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Lydian Dominant Notation

L

Lithius

Dec 20, 2009
16
0
#1
Howdy guys,

My question is about how lydian dominant should written as a
key signature. I'm writing a song completely in B lydian dom.
Should it written as lydian with a flat 7th or mixolydian with a
sharp 4th? or maybe something else? Your help would be much appreciated :D
 
#3
Since it's a dominant flavor, I would say B mixolydian/E Major. In my mind, the primary flavor in such is one of B7 with a raised 11th, not BMaj7(#11) with a minor 7th. But I would suggest accidentals, NOT a key with E# and A natural, as a performer might be quite confused by this. Many might count the #'s or b's, and would see B Major (5#'s), which, of course, would not be right at all.
 
#4
Your question is between theory and practice. Parts that go to the performers should always be as clear as possible. That is, use the key signature that is closest to the collection of notes you use and fill in the rest with accidentals. Inventing or using non-standard notation, while sometimes necessary, always adds to confusion for the performer and an additional need for rehearsal time.
 
#5
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm very used to playing lowered 7th scale degrees. Almost habitually in certain genres! I recommend using the Mixolydian Key and using an accidental for the raised 4th. This will bring attention to the raised fourth every time and give the player a heads up of the resolution tendencies of both the lowered 7th and raised 4th. Cool scale to use, by the way.
 
#8
Whoa, wars have been fought over what I am about to say.

First, what is a mode. It's a mood of a major scale. Mixolydian and Lydian are moods of a major scale. OK what major scale are they a mood of? Any one you like.

Scale degrees:
1, 2, 3,.. 4, 5, 6,. 7 is the major scale.
1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6,. 7 is the Lydian mood of the major scale.
1, 2, 3,...4, 5, 6,.b7 is the Mixolydian mood of the major scale.

The Lydian dominant mode will have both a #4 and a b7. But, it is still just a mood of a major scale.

Which major scale. Any one you want. The one you chose is what decides the key signature. Key signatures show what major and/or minor scale/key the song is to be played in. Not what mode is to be used to play the song. That is dictated by the notes used. Yes you will go out of scale to get the mood you are looking for - you sharp the 4th for Lydian and you flat the 7th for Mixolydian. For Lydian dominant you will use both the #4 and the b7.

If you want to use Dorian you just moved from the major scale to the natural minor scale. How would this affect the key signature? I don't need an answer, you hash it out....

Natural minor scale 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7.
Dorian takes the natural minor scale and sharps the b6.
Phrygian takes the natural minor scale and flats the 2.
Locrian takes the natural minor scale and flats 2 and the 5

If you are still using:
Ionian = C, D, E, F, G, A, B
Dorian = ...D, E, F, G, A, B C
Phrygian =.....E, F, G, A, B, C, D
That's relative modes; easy to teach thus what most of us were taught. Easy to teach, hard to use. Parallel modes are much easier to use in a song. Parallel modes are; want Phrygian, use the natural minor scale and flat the 2, if you want Dorian use the natural minor scale and sharp the b6 back to a natural 6.

Good luck and have fun.
 
#9
Lithius said:
Howdy guys,

My question is about how lydian dominant should written as a
key signature. I'm writing a song completely in B lydian dom.
Should it written as lydian with a flat 7th or mixolydian with a
sharp 4th? or maybe something else? Your help would be much appreciated :D
Click to expand...

Since you say that your song is entirly in B7(#11) I would use the B Major key signature. That way you will emphasize the b7 and #4(#11) on the chart making it easy to read and understanding the alterations.

For me it is best to use either the major or minor key signatures for reading and understanding the tonal center. Even major blues songs are written in major key even if the first chord has a dominant flavor.
 
#10
It's almost a trick question. Because "key signatures" are used to indicate what "key" a piece of music is in (or starts in), and "B Lydian Dominant" isn't a "key" at all, it's a mode, aka an unordered pitch collection.

Therefore, imo the most efficient, effective, and obvious way to indicate the modal collection your piece uses to the musicians who have to read/play it -- in addition to the aforementioned suggestions to use the key signature of the most closely related major scale plus accidentals to account for the necessary deviations -- would be to write a big bold parenthetical "(B Lydian Dominant)" right at the start of the piece, above the first bar.

iow, Be as unambiguous and unequivocal as possible. Just tell them.
 
