G lydian
G major with one note raised: C♯. Seven notes: G A B C♯ D E F♯. The same notes as D major, centred on G.
- Parent key
- D major Same notes
- Colour note
- C♯ The raised 4th
- Repeating chords
- G – A I – II
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| IVampGG · B · D | ||||
| IIVampAA · C♯ · E | ||||
| iiiBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| ♯iv°C♯°C♯ · E · G | ||||
| VDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| viEmE · G · B | ||||
| viiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ |
Light up
What makes it lydian
Major, with the 4th raised
One note separates G lydian from G major: C becomes C♯. Over the same root, that turns G – Am into G – A.
G major
- G
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F♯
G lydian
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
Hear the difference
One chord that says lydian
A holds C♯, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on G
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Lydian is row 1 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- G lydianGABC♯DEF♯♯4
- G ionian (major)GABCDEF♯—
- G mixolydianGABCDEF♭7
- G dorianGAB♭CDEF♭3 ♭7
- G aeolian (natural minor)GAB♭CDE♭F♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G phrygianGA♭B♭CDE♭F♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G locrianGA♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating G – A chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with C♯ ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickG – A, 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 G – A sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver A, aim for C♯. It is the note that makes it lydian.80 bpmLevel 2