How To Use The Lydian Mode

I know what some of you are thinking right now, maybe…….

Why haven’t I talked about the raised 6th interval in Dorian, or the flat 7th interval in Mixolydian.

You’re probably waiting to say, “Aha! He doesn’t know modes! Why isn’t he talking about the sharp 4th in Lydian yet!” 

Because making music is about making harmonies, melodies, and rhythms; and that’s what we’ve been doing so far. The raised 4th is a great tool, as well as the dorian major 6th and the mixolydian sharp 7th, but it’s useless if you use it in the wrong context. 

Playing the sharp 4th suddenly in a chord progression that isn’t based out of Lydian, or maybe isn’t even a major sounding progression, will defeat the purpose of this knowledge. 

These modes and intervals are tools to make certain sounds. That’s it. 

Rick Beato has a great video on the lydian mode and the sharp 4th if you want to go that route, but I’m here to help you apply this to the guitar and make harmonies.

The more you understand the harmonies, the better you’ll understand how to use this as a scale. Too many of you are jumping to the second step….

Now let’s look at some harmonies right now…..

Zelda’s Lullaby: 

I started with this example as this may be the most well-known to many of you out there….

Like other examples so far, the starting chord (Dmaj7) gives away what mode we’re in. In any major key signature, you’ll have two maj7 chords available on the I and the IV. You’ll also have a single dominant 7th chord available on the V (like E7 up above). 

As usual, it comes down to the structure of the scale and the harmonic system available: 

A major scale = A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# 

D Lydian scale = D – E – F# – G# (#4) – A – B – C#

Dmaj7 (IV of A major) = D – F# – A – C# 

E7 (V of A major) = E – G# – B – D 

C#m (vi of A major) = C# – E – G# 

Cmmaj7 (biii of A major) = C – Eb – G – B (C Eb and G are not part of A major)

B7sus4 (relative V of E7) = B – D# – E – F# – A

All of these chords except the last two come from Lydian. Cmmaj7 and B7sus4 are chromatic harmonies in this context, and they’re very interesting but I don’t want to complicate our discussion. 

Although this may be complex and tough to learn at first, remember that using modes is just about putting chords together that come from the notes in that mode’s scale. 

Here’s the chords to the solo from “Time” by Pink Floyd:

Pink Floyd is one of the few rock bands that used music theory concepts like the Lydian mode as much, but I’m sure there’s many others who did too. 

This example is in A major as well so all the same knowledge we just unveiled will work here. 

See the Dmaj7 and Amaj7? The C#m7? The E? All chords used in Zelda’s lullaby too. 

F#m and Bm7 are firmly in the key of A major as well, and can be taken from the D Lydian mode as well. Compare the chord constructions of these chords to the scale’s notes: 

D Lydian = D – E – F# – G# – A – B – C# 

F#m = F# – A – C# 

Bm7 = B – D – F# 

Now let’s take a look at the Shaft Theme’s chords: 

This is a much more straightforward usage of the mode’s chords as it’s just the IV7 and iii7 of C major: 

C major scale = C – D – E – F – G – A – B 

F Lydian scale = F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E 

Fmaj7 (IV of C major) = F – A – C – E 

Em7 (iii of C major) = E – G – B – D 

Hopefully it’s apparent that all we’re doing is putting two chords together to make the sound of the Lydian mode. We do this by starting on the IV chord, and using chords only from the relative major key. 

So notice so far that these examples aren’t using something like the Fmaj7#11 chord, which is a true Lydian chord. It’s a really cool chord to use but you don’t have to use it in order to make your chord progressions Lydian. 

In fact, as you can see, without the right context this chord may not work. However there are no rules with theory! Believe it or not…..

All of these ideas we’ve been discussing are just showing a system and many sounds we’ve labeled with names. 

This gives us an easy reference to a sound like you’ve been seeing here. 

Just a few more examples….

Tulsa Jesus Freak by Lana Del Rey is in Bb Lydian using the chords: Bb – Dm – F – C 

F major scale = F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E 

Bb/A# Lydian scale (4th mode of F major) = Bb – C – D – E – F – G – A 

A#/Bb (IV of F major) = Bb – D – F 

Dm (vi of F major) = D – F – A 

F (I of F major) = F – A – C 

C (V of F major) = C – E – G 

Lana Del Rey’s music is filled with the Lydian mode, as with the chords in “Summertime Sadness”

This chord progression is a IV – iii – V – ii in E major. 

E major scale = E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – G# 

A Lydian scale = A – B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# 

A (IV of E major) = A – C# – E 

C#m (vi of E major) = C# – E – G# 

B (V of E major) = B – D# – F# 

F#m (ii of E major) = F# – A – C# 

This may seem tedious. This may seem boring….

Hopefully, many of you are getting excited as this knowledge is giving you the power to use scales and music concepts that you’ve been getting confused about. 

So far you know how to use the aeolian, dorian, mixolydian, and lydian modes.