#11
When the home scale for the piece is not diatonic, it would be very confusing to indicate the key as meaning anything other than the tonal center. It does not help to imply a diatonic tonality by notating it as if it were an altered lydian of some other key, when that other key is never going to function as the tonic. That just adds confusion for no real benefit (other than a few less accidentals).

I would notate it in B using accidentals for the 4 and 7.
 
#12
MalcolmAmos said:
Whoa, wars have been fought over what I am about to say.

First, what is a mode. It's a mood of a major scale. Mixolydian and Lydian are moods of a major scale. OK what major scale are they a mood of? Any one you like.
Click to expand...

No, a mode is not a mood of the major scale. Modes are separate scales that relate to the major scale.

Scale degrees:
1, 2, 3,.. 4, 5, 6,. 7 is the major scale.
1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6,. 7 is the Lydian mood of the major scale.
1, 2, 3,...4, 5, 6,.b7 is the Mixolydian mood of the major scale.

The Lydian dominant mode will have both a #4 and a b7. But, it is still just a mood of a major scale.
Click to expand...

No, lydian dominant is a mode of the melodic minor (acending) scale. Sometimes called "jazz minor."



More confusion is spread about teaching modes than any other concept. Teaching modes as "a major scale played from X to X" does not teach modes. It explains how modes are constructed, and that's all.
 
#14
First, what is a mode. It's a mood of a major scale.
Click to expand...

Hmm well, maybe but quite-far removed. I think of lydian dominant as the 4th mode of melodic minor:
Given G as root, starting from the 4th degree produces
C D E F# G A Bb

Since Melodic minor is a variant of Dorian (or Aeolian), I guess one could think of it Lydian Dominant as a synthetic mode ( it is also referred to as Acoustic Scale by Slonimsky) and used quite often by Bartok, Scriabin, and others.

As for a key signature, I would have to see the melody written out. Then I would choose the most conventional key to facilitate easy and accurate reading, then supplying additional accidentals where needed. I would not fashion a non-standard key signature (though some have), it just causes questions.
 
#15
teleharmonium said:
What do you mean by mood ?
Click to expand...

Each mode has a mood. A specific sound. In our music we normally let the vocalist set the mood. If you are going to play an instrumental solo - lead break - you should maintain the mood the vocalist has set. Problem with this is the modal mood needs a modal vamp for the modal mood to develop. The normal chord progression calls attention to the tonal center of the progression. A modal vamp sustains the characteristic mood of the mode you are using IF the vamp contains the right chords. Normally no more than two. One being the tonic chord and one having the characteristic note of the mode.

Ionian is the major scale. Kinda hard getting a modal mood from the major scale as it is THE MAJOR Scale. The major scale is said to give an attractive up beat happy sound. If you want that forget about a mode and just use the major scale.

Lydian is a major mode and gives a day dreamy mood. The #4 is it's characteristic note.

Mixolydian is a major mode and gives a Latin or Blues mood. Depending on the number of dominant sevenths used. It's characteristic note is the b7.

Aeolian is the natural scale and it like the major scale has a specific sound. It is said to have a sad sound. I hear startled more than sad. It is the home bass for all the other minor modes. It's characteristic note is the b6.

Dorian is a minor mode and gives an attractive jazz mood. it's characteristic note is the natural 6.

Phrygian is a minor mode and gives an exotic sound or mood. Where I hear Mexican with the Mixolydian mode I hear Spanish or middle Eastern with the Phrygian mode. It's characteristic note is the b2.

Locrian is the diminished mode. As such it to is minor using the b2 and b5 in it's makeup. It gives a tense and dark mood. It's modal vamp is best done with just one chord, the m7b5 1/2 diminished chord droning in the background.

Each mode has a mood, IF you play the right chords under the modal notes. Remember a chord progression calls attention to the tonal center of the progression and a modal vamp calls attention to the characteristic note of the mode. The droning characteristic note sustains the mood.

Question. How many moods will a song have? Probably one. Your vocalist can set that mood for you. If you will be playing an instrumental solo lead break pick the mode that will sustain the mood set by the vocalist and ask the guys to change from the chord progression they used for the vocalist to a modal vamp for your solo. Yep, something to think about.

