E Lydian Improvisation

[ZachTHEeuphorian]

I caught the mattias eklundh in there. Very inspired. Great job

[Alkinoos7]

very familiar sound, reminds me of Satriani and Vai, indeed! Loved that video, man, thanks for uploading!

[SCOPOtuaMADRE]

UNA DISCRETA ESECUZIONE PORCO DI QUEL DIO

[44WhiteChocolate]

this is great man,question how many positions does the E lydian scale have? ive been looking for a site that is good and shows all the major scales and all the positions do you know any? thanks

[voskresene]

Great use of the bar. Thanks for the post.

[annabatarowicz]

great

. and i love how a lot of this guitar style goes right over peoples heads... (man)?? your ment to feel music not hear it or listen to it. ive put hendrix machine gun on for people yto listen to and they just sit there poe faced not having a clue

[minkorrh]

@annabatarowicz I have the same problem.......I find most people believe the two things on each side of the head are for listening - Not true! They are for hearing. The heart is where the listening takes place. ;-D

[GodlessShredder]

I LOVE this mode... And I'm into death metal xD

The augmented 4 (tritone) really makes this scale in my opinion =)

[Metalliprog91]

@GodlessShredder That's because it does make the scale! Without it it would just be a major scale :P

[GodlessShredder]

@Metalliprog91 I know, I'm just saying it's interesting that a supposedly "evil" interval that was banned in church music during the Feudal era makes such a beautiful and moving scale.

[pinfinity]

...Impressive...Most Impressive

[AndreasSku93]

Sounds great! Very Vai'ish :)

[YourGuitarTutor]

Excellent improvisation I think. Would you be able to tell me where I can find that backing track?

[antimatter07]

lydian is steve.. but joe uses every scale that is known to man

[RODNEYSTEPHEN]

Is that a backing track? Where did you get that? i love your playing and phrasing , great stuff. Do you play i other modes too?

[jdamotte]

@RODNEYSTEPHEN thaks a lot!! send me an email to jdamotte@hotmail.com and I'll send you the backing track ;)

And yes I play in other modes too. My favourites are Dorian, Mixolydian, Lydian, Aeolian Dominant aka the Hindu Mode (see my Guitare Xtreme video) and Hungarian Minor. Modal improvisation is challenging at first, but very rewarding in the end.

[andrew19vato]

@jdamotte hungarian minor? never heard of that mode...i love playing in modes especially dorian and lydian dominant!

[JeremieGalan777]

is that John Petrucci's Ibanez signature guitar???

[ilumon]

Sounds so much like Vai

[GodlessShredder]

@ilumon It's a very popular scale with him.

[silkstrings9420]

sounds awesome im going to thumbs up this...an F# to an E? i always thought to be all over F# mixo....but E lydian...hmmm sounds like Rob Balducci..awesome bro

[pootrap]

This is really good dude.....there are definately elements of Steve Vai in there so ggod job!!!!

[biloxi1314]

god i want that guitar so badd.... i wish they still made that model along side the music man

[82mtlhead]

Haha, definitely heard some "Under A Glass Moon" in this. Great solo, really heard influences of Petrucci, Vai, and even some Jeff Beck. Great guitar btw

[GuitarSlinger2112]

For all you guys having trouble with modal playing you may want to check out Frank Gambale's Modes: No More Mystery. He plays each mode around the same tonal center over modal progressions which really helps you to pick up on the idea of playing something other than an Ionian scale.

[GayHugh]

Man, I admire your whammy control. Do I hear a little Eklundh in there?

[eyeoftheterrible]

the root of the lydian mode is F correct? as in, when it has no sharps or flats?

[ovah9000]

@eyeoftheterrible yes

[merlynfry]

@eyeoftheterrible Yeah

[deskinsanthony]

Tidussloan321 ok if u want it to sound good then try learning lydian melodies from Satriani or Vai then just mess around with them and incorporate them into your playing by playing them backwards or whatever. Also learn the modes cuz once u use the modes of a certain key over a specific chord from that key, then all the modes on the fretboard becomes one giant scale with endless possibilities. U dont always need to keep playing the root note as long as u have a backing track like he does.

[TheNosnawS]

very nice

[tidussloan321]

can someone please explain to me how you can get away with playing in an area that doesnt start with the root note e, when he is playing in e lydian? surely to play in e you should play in an area where the root is e.? eg. 12 fret low e, 7 fret on a, etc.. i need to learn how this works because the way im thinking must be wrong because im restricted to certain areas of the neck for certain keys?

[deskinsanthony]

Dude ur fucking good. Those phrases with the 9th fret harmonics were genius. I will steal them mwahahaha no but. If u don't mind I do wanna incorporate some of those phrases in my playing

[andriessen]

Where did you get the backing?

[YnoTtfg]

very virtual ocean

[guitarz94]

i've been trying so hard to get the sound of this mode but i simply cant... =( but then again. that may be because i started learning it yesterday LOL

[Hardysamnin]

Lydian is our friend ^_^ Nice improvisation, couldn't help but notice the Mattias IA Eklundh influence.

[Deathz0r94]

Is that a JPM?

[Zanthxs]

Beautiful sky high tones... excellent improv, in my opinion... thanks for posting and the inspiration to play the Lydian mode...

[demonicjoel]

my ears a crap today, what kind of backing chords is he playing. I'm gathering the first is like an Emaj 7 right?

[furzid]

under a glass moon ;-D

[JcVen]

Lydian mode = Steve Vai mode. ;)

[FearlessSpinner]

Where did you get that backingtrack?

