Modes of scales

[filmsimon]

Hi,

I'm writing this post for a bit of clarity regarding scales.

I'm confused when it comes to modes of scales

If I take the C Major scale and I wanted to use the C Lydian Mode would I start building the scale from the fourth degree, F, or do I build it up from the Tonic, C.

If I build it up from the F note I get:

F, G, A, B, C, D and E

If I build it up from the fourth degree I get:

C, D, E, F sharp, G, A and B.


Thanks

[nuffink]

Hi,

I'm writing this post for a bit of clarity regarding scales.

I'm confused when it comes to modes of scales

If I take the C Major scale and I wanted to use the C Lydian Mode would I start building the scale from the fourth degree, F, or do I build it up from the Tonic, C.

If I build it up from the F note I get:

F, G, A, B, C, D and E

If I build it up from the fourth degree I get:

C, D, E, F sharp, G, A and B.


Thanks

That's right. This [F, G, A, B, C, D and E] is F Lydian and this [C, D, E, F sharp, G, A and B] is C Lydian.

[filmsimon]

The book i'm reading says that the Lydian mode can be thought of as starting on the F note. I think my confusion is on whether you use the scale pattern:

T, T, T, S, T, T, S

On just the fourth degere of the scale or if you can apply it to all the degrees of the scale.

[nuffink]

The book i'm reading says that the Lydian mode can be thought of as starting on the F note. I think my confusion is on whether you use the scale pattern:

T, T, T, S, T, T, S

On just the fourth degere of the scale or if you can apply it to all the degrees of the scale.

You can begin any mode on any key. Your books says (or should say) that the Lydian Mode can be thought of as starting on the F note of the C Major scale. F Lydian is said to be the relative Lydian of C Major. It begins on F# in the key of C# Major. F# Lydian is therefore said to be the relative Lydian of C# Major.

And yes the Lydian mode is defined by the intervals T, T, T, S, T, T, S.

[llatham]

I'm writing this post for a bit of clarity regarding scales.

I'm confused when it comes to modes of scales

If I take the C Major scale and I wanted to use the C Lydian Mode would I start building the scale from the fourth degree, F, or do I build it up from the Tonic, C.

You can do this a couple of ways:

1. Use the known Tone/Semitone pattern for Lydian, and start on C.

For example: Lydian is T T T S T T S which, starting on C yields:
C D E F# G A B (C)

2. Understand the relationship between each mode and the Major Scale (Ionian Mode) from which it is rotated.

For example: Lydian is "the fourth mode of a Major scale" (or it's the 4th mode after Ionian if you like).

You can do this two ways:
A: Take the notes that C Ionian yields starting on it's 4th note: F G A B C D E (F) and transpose them to C, which yields C D E F# G A B C.

or

B: Find out what Major scale/Ionian Mode C Lydian would be the 4th of. C is the 4th note of a G Major scale, so you would use the 4 mode of G Ionian (or use the key signature of the key of G):

G = G A B C D E F# (G). If you start on it's 4th note, you get:

C D E F# G A B (C) = C Lydian.

If I build it up from the F note I get:

F, G, A, B, C, D and E

Right, but this is F Lydian. You'd need to transpose it back to C to get C Lydian.

If I build it up from the fourth degree I get:

C, D, E, F sharp, G, A and B.

Correct. I'm not sure what you mean by "build it up form the 4th degree" but this is basically doing what my "2B" is above.

There's one more common way:

3. Know which modes compare to Major and minor, and how they differ.

Major = Ionian
Minor = Aeolian.

Dorian is like minor with a raised 6
A B C D E F G is A minor(Aeolian)
A B C D E F# G is A Dorian

Phrygian is like minor with a lowered 2
A B C D E F G A is A minor
A Bb C D E F G A is A Phyrgian

Mixolydian is like Major with a lowered 7
Lydian is like Major with raised 4

The least common one, Locrian, is like minor with a lowered 2 and a lowered 5.

Because most people are so familiar with Major and Minor already, many use this last method because all they have to do is adjust one note - which is something they're already used to doing because of Harmonic Minor (and Melodic minor, even though there are two adjustments in that one).

HTH,
Steve


Thanks[/quote]

[llatham]

You can begin any mode on any key.

Or more precisely, you can begin any mode on any note (pitch).

Steve

[jancivil]

Hi,

I'm writing this post for a bit of clarity regarding scales.

I'm confused when it comes to modes of scales

If I take the C Major scale and I wanted to use the C Lydian Mode would I start building the scale from the fourth degree, F, or do I build it up from the Tonic, C.

If I build it up from the F note I get:

F, G, A, B, C, D and E

If I build it up from the fourth degree I get:

C, D, E, F sharp, G, A and B.


Thanks

THAT IS CORRECT. There is some confusion as to your phrase "from the fourth degree", but that is how Lydian is constructed, if one is referring to 'major'.

In an ancient {cf. Greek} theory, for instance, the equivalent of modern Lydian would have been thought of as 'the C scale', where the common "UT" (root), was given as G.