you're honestly one of the best music theory channels on youtube. out of all the music theory channels I watch I've probably learned the most from you.
@@ThinWhiteAxe I feel it's because David actually genuinely explains. Like, another channel might say "sometimes, the lydian will be confused for the major scale" and then just leave it at that. We're just supposed to accept that this is the case, without any explanation of why. But, here, David will properly deep dive into what it is that's making that happen. Answering those "why?" questions. Or, if you like, he's resolving those dissonant "why?" questions to a tonic "first principle". It's a proper full explanation, because you can get from basic first principles to what he's explaining and back again, with some thought. Crap teaching leaves all these dissonant "why?" questions hanging unresolved. "This is the case". Yes, but why? Where does that come from? it's just a "fact dump" and we're just supposed to accept it, because "teacher said so". But proper teaching, proper understanding, comes from having your facts anchored back to first principles. And David always seems to do that.
As a non native English speaker, I found your English one of the best I ever heard! I noticed that your videos are maybe the only that I can follow easily without English subtitles, also thanks to the editing!
I think this channel is the best if you want to learn music theory. The combination of clear succinct instruction with the visual written music and the actual playing gives a very easy to understand way of teaching what can be quite complicated and easily misunderstood!
I's finally dawning on me that a reason I enjoy your videos so much is not only your clear explanations, but that you use songs I love and know so well as examples. Really enjoying all of your videos! ✌️
@@NyanGeneral if I had to give you advice, it would be to embrace dissonance The more dissonance 1 chord has, the nicer the more consonant the next one sounds
@@phil_xd_ipp8232 Same notes but it depends on the harmony of the song. If the song’s progression is say Cmaj-Dmaj the general tonality is C and a D major chord contains an F# which is the raised 4th note in C Lydian. C major: CDEFGABC C Lydian: CDEF#GABC. If the song’s progression is say E min, G major, Cadd9, etc. The general tonality is G. The most important thing is to use your ears to distinguish the sound and characteristics of the modes. Another example is B major and E lydian are the same notes but if you want to evoke an E lydian tonality the progression should largely revolve or vamp around some variation of an E major chord. Technically you can play licks in B major over an E lydian progression and it will work because its the same notes. But if the tonal center is E that should be the tonality you’re focusing on. As a guitar player I learned modes this way. Over a C lydian progression you can play G major pentatonic and it will sound lydian because the harmony of the music revolves around C. G major is also A Dorian, B phrygian, D mixolydian, e aeolian (minor), f# locrian etc. All are the same notes it just depends on what the harmony is of the song. Over Amin7 A dorian will sound good, B7-C7 B phrygian will sound really exotic, etc. hope this helps
▲ i would just quickly like to confess that, by way of practising music theory, i use all your modes/scales/keys/chords analysis videos as a starting point for writing songs. thanks a lot, david!
Nothing wrong with that. We all have to start somewhere. There’s some quote about: “the best songwriters steal/borrow from others,” which I find totally true. The term “influence” is simply a glorified word for stealing someone else’s idea(s). Best of luck in your musical journey!
@@viciousdope66 literally a lot of the soundtrack I make I see that I use a lot of what I know about songs, Even not knowing music theory very well, it happens some times
I’m 63 and consider myself an advanced beginner in music. I’m enjoying these videos and have learned a lot. Wish I had the internet when I was trying to learn how to play guitar. Thanks!
David, I am repeatedly blown away by the quality and clarity of your presentations, as well as by your profound understanding of the theory behind it all. The way you demystify Music Theory (through connections with examples we all know and love) is truly fantastic. Awesome job, man!
Joe Satriani's Flying In A Blue Dream is a textbook example of everything Lydian mode should be. Also, the name of the song is possible the most accurate description of what Lydian feels like
I swear on my life, I was listening to "The Mission" by John Williams when this video popped up, and I thought to myself, "Wow, what about what I'm listening to right now?"
I'm a bedroom hobbyist producer and was writing some chords and made something so uplifting and emotional. I did some research and found that it was using a lydian scale and that's how I ended up here. What a beautiful sound, I'm so glad to have learned about it. Thank you for the deep dive explanation.
My favorite Lydian example of the I-II pattern is also my favorite song, “Part of Your World” and Ariel’s theme in general (her “ahhhhhh” vocalise) in The Little Mermaid by Alan Menken & Howard Ashman! It just sounds like a magical ocean with rippling waves and really feels like yearning for something that lies just beyond the surface of the water, barely out of reach, a glimmering want, exactly conveying Ariel’s dream of wanting to be a human ❤️
the "da-da-da" melody in Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger" is in E Lydian, which gives it that bright catchy boost. It fits the pattern of only small parts of the music being in Lydian, not the entire piece.
Hi, this video made me write a song using the Lydian scale. I'm so happy with it, I feel it's one of the best songs I've ever written. I had the idea for the song while watching your video, thank you so much for the inspiration!!
This video was so helpful. I studied music for years in high school and college and could never wrap my brain around modes. This video was so clear and detailed without being overwhelming, and I can't wait to add some lydian magic to my songwriting. Thank you, thank you!
C3 to C4 is the Ionian mode(or major scale) D3 to D4 is the Dorian mode F3 to F4 is the Lydian mode A3 to A4 is the Aeolian mode(or natural minor scale) etc So with the same 7 notes, we can make 7 different modes. Actually, we don't need to use any flats and sharps in between if we use the "authentic" key for each mode (so these 7 modes can be played without having to use any black keys on the piano if we want to). This is the simple way that these modes are initially constructed. Each one in its own key. When we move these modes to another key, then of course in order to keep the same relationship between tones and semitones, we use flats and sharps like David did with the C Lydian mode and used a sharp.
there's a song from almendra, a great late 60s argentinian band, called "a estos hombres tristes", the song is centered in a Cmaj7 chord with the raised 4th, the main riff is in 5/4 and it's a tempo mess! It's a really amazing song!