Good luck with that.
 
#16
There is so much wrong with the above post I don't know where to start.

Please do not interpret it as a discussion of music theory.
 
#17
MalcolmAmos said:
Each mode has a mood. A specific sound. In our music we normally let the vocalist set the mood. If you are going to play an instrumental solo - lead break - you should maintain the mood the vocalist has set. Problem with this is the modal mood needs a modal vamp for the modal mood to develop. The normal chord progression calls attention to the tonal center of the progression. A modal vamp sustains the characteristic mood of the mode you are using IF the vamp contains the right chords. Normally no more than two. One being the tonic chord and one having the characteristic note of the mode.

Ionian is the major scale. Kinda hard getting a modal mood from the major scale as it is THE MAJOR Scale. The major scale is said to give an attractive up beat happy sound. If you want that forget about a mode and just use the major scale.

Lydian is a major mode and gives a day dreamy mood. The #4 is it's characteristic note.

Mixolydian is a major mode and gives a Latin or Blues mood. Depending on the number of dominant sevenths used. It's characteristic note is the b7.

Aeolian is the natural scale and it like the major scale has a specific sound. It is said to have a sad sound. I hear startled more than sad. It is the home bass for all the other minor modes. It's characteristic note is the b6.

Dorian is a minor mode and gives an attractive jazz mood. it's characteristic note is the natural 6.

Phrygian is a minor mode and gives an exotic sound or mood. Where I hear Mexican with the Mixolydian mode I hear Spanish or middle Eastern with the Phrygian mode. It's characteristic note is the b2.

Locrian is the diminished mode. As such it to is minor using the b2 and b5 in it's makeup. It gives a tense and dark mood. It's modal vamp is best done with just one chord, the m7b5 1/2 diminished chord droning in the background.

Each mode has a mood, IF you play the right chords under the modal notes. Remember a chord progression calls attention to the tonal center of the progression and a modal vamp calls attention to the characteristic note of the mode. The droning characteristic note sustains the mood.

Question. How many moods will a song have? Probably one. Your vocalist can set that mood for you. If you will be playing an instrumental solo lead break pick the mode that will sustain the mood set by the vocalist and ask the guys to change from the chord progression they used for the vocalist to a modal vamp for your solo. Yep, something to think about.

Good luck with that.
Click to expand...

Very true, every single last point you make.

Just to add, there are a lot more moods than that, like the moods of the melodic minor, harmonic minor and harmonic major scales. In fact, you can combine moods in a specific musical equation wherein S is the parent scale degree the first mood begins on, D is the second mood's parent scale's number of consecutive half step intervals, Σ is the Schillinger Expansion of the first modal mood, G is the number of voices in counterpoint within the synthesis of the two moods, and Z is the length of the composition in divisions of an hour (rounded to the nearest tenth).

(3S^G) + (4Z/(G+7Σ))

This way you can combine them to get bigger and more powerful moods. Eventually you want to catch them all and become pokemood master.

Anyway, just curious, in your opinion, what is the best mood for metal?
 
#18
MalcolmAmos said:
Each mode has a mood. A specific sound.
Click to expand...

OK, well, we all have subjective ways of thinking about sounds, and that's fine, but those sorts of things are not factual statements. Beyond that, I think it's absurd to view lydian and mixolydian as any sort of derivative or variant of a major scale.

Music is defined by sounds and we then describe the sounds with words and theoretical constructs. It doesn't go back the other way; when our constructs have commonalities, this does not change the sounds. Each unique scale has a unique sound and because of that, at the most they can be subjectively compared to other scales, or described in sections based on the commonalities.

MalcolmAmos said:
Aeolian is the natural scale and it like the major scale has a specific sound. It is said to have a sad sound. I hear startled more than sad.
Click to expand...

This reminds me of the show Iron Chef, when the panel will sample picked crab brains or something like that, and describe the taste as "nostalgic".
 
#19
Given no other info about the music, for B lydian dominant I'd just pick a key sig of B lydian (F# major) or B mixolydian (E major). But it really will depend on the chords and melody...In practice, I'd most likely go by the main cadences in the chord progression and let accidentals fall where they may.
 

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