Lydian ears

[pingu]

you can learn a lot from Lydia

[ragman1]

whats another good ‘Lydian Tune’
not just tunes that have Lydian chords in them

There aren't that many because it's a mode that is hard to use over an entire tune. But Lydian tunes exist, as the others have shown. Chelsea Bridge is a good example for Lydian sounds.

The real use of the Lydian sound (rather than mode) is more important in my view. That #4 or #11 can be popped in very effectively and is ear-grabbing and makes your improv pleasantly interesting. It's like the colour bright red. A whole picture in bright red might not be everyone's cup of tea but used cleverly as a highlight it's very effective.

So the use of the Lydian sound doesn't necessarily depend on the chords of the tune, it can be used more for colour.

There are other uses for it which are extremely useful. Say you had a progression that includes a sudden non-diatonic chord:

CM7 - Eb7 - Dm7 - G7 - CM7

What would you play over the Eb7? Most people might say Eb Mixolydian, i.e. the Ab maj scale. But actually that would sound a bit clunky in the middle of a tune in C major. Whereas if you play Eb Lydian, which is the Bb maj scale, you'll find that it fits because of the natural A.

Here's an example. You might think the first one (Ab maj) sounds okay till you hear the second one (Bb maj).

You should try stuff like that out. It's more important than Lydian tunes which are interesting on one level but not necessarily the most pleasing to listen to.

[Liarspoker]

Here's one that I recorded yesterday morning. Cluster chords in C major but with F# no F.

[Christian Miller]

Sing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
1 2 3 #4 b6 b7

and back

The lydian tetrachord 1 2 3 #4 is something to focus on

you also have the diminished tetrachord 1 b2 b3 ‘3’

Get those ‘molecules’ ingrained and singing ‘exotic’ scales will become much more intuitive. Notice how the dim, whole tone, lydian dominant and altered all splice to together at the tritone ‘the-SIMP-sons’

[Reg]

Hey Pingu or anyone else... following Christians post..

Play a sequence of maj7, maj9 or maj6/9 chords... and play it in a form, like 8 bars etc...like below and

// Fmaj9 / Ema9 / Ebma9 / Dma9 /
/ Dbma9 / C7#9 / F6/9 / C7#9b13//

The point is to either hear or understand... patterns of going from Ionian to Lydian or Lydian to Ionian etc... on the maj chords.
Next add another chord to each maj chord.

[John A.]

I've always found this to be the best way to access the Lydian sound ...