Modes · Lydian
The Lydian mode
Bright, dreamy, floating: brighter than major. Lydian is the major scale with a raised 4th (F♯ in C Lydian). That ♯4 hangs in the air instead of falling to the 3rd, which makes the mode sound magical and weightless. Hear it over its own chords, in any key.
Jam: start the loop, then play the computer keys A S D F G H J K L: each one is the next note of the scale, so nothing you play is wrong. Or click the lit keys.Jam: start the loop and tap the lit keys. They’re all in the scale, so nothing you play is wrong.
The notes: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
F Lydian is F G A B C D E: F to F on the white keys, the notes of C major. Its colour comes from the B, lit in the tool.
The giveaway is a major chord a whole step above the root: in F Lydian, G major (the II chord), where the key of F major has G minor.
Where you hear it
Danny Elfman's theme for The Simpsons is the best-known Lydian tune; film composers reach for it for wonder and flight. Beethoven titled the slow movement of his String Quartet Op. 132 a hymn “in the Lydian mode”.
Its neighbours
From brightest to darkest, the modes go Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian. Lydian sits at the bright end. Compare them all from the same note on the modes page.
Lydian in every key
| Scale | Notes | Same notes as |
|---|---|---|
| C Lydian | C – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B | G major |
| D♭ Lydian | D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C | A♭ major |
| D Lydian | D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ | A major |
| E♭ Lydian | E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D | B♭ major |
| E Lydian | E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ | B major |
| F Lydian | F – G – A – B – C – D – E | C major |
| G♭ Lydian | G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F | D♭ major |
| G Lydian | G – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ | D major |
| A♭ Lydian | A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G | E♭ major |
| A Lydian | A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ | E major |
| B♭ Lydian | B♭ – C – D – E – F – G – A | F major |
| B Lydian | B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ | F♯ major |
Exploring modes on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that drifts. Then it shows you how it should go.
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Questions people ask
What are the notes of F Lydian?
F, G, A, B, C, D, E: the white keys from F to F, the notes of C major.
What is the formula for the Lydian mode?
1, 2, 3, ♯4, 5, 6, 7. Lydian is the major scale with a raised 4th (F♯ in C Lydian).
What does the Lydian mode sound like?
Bright, dreamy, floating: brighter than major. The giveaway is a major chord a whole step above the root: in F Lydian, G major (the II chord), where the key of F major has G minor.
How do I find Lydian in any key?
Start the major scale on its 4th note. Or play the major scale from your root and raise the 4th. The table on this page has all twelve.