mikedodge

It seems to me that when thinking in terms of playing using modes, it might be possible to simplify things a little.

For example, knowing that the Lydian mode is the same as a major scale but with a #4 is the starting point. So, for C Major the diatonic scale that contains a #4 is G Major – which happens to be a 'fifth up from C'. Likewise, in A Major, a 'fifth up from A' is E Major which coincidentally contains the same notes as the A Major scale, but with (you guessed it) a #4.

So in order to play the Lydian mode, surely all I need to do is play a major scale up one fifth from the root and that'll give me a Lydian sound right? Well, almost – but I think it's important to consider which type of chord to play this mode over.

Harmonising the chords by stacking the triads and adding the 7th gives us maj7 / maj9 / maj7#11 / maj13 / add9 / 69

So, assuming I'm right (and please correct me if I'm wrong), when the band starts playing a Gmaj9 and expect a Lydian sounding solo, all I have to do is think 'what's a fifth up from G?' and start my solo with a blinding lick from the D major scale.

Please let me know what you think of this approach, because if it works, you can almost definitely apply the same methodology to the other modes, making life (for me, at least) a whole lot simpler...

I see exactly what you're getting at here. This is a great way to not only memorize how the scales are connected but it also help become comfortable and confident when playing.

I use these types of ideas all the time, even after 30 years of playing, to help lock things in as much as possible.

Let me double check something though:

So in order to play the Lydian mode, surely all I need to do is play a major scale up one fifth from the root and that'll give me a Lydian sound right? Well, almost – but I think it's important to consider which type of chord to play this mode over.

To play Lydian you play a Major scale with a #4 "up a 4th" from the original Major scale, not a 5th. C up a 4th is F (F Lydian) but C up a 5th is G (G Mixolydian). Lydian falls on the 4th nterval of a Major scale, not the 5th.

Now take this idea and reread your post, it kind of looks backwards in some spots. But, you got the right idea on keeping things relative to the Major scale.

I've just re-read my original post and can see that I haven't really explained what I meant particularly well. I'm after an easy way to play 'modally' over any given chord vamp – and by easy I mean quickly knowing how to play a particular mode for any given chord. Going back to my Lydian example, lets use the key of C Major.

C Major scale is : C D E F G A B C

Lydian tonality requires the major scale with a #4, thus :

C Major scale with a #4 : C D E F# G A B C

Does this scale look familiar? You betcha – it's the G Major scale.

Going back to my original C Major scale, G is a fifth up from the root C. This is what I meant by playing the major scale 'up a fifth' to get the Lydian sound. Maybe I should have said 'play the major scale that has as it's root the fifth note of the scale you want the Lydian tonality for'. So for a Lydian sound over one of the relevant C chords (see my previous post), just play within the scale of G Major, taking care to emphasise the 'strong' notes as you would normally when soloing.

I'm sure this rule works. Try the following example in the key of A Major.

A Major scale is : A B C# D E F# G#

Lydian tonality requires the major scale with a #4, thus :

A Major scale with a #4 : A B C# D# E F# G#

Now that scale looks remarkably like E Major. E is the fifth note in the original scale of A Major, so for Lydian tonality over a root of A, play the E Major scale.

This is what I meant by figuring an easy way to know which scale to play in order to get the Lydian mode over any given root. I don't need to know any different 'modal scale patterns' or anything like that, I just need to know what is the fifth note of the scale root for the chord I'm soloing over.

Try it. Record an Amaj9 vamp and solo using the E Major scale. Instant Lydian sound. Same goes for Cmaj7 – solo using a G Major scale and you've got Lydian tonality at your fingertips.

Have a think about this – I'm sure it works – I have a similar rule for the Dorian sound and am working on the others...

I always thought modes were a complicated way of indicating the note in a given scale where you begin playing to it's respective octave like in Gmaj you could start at say the 3rd: B & play that an octave up & that would be such & such mode in Gmaj. I'm sure there's more to it than that right?