D lydian
D major with one note raised: G♯. Seven notes: D E F♯ G♯ A B C♯. The same notes as A major, centred on D.
- Parent key
- A major Same notes
- Colour note
- G♯ The raised 4th
- Repeating chords
- D – E I – II
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| IVampDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| IIVampEE · G♯ · B | ||||
| iiiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ | ||||
| ♯iv°G♯°G♯ · B · D | ||||
| VAA · C♯ · E | ||||
| viBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| viiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯ |
Light up
What makes it lydian
Major, with the 4th raised
One note separates D lydian from D major: G becomes G♯. Over the same root, that turns D – Em into D – E.
D major
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
D lydian
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
Hear the difference
One chord that says lydian
E holds G♯, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on D
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Lydian is row 1 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- D lydianDEF♯G♯ABC♯♯4
- D ionian (major)DEF♯GABC♯—
- D mixolydianDEF♯GABC♭7
- D dorianDEFGABC♭3 ♭7
- D aeolian (natural minor)DEFGAB♭C♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- D phrygianDE♭FGAB♭C♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- D locrianDE♭FGA♭B♭C♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating D – E chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with G♯ ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickD – E, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while D – E sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver E, aim for G♯. It is the note that makes it lydian.80 bpmLevel 2
Lydian on every root
Pick a root
Other modes of A major's notes