Que loco encontrarme a Almendra acá. Y que banda tremenda la verdad. Todo ese album es tan variado en las canciones y en las estructuras que no suena como ninguna otra cosa. Además que justo esa canción es tan compleja sin perder belleza, como va creciendo entre la letra y los solos del final alternando cada cinco segundos de ritmo mas o menos. Ah, y te faltó mencionar que termina en un Picardy Third, al igual que "Plegaria para un niño dormido". Translation for those that don't speak Spanish: How unexpected to find Almendra mentioned here. And what an amazing band they are. That whole album is so diverse in its songs and their structures, that it doesn't sound like anybody else, it's a unique sound. And that song you mentioned is so complex without losing any beauty, the way the music begins developing and growing through the lyrics and the guitar solos in the end, changing tempo every section, it's insane. Oh, and you forgot to mention that the song ends with a Picardy Third, just like "Plegaria para un niño dormido", another song on the same album.
Radiohead’s All I Need is another example of pure lydian from what I could tell, with Thom’s melody and the Cmaj13#11 chord at the end of the track both emphasizing the #4. Kinda surprised he didn’t include it considering how much of a Radiohead fan he is :))
I was vaguely aware of Lydian as far as it sounds for many years, but never realized until fairly recently that the sound comes from the Lydian mode. Now I constantly recognize it, especially in movie soundtrack music, as you mentioned in the video. I'm surprised you didn't mention perhaps the most famous movie score that uses Lydian, which is John Williams' theme from "Superman: The Movie".
I was once asked by a friend of mine to write her a piece as a sort of "waiting room" tune for her streams. As she likes space and stars a lot, I wrote it entirely in Lydian. Never wrote in that mode before that song. And what you mentioned about how the mode always wants to go back to its relative major scale I can confirm. It was difficult to stay in Lydian, as the sharpend fourth, the characteristic note for that mode, is the leading tone to the tonic of its relative major scale. Which ALSO happens to be the dominant to the one.
1:58 One of the credit songs from Wall-E is literally named "Down To Earth", sung by Peter Gabriel, and it goes from B lydian to C# mixolydian when he sings "We're coming down to the ground". I know it isn't exactly the same as what happens here but still interesting. Edit: Before changing key center he also sings about being "High in the sky".
Hello David. I just finished watching your 3 videos: Dorian, Mixolydian and Lydian modes. These three vid are exceptional. You have done a great job of explaining these modes, their characteristics and giving great song examples to illustrate their characteristics. Thank you for your work.
I believe that's all the modes now! Now you've gotta move onto the Hungarian Minor, Lydian Augmented, Altered scale and the Double Harmonic Major :D haha
I kid you not, I was just watching last night until 2 AM your videos on modes and wow... the timing couldn't have been better!! You're doing amazing things for people who want to learn more about the insides of western music and I love your videos to the max.
I find that a good way to avoid modulating to the V chord in lydian is to invert it, then quickly move away from it by using secondary chords (yes this does take us away from lydian, but at least maintains the tonic). So for example in C lydian: ||: Cmaj7 | D7/C :|| | G/B Bbm6 | F7/A Ab7 | C/G F#dim7 | Gsus G13 |
@@francoomarlopezlopez Seven Days's verse is Lydian, although you can only hear vividly live, when Sting sings a slightly altered melody with a raised fourth to stress the Lydian aspect. Don't Stand's riff is also distinctly Lydian with that raised fourth, although the tonal center seems to be a minor chord (so it's a bVI-i progression, not a I-iii).
@@francoomarlopezlopez it is Lydian, and Don't Stand has this characteristic Lydian raised fourth in the riff and vocal hook - but because of the resolution to G minor, the Lydian effect is reduced.
@@radiozelaza have you ever heard of root notes? If you haven't, I'll explain it The root note is the note that a melody or harmony wants to resolve to So whichever note sounds most resolved, will be the root note In don't stand, that root note is G And the scale that is used goes G, A, Ab, C, D, Eb, F Those are the notes of G natural minor IF the root were Eb it would be Lydian, but it's not The root is G from my perception, and also most musician's perception If you wanna test it out, hum a G note over it and see if you think it's resolved
@@Drewlyy Joji hahah, definitely not the most complex or skilled songwriter but his music has helped me through a lot in my personal life. It could change with time though, some of my other favourites are Gilbert O’Sullivan, Justin Vernon, George Harrison, Elton John, Nick Drake, Mac DeMarco, Nick Rattigan, Kurt Cobain, Frank Ocean.. a lot more. :)
@@yearnpill Man, I've never listened to Jojo but i do know him from his filthy frank days. But I'm a huge fan of all the other favorites you mentioned so i think it's time i check his stuff out!
Fantastic video. Love the section where you dispel the Lydian myths and the differences between those progressions. "Dreams" is cool to me because we don't really get that tonic chord and it's fun to think about how we can so strongly perceive something that's not really there. You helped me see it's at least in part because of the melody!
I just wanna say a big "Thank You" , for making those kind of videos, because its really easier to learn theory aurally with examples with help from your videos! Don't remove those series, please!
Excellent video and description David - from a rock angle - REO Speedwagons Keep On Loving You is a perfect Lydian example - F Lydian resolving to the root C.
Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani is also an interesting take on the lydian sound. He includes the #11 in each of the chord changes then plays the associated lydian scale over it.
4:59 I'm just a beginner in guitar and not familiar with theories but when I saw the words 'ethereal' and 'magical', I came up with St. Vincent right away. Then, she appeared. It's astonishing!
It looks like so much time and effort and research goes into these videos with editing and the video effects and then writing a song on top of that?? I always feel so educated after watching these videos even if I don't know as much about music theory as I should to follow along. I just find all of this so interesting and I really enjoy these videos. So, thank you for making them!
