Rhythm Guitar Lessons
Learn guitar chords and strumming techniques
The Lydian scale is considered a major scale as its home chord is a major triad.
The intervals are Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Augmented 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th and Major 7th.
The Swars are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni – all Shuddh except Teevra Ma.
Songs based on the A Lydian scale commonly use chords A, B, E. Other triads you can play are C#m, D#dim, F#m, G#m.
This scale is also called the Lydian Mode or the 4thmode of the Diatonic Scale, as it has the same interval spacing but uses the 5th note as its Tonic. For instance, the F Lydian scale (F, G, A, B, C, D, E) is the 5th mode of the C Ionian scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B). Both scales will have the same chords, but the home chord will be different.
You could also check out my detailed lesson on this scale – “Scale Ki Pehchaan - Lydian Mode”. Songs based on Raag Yaman and Yaman-Kalyan use chords based on the Lydian scale). The sharp 4th interval or Teevra Ma allows you to play a Major triad built on the 2nd interval and this chord is when played in conjunction with the home major chord gives songs based on this scale a strong similarity.
Here’s a fretboard diagram showing the notes in an A Lydian scale.
Sa-Re-ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni