Mode reference
Lydian mode
The major scale with a raised fourth · C Lydian = C – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B
Lydian is the fourth mode of the major scale, which means C Lydian uses the notes of G major but treats C as home. Every mode on this page keeps that relationship: the same step pattern, started somewhere new.
Brighter than major. The raised fourth removes the pull of the subdominant, so it floats rather than settles — a staple of film scoring.
C Lydian
- C1tone
- D2tone
- E3tone
- F♯4semi
- G5tone
- A6tone
- B7semi
- C8
Every degree
| Degree | Note | Interval from the tonic | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | Unison | 0 |
| 2 | D | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | E | Major third | 4 |
| 4 | F♯ | Augmented fourth | 6 |
| 5 | G | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | A | Major sixth | 9 |
| 7 | B | Major seventh | 11 |
Lydian on every root
Each row is the same step pattern started somewhere new. The last column is the major scale that contains the same notes — useful when you want to find the mode by thinking in a key you already know.
| Tonic | Notes | Same notes as |
|---|---|---|
| C | C – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B | G major |
| D♭ | D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C | A♭ major |
| D | D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ | A major |
| E♭ | E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ – C – D | B♭ major |
| E | E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ | B major |
| F | F – G – A – B – C – D – E | C major |
| F♯ | F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B♯ – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ | C♯ major |
| G | G – A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ | D major |
| A♭ | A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G | E♭ major |
| A | A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ | E major |
| B♭ | B♭ – C – D – E – F – G – A | F major |
| B | B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ | F♯ major |
Hearing it rather than spelling it
A mode is only a mode while the music keeps treating its tonic as home. Played over a G bass, C Lydian is just G major. Played over a C drone, the alteration becomes unmistakable. That is why modal writing tends to stay on one chord for a long time.