DUDE you have got to be the finest theory and modal teacher that exists on UA-cam. You have opened my eyes so much in this regard and i have studied music for over 40 years. Cannot emphasize enough!!! Fantastic job!!
Oh man these video's are soooooo well made. My teacher asked me to write a piece in the lydian scale but I didn't understand anything about it. But thanks to you I'm all up to speed.
12:50 - I'd argue that Lydian is hyper-stable. It carries no tension to resolve from and so it feels immobile, even though it can be atmospherically very captivating.
@@carsonnichols7428 Indeed. I actually was in the middle of editing this comment hours ago, because I considered a better way to describe it: hyper-consonant. It’s all consonance, no dissonance. There is no downward resolution in it, only upward to the fifth and upward to the root. Unless you consider the fifth to be resolving to the augmented fourth.
The notion that tension needs to be resolved in order to have a good musical experience strikes me as a rather Euro-centric viewpoint (or is that the primary focus of this channel?)... m.ua-cam.com/video/Kr3quGh7pJA/v-deo.html
Great video on my favorite mode. In Indian classical music, Lydian is used way more than anywhere else perhaps. Lydian, Lydian b2, Lydian b2 b6, modes are all norms in Indian classical music
I cannot thank you enough. You drew my attention to the fact that two of my fav songs by two of my fav bands are in Lydian (Oceans and Man on the Moon - talking about the mystical nature of Lydian…)
Fantastic explanation, once again. You did a great job of going through the tritone resolution and why it sounds the way it does. Thanks! Keep up the great work!
I've always heard "Here Comes My Girl" as being entirely in E major. It's just that the tonic is not hit until the chorus, but that's what makes the chorus such a refreshing resolution.
The outro returns to that I-II Lydian vamp with the guitar and piano noodling all over in ways that don't sound like E major to me, and there's even an extended version that doesn't fade out at the end but ends on the A chord. I hear it as a song in A Lydian that breaks out of it for the chorus, which does indeed make the chorus stand out in a way that's very satisfying.
I was having dinner with a friend tonight and told him I’d watched this video earlier today. we spent another hour talking about music and at the end of it I showed him the music video for a-ha’s “take on me”. I was like “something’s amiss in the intro, it’s like it’s jumping up a key, but how? Bm definitely sounds like a tonic to me but then the A also sounds like the tonic shortly after!” So I tried to play it on the synth and after taking a moment to think it struck me that the first 2 chords are in D Lydian, but then this E major with the G# is used as a transition chord to A major which most of the song is in. So satisfying to get to use the knowledge I acquired from this video the exact same day haha :)
I'm sure I'm not the first person to have brought them up, but Cardiacs love the lydian scale. Too many examples to list, but they're a goldmine of music theory application in general.
i've realized this ethereal scale is my favorite! i didn't realize so many songs i listen to are in this scale. i love the magical whimsical feeling so everytime i hear a song in this scale i add it to my playlist.
Thank you for pointing out the tritone concept when it comes to modes. The fact that Lydian and Locrian both start on these tritone intervals plays part as to why these modes are on opposite ends of the Modal Spectrum.
I was listening to the song “P*rn Star Dancing” by My Darkest Days” and the hook felt so interesting. Comes to find out it slides into Lydian mode. Would not have understood what was happening without this video.
Two of my favs are Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani (exclusively C Lydian, save the bridge) and the B section of Ace of Wands by Steve Hackett (A Lydian and C Lydian).
'Freewill' by Rush - the main riff basically walks up, down and around in F Lydian. Also 'Nice Dream' by Radiohead is in A major for the most part . . . But the guitar riff just before each verse starts runs between A and A5#11 back and forth until the vocals begin - which gives it the feeling of moving between F major and F Lydian because of how the chords are voiced. Clever given the dream like qualities of Lydian and the poignant, hopeful but downtrodden lyrics of the song. It wants to be lydian, it suggests it could be, but cant ever bring itself to reach those lofty heights.
i’ve picked up on the fact that soooo many songs utilize that bVI bVII i movement, one that would be just I II iii in lydian. glad to hear this „lydian-ish” addition so often. hanging around those degrees in a minor key sounds awesome.
Another good one, and I love the way you explain with examples. The end piece is beautiful. I think I've got another example: Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon - it seems to progress in Lydian mode: C - D/C - Em/C, until just before the chorus where it moves to G. It's amazing how Lydian does feel like it needs to resolve to the 5th more than if played in the major scale.
I started playing the Lydian scale, and my fingers went straight to "Oh My Love" by John Lennon from the Imagine album, from the chord chart this seems to be more or less in D Lydian, the vocal melody certainly is.
Light bulbs flashing in my head! The first time this beginner has understood what a mode is - Thanks David! I think it was your simple song examples that did the trick!
I'm glad you used "Pretty Ballerina" as an example of the Lydian mode. In his famous 1967 television broadcast on the amazing advances in popular music at that time, Leonard Bernstein used the song as one of his examples and said (paraphrase), "I could also add that it is written in the Lydian mode, but no one would know what that is." Now i finally do.
The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” Sting uses G Lydian in the bass line from the intro and verses. While Andy Summers walks up the Lydian Scale.
Definitely feel this one in D the whole time. To my ears it’s basically just IV-V over and over again. G-A-G/B-A/C# etc until D. But the Lydian sound is totally there and is probably why I love this song so much. Also throws in some bVI and bVII stuff for kicks too. Basically all my favorite harmonic ingredients.
I think a song that is exclusively in Lydian mode (A Lydian) is "Distance" by Two Lanes. The key signature is E major or C# minor (4 sharps), but it starts and ends in A major. The first chord change is to B major (fitting the I/II vamp) and this is done multiple times. There are no accidentals.
I'm glad you specifically addressed the ambiguity between the lydian tonic and the flat6 of its counterpart minor scale. Many times I don't feel like those songs are really in lydian mode (save for John Williams and some classic examples) but only orbit around b6 and b7 in the minor scale even when they don't resolve in the tonic. Great video!
