What Mode Is This Lick Challenge Options

[The Professor]

Guess That Mode

To help build our understanding and application of the different theory concepts we are covering here in the Professor’s Theory Guide, I will be posting various licks for us to analyze and check out together.

Here is the first lick, written out of a G chord. To begin, try and learn the pattern on the guitar, always good to apply any theory concept and scale pattern to your instrument.






Then, try and answer the following questions, posting them below and using the “spoiler” button to the left of this page to keep others from seeing your answers.


1. What is the mode used in this pattern?

2. What is the “parent” scale for this mode (i.e. the major scale that it is built from).

3. What is the “characteristic” note of this mode, what makes it sound like it does?

4. What would be the notes of this mode if you wrote it out starting on the note C?

Spoiler:

1. G Lydian
2. D Major Scale
3. #4 or #11
4. C D E F# G A B C

Post your answers below and I’ll be glad to check them out and help out with any questions you may have about this lick and mode.

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This post has been edited by The Professor: Aug 7 2013, 10:10 AM

[Taka Perry]

This was pretty fun to work out!

Spoiler:

First of all, I noticed that besides the C#, the scale was a regular G major. This meant that the lick there had to be G lydian, so

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

Lydian starts on the fourth scale degree of a major scale, so if we count back, the parent scale is D major, so

2. D Major

Now, I'm not sure if I'm right on this one, but the sharpened fourth is what gives this mode the 'lydian feel'. I believe there is a Lydian chord, which is a maj7#11 chord, but the #11 is technically a #4.

3. The #4, and consequently the lydian chord

If the mode was to be based around C Ionian, we would have F lydian, so

4. F lydian (F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F)

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[The Professor]

This was pretty fun to work out!

Spoiler:

First of all, I noticed that besides the C#, the scale was a regular G major. This meant that the lick there had to be G lydian, so

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

Lydian starts on the fourth scale degree of a major scale, so if we count back, the parent scale is D major, so

2. D Major

Now, I'm not sure if I'm right on this one, but the sharpened fourth is what gives this mode the 'lydian feel'. I believe there is a Lydian chord, which is a maj7#11 chord, but the #11 is technically a #4.

3. The #4, and consequently the lydian chord

If the mode was to be based around C Ionian, we would have F lydian, so

4. F lydian (F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F)

Nice one mate, all correct answers! Glad you dug the exercise, more to come.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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