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The Lydian Mode happens to be one of my favorites. To
me it has a sort of "smart" sound. If you use this mode
within the context of a rock or metal song, you will end
up sounding very sophisticated. Of course, this is my
opinion and modes are very subjective. If you have been
doing your homework, you will already have found a couple
that you prefer. Hopefully, I can help make Lydian one
of them.
Let’s cover a few basics:
1) Lydian is a major mode. It is determined major
because it contains a Major 3rd. In the key of A Lydian,
the major 3rd is C#. (If it was C instead of C#, then
it would be some kind of minor mode. ie., phrygian,
dorian, aeolian.)
2) Since it is a major, you can use A major pentatonic
right along with it.
Example 1:
This lick combines sweep picking and tapping in conjunction
with the Lydian mode.The first 5 notes of lick #1 are
played with a single downward stroke. This is called
sweep picking. The tapping is done with the third and
middle finger. I find this use of multiple fingers works
best. This enables me to use my palm to mute the string
noise and my pick to pick any notes that are not tapped.
Work on this technique slowly. It can be very difficult
to get down. The chord in the background is an A Major.
The notes that are picked in the background are D#,
A, and E.
Example 2:
This lick takes the techniques used in all the last
lick a little further. The notes that are not tapped
are played by using sweep picking. If the notes ascend,
they use a downward sweep. If the notes descend, they
use an upward sweep. This covers this technique in more
detail. Again, the tapping is played with the third
and middle fingers. (3rd finger taps the D# note on
the 23rd fret). Also the notes that are tapped on at
the end (A-24th, G#-23rd) are natural harmonic’s. Although
it is not notated, while you tap these notes on, you
will hold the same note one octave below it on the same
string (that would be the 11th and 12th fret). This
lick is played against an A power chord (A, E). The
effect that was used on this lick is a phaser.
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