Probably one of the reasons I think lydian sounds better than major. Major to me has always sounded sad, but it's mainly the third degree, which begins on phrygian, a very dark scale. I also always found the resolve from the diminished to tonic in the major scale as sounding melancholy and...off. Combined with the phrygian degree to me it's always sounded sour and dissonant. As someone who had to have a pet guinea pig to sleep earlier today, this lush video on lydian is helping me better cope! Just imagining him in rainbow bridge with that lydian score at the end of the video underneath as he's munching on grass and he's frolicking about brings a smile to my face! Thanks for making my night that much brighter!
@@TheRealUncleScar yeah, definitely. The way it emphasizes the sharp #4 in the melody over that F chord is very memorable though and it gives it the otherworldly lydian vibe to my ears. It's my go-to when I try to think of a lydian sound.
D Lorean is my favorite mode as used in "Back to the Future".
I would love to like this comment but it already has perfect 42 likes!
The only mode I know is Depeche Mode
Haha
Kraftwerk uses A Florian.
. . . or Mando Lorian
you're honestly one of the best music theory channels on youtube. out of all the music theory channels I watch I've probably learned the most from you.
Thank you! 😃
Yeah he has a great way of explaining this complicated stuff in a way that makes sense even to someone who's not extremely well-versed in music theory
@@ThinWhiteAxe I feel it's because David actually genuinely explains.
Like, another channel might say "sometimes, the lydian will be confused for the major scale" and then just leave it at that. We're just supposed to accept that this is the case, without any explanation of why.
But, here, David will properly deep dive into what it is that's making that happen. Answering those "why?" questions. Or, if you like, he's resolving those dissonant "why?" questions to a tonic "first principle". It's a proper full explanation, because you can get from basic first principles to what he's explaining and back again, with some thought.
Crap teaching leaves all these dissonant "why?" questions hanging unresolved. "This is the case". Yes, but why? Where does that come from? it's just a "fact dump" and we're just supposed to accept it, because "teacher said so".
But proper teaching, proper understanding, comes from having your facts anchored back to first principles. And David always seems to do that.
@@klaxoncow well put.
@@klaxoncow Dissonant, unresolved... you even speak music theory when writing about the application of music theory.
Phrygian = boldness, exuberance, passion, courage, leadership, but in excess pride, rashness, irascibility, violent anger.
Lydian = good cheer, optimism, sublimity, friendliness, laughter, love and song.
Dorian = sleepiness, lethargy, laziness, slowness, mental dullness, forgetfulness, calmness, internal equanimity, well being.
Mixolydian = solidity, firmness, steadfastness, rhythm, but with a certain indolent tenacity.
The Lydian mode is the brightest sounding mode of regular music.
@@byronrobbins8834 - Yep, because of that sharp 4th. Next is Ionian, or you basic C major scale with no sharps or flats...
@@Snarkapotamus then the key signature will agree with the root note.
@@byronrobbins8834 - I don't understand the connection to what was said..what's the root note have to do with how a mode sounds?
I see they've released new tarot cards
As a non native English speaker, I found your English one of the best I ever heard! I noticed that your videos are maybe the only that I can follow easily without English subtitles, also thanks to the editing!
This is UK English, as opposed to US English that you’re most likely hearing outside of this channel.
@@Benjy52 yes but also among other people from UK that I know, I find his accent clearer for me
@@logechi3661 It’s definitely a southern England accent. But also, the audio quality is studio level which definitely helps
... and he speaks a lot slower and more articulated than the average young English bloke. 😅
I think this channel is the best if you want to learn music theory. The combination of clear succinct instruction with the visual written music and the actual playing gives a very easy to understand way of teaching what can be quite complicated and easily misunderstood!
Thanks Gaz! 😃
Check out ua-cam.com/users/8bitMusicTheory for another take on this kind of stuff.
I never though I would see Björk, Marty McFly and Yoda in the same thumbnail. That was an instant click
Not to mention Tom Petty, lol
MAy the delrian mode be with you.
I don’t care if it’s overwhelming, I want more Lydian!!!
Same...
Master Yoda: Control yourself
@Beth Official No it's "Control yourself, you must".
“I love you” by Ben Levin. Doesn’t get more Lydian than that. idek if it’s Lydian but it has the same feeling brought to like 500%
A lot of Chon's older stuff is heavily based in Lydian
I's finally dawning on me that a reason I enjoy your videos so much is not only your clear explanations, but that you use songs I love and know so well as examples. Really enjoying all of your videos! ✌️
Thanks you Bob 😃
Lydian is by far my favorite mode!
It always sounds so pretty and mystical!
Lydian is easily my favourite mode too
Unfortunately its very difficult to write with for popular music and is a hard tonality to sound good
@@NyanGeneral if I had to give you advice, it would be to embrace dissonance
The more dissonance 1 chord has, the nicer the more consonant the next one sounds
But how do you know if it's a C lydian scale or just a G key
@@phil_xd_ipp8232 where it feels resolved
@@phil_xd_ipp8232 Same notes but it depends on the harmony of the song. If the song’s progression is say Cmaj-Dmaj the general tonality is C and a D major chord contains an F# which is the raised 4th note in C Lydian. C major: CDEFGABC C Lydian: CDEF#GABC. If the song’s progression is say E min, G major, Cadd9, etc. The general tonality is G. The most important thing is to use your ears to distinguish the sound and characteristics of the modes. Another example is B major and E lydian are the same notes but if you want to evoke an E lydian tonality the progression should largely revolve or vamp around some variation of an E major chord. Technically you can play licks in B major over an E lydian progression and it will work because its the same notes. But if the tonal center is E that should be the tonality you’re focusing on. As a guitar player I learned modes this way. Over a C lydian progression you can play G major pentatonic and it will sound lydian because the harmony of the music revolves around C. G major is also A Dorian, B phrygian, D mixolydian, e aeolian (minor), f# locrian etc. All are the same notes it just depends on what the harmony is of the song. Over Amin7 A dorian will sound good, B7-C7 B phrygian will sound really exotic, etc. hope this helps
▲ i would just quickly like to confess that, by way of practising music theory, i use all your modes/scales/keys/chords analysis videos as a starting point for writing songs. thanks a lot, david!
Nothing wrong with that. We all have to start somewhere. There’s some quote about: “the best songwriters steal/borrow from others,” which I find totally true. The term “influence” is simply a glorified word for stealing someone else’s idea(s). Best of luck in your musical journey!
@@viciousdope66 literally a lot of the soundtrack I make I see that I use a lot of what I know about songs,
Even not knowing music theory very well, it happens some times
I’m 63 and consider myself an advanced beginner in music. I’m enjoying these videos and have learned a lot. Wish I had the internet when I was trying to learn how to play guitar. Thanks!
WHEW!! I thought we were going to get through a whole video without a Beatles example . . . sighed with relief at the end . . . :-D
I missed Radiohead this time. Very sad...
This is why the chorus in Man on the Moon sounds like a key change to me.
It sure does!
David, I am repeatedly blown away by the quality and clarity of your presentations, as well as by your profound understanding of the theory behind it all. The way you demystify Music Theory (through connections with examples we all know and love) is truly fantastic. Awesome job, man!
Joe Satriani's Flying In A Blue Dream is a textbook example of everything Lydian mode should be. Also, the name of the song is possible the most accurate description of what Lydian feels like
I wasn't expecting St Vincent to show up. I love how diverse your examples always are.
Same! Huey Newton is such a great song.
Same!
Think it's what gives the " lift" to the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". Think Sting's 4th bass note is where you hear it.
I wish you had said, "A brilliant example of the Lydian scale in action is...John Williams." And just left it at that.
I swear on my life, I was listening to "The Mission" by John Williams when this video popped up, and I thought to myself, "Wow, what about what I'm listening to right now?"
@@TrevorGrismore it's like half his music, and I love it.
I'm a bedroom hobbyist producer and was writing some chords and made something so uplifting and emotional. I did some research and found that it was using a lydian scale and that's how I ended up here.
What a beautiful sound, I'm so glad to have learned about it. Thank you for the deep dive explanation.
My favorite Lydian example of the I-II pattern is also my favorite song, “Part of Your World” and Ariel’s theme in general (her “ahhhhhh” vocalise) in The Little Mermaid by Alan Menken & Howard Ashman! It just sounds like a magical ocean with rippling waves and really feels like yearning for something that lies just beyond the surface of the water, barely out of reach, a glimmering want, exactly conveying Ariel’s dream of wanting to be a human ❤️
Great example! Wish I had included it 🧜🏻♀️
I don’t hear that as Lydian. I hear that as D minor.
@@Benjy52 the Lydian mode is the brightest mode you can get.
@@Benjy52 but it’s not. They use a Major II chord after a Major I, which is Lydian, whereas it would have to be a minor ii chord to be D minor.
the "da-da-da" melody in Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger" is in E Lydian, which gives it that bright catchy boost. It fits the pattern of only small parts of the music being in Lydian, not the entire piece.
Hi, this video made me write a song using the Lydian scale. I'm so happy with it, I feel it's one of the best songs I've ever written. I had the idea for the song while watching your video, thank you so much for the inspiration!!
This video was so helpful. I studied music for years in high school and college and could never wrap my brain around modes. This video was so clear and detailed without being overwhelming, and I can't wait to add some lydian magic to my songwriting. Thank you, thank you!
C3 to C4 is the Ionian mode(or major scale)
D3 to D4 is the Dorian mode
F3 to F4 is the Lydian mode
A3 to A4 is the Aeolian mode(or natural minor scale)
etc
So with the same 7 notes, we can make 7 different modes.
Actually, we don't need to use any flats and sharps in between if we use the "authentic" key for each mode (so these 7 modes can be played without having to use any black keys on the piano if we want to).
This is the simple way that these modes are initially constructed.
Each one in its own key.
When we move these modes to another key, then of course in order to keep the same relationship between tones and semitones, we use flats and sharps like David did with the C Lydian mode and used a sharp.
“Lydian is unstable” I feel attacked
omg wkwkwk 🤣
😂
You’re also mysterious and ethereal 🤔
Do you feel unstable now?
lydian being the brightest mode but also the most unstable is oddly poetic
Thanks David- I’ve seen Rick Beato and Jake Lizzio about this mode, and yours helped me even more.
Thanks!
there's a song from almendra, a great late 60s argentinian band, called "a estos hombres tristes", the song is centered in a Cmaj7 chord with the raised 4th, the main riff is in 5/4 and it's a tempo mess! It's a really amazing song!
Que loco encontrarme a Almendra acá. Y que banda tremenda la verdad. Todo ese album es tan variado en las canciones y en las estructuras que no suena como ninguna otra cosa. Además que justo esa canción es tan compleja sin perder belleza, como va creciendo entre la letra y los solos del final alternando cada cinco segundos de ritmo mas o menos. Ah, y te faltó mencionar que termina en un Picardy Third, al igual que "Plegaria para un niño dormido".
Translation for those that don't speak Spanish:
How unexpected to find Almendra mentioned here. And what an amazing band they are. That whole album is so diverse in its songs and their structures, that it doesn't sound like anybody else, it's a unique sound. And that song you mentioned is so complex without losing any beauty, the way the music begins developing and growing through the lyrics and the guitar solos in the end, changing tempo every section, it's insane. Oh, and you forgot to mention that the song ends with a Picardy Third, just like "Plegaria para un niño dormido", another song on the same album.
Unos de sus temas mas interesantes B)
@@matpull9014 Concuerdo! Spinetta era una maestro en añadir elementos complejos a sus temas sin perder la musicalidad o que suene forzado!
