by Ian Lucena

Hello again! On the last lesson, we learned the Modes of the Major Scale, and began to understand how they work. On this lesson, we’ll work in a more practical aspect and only on the Lydian Mode.

As we saw last month, we can play, over a Major Seventh Chord, the Ionian mode, and the Lydian mode. The major seventh formation is:

R - 3 - 5 - 7

And all these notes belong to Ionian and Lydian Modes.

Ionian : R  2  3  4  5  6  7

Lydian : R  2  3 #4  5  6  7

The only difference between them will be the Fourth.On the Ionian Mode it is a Perfect Fourth, and on the Lydian Mode it is an Augmented Fourth.

Each of these modes will have a quite particular sound, even having only one different note from the other. The Ionian Mode is the proper Major Scale, whose sound is really familiar,or even silly and this Perfect Fourth that it has, is an “avoid note”, because it gets in conflict with the Major Third. The Lydian mode has a different and a little uncommon sound, but with a “color” as interesting as the Ionian Mode. Lydian has the Augmented Fourth., that is not an avoid note, and you can “rest” on it with no problems!

To give emphasis to the Lydian sound, you can rest on the mode characteristic note, the Augmented Fourth, and on the other chord notes: R, 3, 5, 7.

On the last lesson I prepared a backing track in Cmaj7, which means, you can work these two modes on it, but we may focus on the Lydian mode.We’ll play C Lydian.mode which starts on the IV degree of the G Major Scale.

Right below I’ve transcripted two licks, both with emphasis to the Lydian sound, cause they have basically the chord notes, and an Augmented Fourth.

First a sweep picking idea. Follow every picking direction carefully! Practice it slowly and always with a metronome.

  This lick is a little more complicated,

because we will use tapping with 2 fingers in the right hand: middle finger and ring finger while we hold the pick with the index finger and the thumb finger and  use the palm of your right hand to avoid the sound of the other strings.It may be a bit hard at the beggining but keep trying slowly and after faster and you’ll get it.

Good Luck!!!

Contact:

Email : ian@gtr.com.br

Msn : ian_smolski@hotmail.com