Mode Comparison · Guitar Theory
Two modal colors that define film and rock
Lydian raises the 4th (♯4) and keeps the major 7th — dreamy, floating, film-score quality. Mixolydian lowers the 7th (♭7) — bluesy, rock, dominant feel. Both are major-flavored but point in opposite directions tonally.
1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Both Lydian and Mixolydian are diatonic modes — they share the same 7 notes as the major scale but start on different scale degrees. Understanding the relationship between all 7 modes is the foundation of the Dead Sea Scales system.
Once you understand how Lydian and Mixolydian relate to each other, the next step is the 5 Missing Notes™ system — 5 chromatic notes that generate 35 additional scale variations, giving you 42 total modes to work with.
Switch between Lydian and Mixolydian instantly · All 12 keys · Audio playback · All 42 exotic variations
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