Invisible también debe de tener varias complejidades en términos de teoría musical. Un maestro el flaco!
Qué gustazo ver que reconocen al genio Spinetta por acá
Radiohead’s All I Need is another example of pure lydian from what I could tell, with Thom’s melody and the Cmaj13#11 chord at the end of the track both emphasizing the #4. Kinda surprised he didn’t include it considering how much of a Radiohead fan he is :))
one of my fave Guitar centric lydian songs is Joe Satrianis Flying in a Blue Dream
Satch is the king of lydian to be honest, he could've filled the whole video ;)
You can’t get more lydian than that.
That song is the lydian anthem
Agree
Yes was just listening to this yesterday
finding out that sara by fleetwood mac is in lydian mode makes so much sense, that is absolutely the reason that song sounds so magical
I was vaguely aware of Lydian as far as it sounds for many years, but never realized until fairly recently that the sound comes from the Lydian mode. Now I constantly recognize it, especially in movie soundtrack music, as you mentioned in the video. I'm surprised you didn't mention perhaps the most famous movie score that uses Lydian, which is John Williams' theme from "Superman: The Movie".
I was once asked by a friend of mine to write her a piece as a sort of "waiting room" tune for her streams. As she likes space and stars a lot, I wrote it entirely in Lydian. Never wrote in that mode before that song. And what you mentioned about how the mode always wants to go back to its relative major scale I can confirm. It was difficult to stay in Lydian, as the sharpend fourth, the characteristic note for that mode, is the leading tone to the tonic of its relative major scale. Which ALSO happens to be the dominant to the one.
1:58 One of the credit songs from Wall-E is literally named "Down To Earth", sung by Peter Gabriel, and it goes from B lydian to C# mixolydian when he sings "We're coming down to the ground". I know it isn't exactly the same as what happens here but still interesting.
Edit: Before changing key center he also sings about being "High in the sky".
Then the actual key signature of it would simply be the note F#.
Hello David. I just finished watching your 3 videos: Dorian, Mixolydian and Lydian modes. These three vid are exceptional. You have done a great job of explaining these modes, their characteristics and giving great song examples to illustrate their characteristics. Thank you for your work.
I believe that's all the modes now!
Now you've gotta move onto the Hungarian Minor, Lydian Augmented, Altered scale and the Double Harmonic Major :D haha
I kid you not, I was just watching last night until 2 AM your videos on modes and wow... the timing couldn't have been better!! You're doing amazing things for people who want to learn more about the insides of western music and I love your videos to the max.
I find that a good way to avoid modulating to the V chord in lydian is to invert it, then quickly move away from it by using secondary chords (yes this does take us away from lydian, but at least maintains the tonic). So for example in C lydian:
||: Cmaj7 | D7/C :||
| G/B Bbm6 | F7/A Ab7 | C/G F#dim7 | Gsus G13 |
Thank you for putting the modes into context like this it’s the most useful way for me to understand these modes
Sting has nice Lydian tunes: Seven Days, Every Little Thing She Does, Don't Stand So Close To Me or The Lazarus Heart
I get what you're talking about with every little thing she does and lazarus heart, but the rest are definitely not lydian lol
@@francoomarlopezlopez Seven Days's verse is Lydian, although you can only hear vividly live, when Sting sings a slightly altered melody with a raised fourth to stress the Lydian aspect.
Don't Stand's riff is also distinctly Lydian with that raised fourth, although the tonal center seems to be a minor chord (so it's a bVI-i progression, not a I-iii).
Don' Stand it's in G minor, not Eb Lydian
Seven Days is pretty ambiguous in tonality, but it's not lydian
@@francoomarlopezlopez it is Lydian, and Don't Stand has this characteristic Lydian raised fourth in the riff and vocal hook - but because of the resolution to G minor, the Lydian effect is reduced.
@@radiozelaza have you ever heard of root notes?
If you haven't, I'll explain it
The root note is the note that a melody or harmony wants to resolve to
So whichever note sounds most resolved, will be the root note
In don't stand, that root note is G
And the scale that is used goes G, A, Ab, C, D, Eb, F
Those are the notes of G natural minor
IF the root were Eb it would be Lydian, but it's not
The root is G from my perception, and also most musician's perception
If you wanna test it out, hum a G note over it and see if you think it's resolved
Glad to see an Elliott Smith example here, he’s my second favourite songwriter ever and his music is so harmonically rich and beautiful
Who's your first?
@@Drewlyy Joji hahah, definitely not the most complex or skilled songwriter but his music has helped me through a lot in my personal life. It could change with time though, some of my other favourites are Gilbert O’Sullivan, Justin Vernon, George Harrison, Elton John, Nick Drake, Mac DeMarco, Nick Rattigan, Kurt Cobain, Frank Ocean.. a lot more. :)
@@yearnpill Man, I've never listened to Jojo but i do know him from his filthy frank days. But I'm a huge fan of all the other favorites you mentioned so i think it's time i check his stuff out!
2:45 am is also in phrygian btw.
Elliott Smith was a pop genius. The lyrical angst of a Cobain with the harmonic nous of McCartney.
Fantastic video. Love the section where you dispel the Lydian myths and the differences between those progressions. "Dreams" is cool to me because we don't really get that tonic chord and it's fun to think about how we can so strongly perceive something that's not really there. You helped me see it's at least in part because of the melody!
Thanks! 😃The thing with Dreams is we do actually get the tonic chord later for the guitar break (when it shifts to “Am”)
@@DavidBennettPiano "Dreams" is in C major!!! I insist
Tears for Fears and R.E.M. are two of my favorite bands/groups, and he gives examples of them consecutively? Yayyyyy
At first I was like, wait.. Where's The Beatles example?? Then I breathed a sigh of relief towards the end.
Let me guess-- you were listening to this and asking "Please don't be very long..."
