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The Lydian Mode

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This course is an in-depth look at the fourth mode of the major scale, the Lydian mode. This is a great mode to know as it has a unique sound and can be used over a major seventh chord when you want something less obvious than the major scale/Ionian mode.

The course initially focuses on the F Lydian mode, which belongs to the home key of C major. You’ll first learn to play it all over the fingerboard using the 'content over patterns' system, after which there are a series of bass grooves to study that put the mode to use. Some of the later exercises will utilise the Lydian mode from other keys. By the end of this course you should be familiar with the sound of the mode, and the major seventh-sharp eleventh chord that it is often used with.

As you work through this material, you might find the following courses useful (all included in the monthly subscription cost):

Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources button above to get the PDF worksheet and audio files for this piece (available to subscribers only).

This course is 1 HOUR & 46 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. Introduction to the Lydian Mode

This video covers the basic theory behind the Lydian mode. It also discusses the unique sound of the mode and the ways in which it is commonly used.

2. Playing the Lydian Mode

This lesson will get you playing the F Lydian mode all over the fingerboard. Here, the focus will be on the notes themselves, not on any restrictive fretboard patterns.

3. Exercise #1

In this line, the distinguishing characteristic of the mode (the #4) appears in each bar. Combined with other chord tones, the sound of the mode is very apparent.

4. Exercise #2

In this exercise, the first two beats of each bar establish a groove, while the second two beats contain fills that demonstrate the unique sound of the Lydian mode.

5. Exercise #3

This busy exercise is played at a slower tempo. Although the line starts on a G, the overall sound remains strongly rooted in the F Lydian mode.

6. Exercise #4

This challenging exercise is a chordal line with some tapped upper register double stops. The sharpened fourth (B) is once again very obvious here.

7. Exercise #5

This exercise uses the G Lydian mode (G-A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G), from the home key of D major. The first three bars begin with harmonics that spell out a Gmaj7 sound.

8. Exercise #6

This line also uses the G Lydian mode (G-A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G), from the key of D major. Don’t be put off by the continuous sixteenth notes – the tempo is quite slow.

9. Exercise #7

This is a funk groove that uses the E Lydian mode (E-F#-G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E), from the key of B major. Here, the raised fourth is used as part of the line as well as during fills.

10. Exercise #8

This exercise uses A Lydian (A-B-C#-D#-E-F#-G#-A), from the key of E major. Chord tones are used extensively here, clearly establishing the sound of the mode.

11. Exercise #9

This exercise also uses the A Lydian mode, from the key of E major. This is a chordal fingerstyle line and all notes should be allowed to ring together where possible.

12. Exercise #10

This exercise uses the E Lydian mode (E-F#-G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E), from the key of B major. Be sure to allow the open E-string to ring as you play the upper register figures.