a demonstration of this approach, watch the video.
Approach 2: The Pentatonic Scale
Another great way to access the Lydian mode is via the pentatonic scale.
Here we have the F Major pentatonic scale with added notes to complete F Lydian:
For a demonstration of this approach, watch the video.
Approach 3: Triads
Another great way to access the Lydian mode is by using triads.
Both the F and G major triads exist in F Lydian and collectively have 6 of the 7 notes of the mode:
This being the case, you can use the F and G major triads to access the Lydian mode.
For a demonstration of this approach, watch the video.