I just wanna say a big "Thank You" , for making those kind of videos, because its really easier to learn theory aurally with examples with help from your videos! Don't remove those series, please!
Glad you like them!
Flying in a Blue Dream by Satriani is another exquisite example of Lydian ethereal beauty.
Excellent video and description David - from a rock angle - REO Speedwagons Keep On Loving You is a perfect Lydian example - F Lydian resolving to the root C.
Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani is also an interesting take on the lydian sound. He includes the #11 in each of the chord changes then plays the associated lydian scale over it.
4:59
I'm just a beginner in guitar and not familiar with theories but when I saw the words 'ethereal' and 'magical', I came up with St. Vincent right away. Then, she appeared. It's astonishing!
It looks like so much time and effort and research goes into these videos with editing and the video effects and then writing a song on top of that?? I always feel so educated after watching these videos even if I don't know as much about music theory as I should to follow along. I just find all of this so interesting and I really enjoy these videos. So, thank you for making them!
DUDE you have got to be the finest theory and modal teacher that exists on UA-cam. You have opened my eyes so much in this regard and i have studied music for over 40 years. Cannot emphasize enough!!! Fantastic job!!
I always feel smarter watching these videos. Thank you for explaining deep music theory in such a way that amateurs can understand
Thanks Uncle Phil 😃
Oh man these video's are soooooo well made. My teacher asked me to write a piece in the lydian scale but I didn't understand anything about it. But thanks to you I'm all up to speed.
12:50 - I'd argue that Lydian is hyper-stable. It carries no tension to resolve from and so it feels immobile, even though it can be atmospherically very captivating.
If it has no tension to resolve, then it isnt stable
@@carsonnichols7428 Indeed. I actually was in the middle of editing this comment hours ago, because I considered a better way to describe it: hyper-consonant. It’s all consonance, no dissonance. There is no downward resolution in it, only upward to the fifth and upward to the root. Unless you consider the fifth to be resolving to the augmented fourth.
The notion that tension needs to be resolved in order to have a good musical experience strikes me as a rather Euro-centric viewpoint (or is that the primary focus of this channel?)...
m.ua-cam.com/video/Kr3quGh7pJA/v-deo.html
Yeah I know what you mean ...dissonant notes sound like there fighting with each other
@@kodowdus It doesn’t need to happen to be good. It’s just that it lends to stasis over motion. Stasis is important for setting a modal atmosphere.
The piece of music in the outro is so beautiful, romantic yet well-controlled, not an ebullient cliché at all....
This is brilliant, as always. Always enjoy your videos explaining why some songs aren't quite as simple as we think.
Great video on my favorite mode. In Indian classical music, Lydian is used way more than anywhere else perhaps. Lydian, Lydian b2, Lydian b2 b6, modes are all norms in Indian classical music
Joe Satriani’s “Flying the in a Blue Dream” is an amazing example of the Lydian sound. It’s definitely worth checking it out.
I cannot thank you enough. You drew my attention to the fact that two of my fav songs by two of my fav bands are in Lydian (Oceans and Man on the Moon - talking about the mystical nature of Lydian…)
Fantastic explanation, once again. You did a great job of going through the tritone resolution and why it sounds the way it does. Thanks! Keep up the great work!
I've always heard "Here Comes My Girl" as being entirely in E major. It's just that the tonic is not hit until the chorus, but that's what makes the chorus such a refreshing resolution.
The outro returns to that I-II Lydian vamp with the guitar and piano noodling all over in ways that don't sound like E major to me, and there's even an extended version that doesn't fade out at the end but ends on the A chord. I hear it as a song in A Lydian that breaks out of it for the chorus, which does indeed make the chorus stand out in a way that's very satisfying.
Wonderful! I always enjoy examples of the modes in pop songs... thanks David
I was having dinner with a friend tonight and told him I’d watched this video earlier today. we spent another hour talking about music and at the end of it I showed him the music video for a-ha’s “take on me”. I was like “something’s amiss in the intro, it’s like it’s jumping up a key, but how? Bm definitely sounds like a tonic to me but then the A also sounds like the tonic shortly after!”
So I tried to play it on the synth and after taking a moment to think it struck me that the first 2 chords are in D Lydian, but then this E major with the G# is used as a transition chord to A major which most of the song is in.
So satisfying to get to use the knowledge I acquired from this video the exact same day haha :)
Very timely! I’m finally starting to understand the modes in more than an abstract sense.
Zappa used it a lot, as in "Watermelon in Easter Hay". So beautiful.
You’ve absolutely made my day by including an Elliott Smith classic!
I'm sure I'm not the first person to have brought them up, but Cardiacs love the lydian scale. Too many examples to list, but they're a goldmine of music theory application in general.
17:26 - "Blue Jay Way" is like a Lydian-Locrian hybrid. Or Lydian #2
Always kinda felt like a mode of the harmonic minor scale to me.. but I think that's just the minor third between the E flat and the F sharp
@@GiveZeeAChance that might be because its using all the notes of lydian and lydian b3 and lydian b3 is a mode of the harmonic major scale
That's a strange sounding song
@@brendancronin3796 indeed!
i've realized this ethereal scale is my favorite! i didn't realize so many songs i listen to are in this scale. i love the magical whimsical feeling so everytime i hear a song in this scale i add it to my playlist.
Thank you for pointing out the tritone concept when it comes to modes. The fact that Lydian and Locrian both start on these tritone intervals plays part as to why these modes are on opposite ends of the Modal Spectrum.
Thanks! And good point! 😃
These vids are the gold standard when it comes to understanding modes
You had me worried there for a second with not mentioning the Beatles.
I'm still worried that there was no Radiohead.
David your channel is gold. One of the best UA-cam channels. Not only the musical educating, but greatly entertaining! Thanks much!
The brief Zep example of "dancing days" you used (to avoid the copyright strike I presume) was superb.... excellent guitar sound.
