The Lydian Mode

Light, airy and magical with a dose of mystery and wonder from the Augmented 4th (♯4).

You can get to the Lydian Mode by either:

• Adding an Augmented Fourth (♯4) and a Major Seventh (7) to the Major Pentatonic,
• raise the fourth note of the Major Scale to an Augmented Fourth (4➔♯4),
• start on the fourth degree of the Major Scale and adjust the key,
• start on the sixth degree of the Minor Scale and adjust the key.

The Augmented Fourth

Like the Blues scale, the Lydian Mode also contains the Tritone (♭5/♯4), but here it functions as an Augmented Fourth (♯4). The Tritone - as a Diminished Fifth (♭5) - sounds evil and tense, but as an Augmented Fourth (♯4) - it adds mystery and wonder. It’s the same interval, but our perception of it has changed with context and its relationship with the other notes in the scale. The Augmented Fourth (♯4) gives the Lydian Mode its sound - lean into it.

Related

• The Major Pentatonic
• Learn more about the Modes