I was listening to the song “P*rn Star Dancing” by My Darkest Days” and the hook felt so interesting. Comes to find out it slides into Lydian mode. Would not have understood what was happening without this video.
Marty O'Donnell based the OG Destiny soundtrack on lydian dominant and it is absolutely beautiful
12:35 The first 3 bars are the chords to "Keep on Loving You" by REO Speedwagon.
And with that, the circle is complete!
But seriously, great video David. I can’t wait to see what you have in store next!
Two of my favs are Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani (exclusively C Lydian, save the bridge) and the B section of Ace of Wands by Steve Hackett (A Lydian and C Lydian).
You have no idea how excited I was when I saw this video
Excellent again, David. Congratulations on 850000 hits on 4 inventive key changes
It's really cool how well Lydian fits a mysterious space theme. Perfect for Yoda!
'Freewill' by Rush - the main riff basically walks up, down and around in F Lydian.
Also 'Nice Dream' by Radiohead is in A major for the most part . . . But the guitar riff just before each verse starts runs between A and A5#11 back and forth until the vocals begin - which gives it the feeling of moving between F major and F Lydian because of how the chords are voiced. Clever given the dream like qualities of Lydian and the poignant, hopeful but downtrodden lyrics of the song. It wants to be lydian, it suggests it could be, but cant ever bring itself to reach those lofty heights.
the outro sounds amazing
Thank you 😃
i’ve picked up on the fact that soooo many songs utilize that bVI bVII i movement, one that would be just I II iii in lydian. glad to hear this „lydian-ish” addition so often. hanging around those degrees in a minor key sounds awesome.
Excellent video. Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.
Thanks Robert 😃😃
Nice that you included Here Comes my Girl. Dont Go to Pieces by The Cars also has a lydian change. And a unique chord progression
Thanks for using the *score* for the movie - I saw the pic of Michael J. Fox, and I thought "No, dude that's not what Huey Lewis looks like!"
Another good one, and I love the way you explain with examples. The end piece is beautiful.
I think I've got another example: Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon - it seems to progress in Lydian mode: C - D/C - Em/C, until just before the chorus where it moves to G. It's amazing how Lydian does feel like it needs to resolve to the 5th more than if played in the major scale.
I started playing the Lydian scale, and my fingers went straight to "Oh My Love" by John Lennon from the Imagine album, from the chord chart this seems to be more or less in D Lydian, the vocal melody certainly is.
Then the root note is D, but the actual key signature is A.
Light bulbs flashing in my head! The first time this beginner has understood what a mode is - Thanks David! I think it was your simple song examples that did the trick!
I was literally listening to Radiohead when you uploaded this
You summoned him
I'm glad you used "Pretty Ballerina" as an example of the Lydian mode. In his famous 1967 television broadcast on the amazing advances in popular music at that time, Leonard Bernstein used the song as one of his examples and said (paraphrase), "I could also add that it is written in the Lydian mode, but no one would know what that is." Now i finally do.
The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” Sting uses G Lydian in the bass line from the intro and verses. While Andy Summers walks up the Lydian Scale.
Very cool example, as it also resolves to D major in the chorus, thereby resolving to its Ionic parallel scale
stop acting smart cuz you watched one rick beato video😂
jk. it is cool
@@cullenbrownmusic lol
Definitely feel this one in D the whole time. To my ears it’s basically just IV-V over and over again. G-A-G/B-A/C# etc until D. But the Lydian sound is totally there and is probably why I love this song so much. Also throws in some bVI and bVII stuff for kicks too. Basically all my favorite harmonic ingredients.
I think a song that is exclusively in Lydian mode (A Lydian) is "Distance" by Two Lanes. The key signature is E major or C# minor (4 sharps), but it starts and ends in A major. The first chord change is to B major (fitting the I/II vamp) and this is done multiple times. There are no accidentals.
Is it bad that when I saw Yoda in the thumbnail, I thought it was going to be BadLipReadings "Seagulls stop it now" song?
I thought the same thing and then worked out that Seagulls is in mixolydian. I think.
Hahahaha you’re not the only one
Someday, when you are older...
I'm glad you specifically addressed the ambiguity between the lydian tonic and the flat6 of its counterpart minor scale. Many times I don't feel like those songs are really in lydian mode (save for John Williams and some classic examples) but only orbit around b6 and b7 in the minor scale even when they don't resolve in the tonic. Great video!
Ayyy I never thought I'd see Pearl Jam in one of these analyses, my favorite band of all time. Are you a fan of them?
Probably one of the reasons I think lydian sounds better than major. Major to me has always sounded sad, but it's mainly the third degree, which begins on phrygian, a very dark scale. I also always found the resolve from the diminished to tonic in the major scale as sounding melancholy and...off. Combined with the phrygian degree to me it's always sounded sour and dissonant.
As someone who had to have a pet guinea pig to sleep earlier today, this lush video on lydian is helping me better cope! Just imagining him in rainbow bridge with that lydian score at the end of the video underneath as he's munching on grass and he's frolicking about brings a smile to my face! Thanks for making my night that much brighter!
My favorite example of lydian is the Lost Woods theme from Ocarina of Time.
Yes!
Song of Healing uses the Lydian scale too
It's not, it just starts on the fourth instead of the root. It is very clearly in C major just starts on F.
@@TheRealUncleScar yeah, definitely. The way it emphasizes the sharp #4 in the melody over that F chord is very memorable though and it gives it the otherworldly lydian vibe to my ears. It's my go-to when I try to think of a lydian sound.
The example at 12:30 is REO Speedwagon which resolves to C major.
Based on this video, I have to assume that Radiohead haven't got any Lydian songs at all!
@@nathanwilson2053 airbags intro is in friggian.
not sure about the rest of the song
im sure radiohead has many lydian songs
That piece at the end was beautiful!!
Thanks Jack 😃