[Alekos95]

nice playing, but i think that some parts sound a little too like a solo iv'e heard from Steve Vai

[motarski]

Nice bro. Vai'shly a bit, but very nice. Keep up the good work

[f22turboaccord]

fucking sick P3 guitar, reminds me of Under A Glass Moon Yeah!!!! 1 3 #4 5 7 I heard it in there hell yeah

[guitarguy316]

I think this is a very cool mode!

[unkparadise]

Great impro, i hope you enjoy my Lydian Dream too , regards from Spain !!

[javi212]

way too much gain, shitty tone

[sparkomatic]

Has anyone mentioned yet that E Lydian and F# Mixolydian are the same thing--same notes, both of the parent key B Major. I agree with those who say the tonal center of this jam is F#. If it were and E-F# groove with a solid E foundation in the bass, it would sound like E Lydian, but it ends up being an F# Mixo jam.

[send2sidz]

nice demo for the scale!!

[guitarralaraja]

hi man, what are the exact chords?

i love this lydian sound.

pretty vaish...

[ZomBLord]

Satriani's better at it than Vai, IMO.

[omfgwhale]

used the whammy a bit much, but u made it interesting with it, instead of just doing dive bombs like u see these days... sounded a bit like chris poland

[jonnezx]

can u tell me what guitar is that ?? = )) ty

[cachumax]

Sweet John Petrucci model.

[Shreddojo]

Beautiful! I´ve watched this video for the last time....about 2 years ago or so....and it´s still as wonderful as it was back then. I love your work with the trem bar. Your licks are full of Petrucci/Vai /Eklundh. And I love it. So again, 5 stars for brighten up my day with my favourite mode.

Great stuff man ;D

[jimdog1964]

Good job man. Spent your time in the woodshed. Thumbs up

[acdcfan9]

from 0:01 to 0:05 I thought you were about to play Under a glass moon. lol. Nice playin dude!

[TPom8458]

Same!

[archenemylover1]

me 2 to... man that song sucks. dream theater is good man but that song sucks ass...

[acdcfan9]

really? Man I love that song! the solo is ridiculously good.

[archenemylover1]

ya the solo is good, but the whole techno thing sounds like crap to my ears. you like it??

[acdcfan9]

oh yeah dude the song is great.

[shredfix1993]

@archenemylover1 i also love that song... come on theres a bit in it that sounds like the crash bandicoot theme song.... how cant that be awesome!

[robostomo1]

yeah and the jp finish goes along haha

[soldi3r21]

@acdcfan9 hahaha I thought the same thing :D!! Dream Theater rocks man :P

[BoChi0131]

I really wanted to learn how Vai plays those lydian licks just like what you're doing..

Too expressive in a way..

[metallscreamo]

sounds like petrucci to me

[JRHockney]

Very Nice...Wouldn't this technically be Mixolydian since it seems to start on the F#?

[EstevanMusic]

nope. tonal center is clearly E.

c'mon you can't hear that Lydian-ness? :P

[jfo3000]

@JRHockney I'm totally with you on that. This vamp of only two chords has the tonal center is F#. Why? Because the backing track sounds like it should end on F# for a resolved feeling, and it does.

[cloudsilver]

can anyone please send me this backing track i have been looking for a good E lydian track for ages, would be greatly appreciated

[manuorchestra]

Excellent ! C'est marrant comment ce genre de grille pousse à phraser "à la Steve Vaï" lol...J'aime jouer une position de D# penta mineure dessus...y'a pas la tonique du mode, on tourne autour...avant de résoudre bien sûr...Une chance d'avoir le BT ? ca vient d'où ?

[bizzle1783]

clubfootforyou is a 40yr old fat american do we really believe what he thinks...more to the point,do we care...allez jdamotte

[clubfootforyou]

Minor

[jdamotte]

Yeah you said that before...

What exactly is your point?

[jdamotte]

The modern Lydian scale is a major scale with the fourth scale degree raised a semitone. As such, it corresponds to the scale of the medieval Lydian mode when B♮ is present instead of B♭. Its tonic, dominant, and supertonic triads are all major, the subdominant is diminished, and triads built on the remaining three scale degrees are minor.

[doeboyfresh863]

@jdamotte wow your very smart!!!!!!

[riseagainstmeatloaf]

@jdamotte While I'm halfway convinced that was an excerpt form some music theory passage, it's correct.

[szymonwoj1]

@jdamotte what would be the chord progression here? I'm never able to keep playing aroung the tonal center, every mode leads me back to some simple major or minor, with changing the key at the same time...

[whatsrongwithmyuser]

@jdamotte it is actually B major its just like 2 possisions mixed together

[whatsrongwithmyuser]

@jdamotte it is actually B major its just like 2 possisions mixed together and every major has a relative minor so a bit of stating the obveous there

[jonrivera]

@jdamotte Yes! I actually understood that! :D

[LukeHeavyshield]

@jdamotte Google Much? 

[rololoo]

@LukeHeavyshield

Yeah and how did you came across modes for the first time? HUR DURR GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA OR YOUTUBE MUCH?!?!?

[LukeHeavyshield]

@rololoo I Came across modes, scales etc... From a music store book :)

[rololoo]

@LukeHeavyshield

Sounds like bullshit to me, you'd be believable if you were older than 18.

[LukeHeavyshield]

@rololoo Im 19, And i was only kidding to him idiot. He knows more then me of course.

[rololoo]

@LukeHeavyshield

18, 19, what's the difference? None!

[LukeHeavyshield]

@rololoo Lol im 20 as of October 7th. Learn to take a joke, i was joking to him. He knows his music and has more skill and knows what hes talking about, I Just wanted to tease him. Then a troll like you who doesent know the difference between a joke and a harassment. Dont bother replying your a waste of time and breath trying to argue over a little joke.

[rololoo]

@LukeHeavyshield

Doesn't*, you're*.

And never heard of an expression that goes "waste of breath".

[LukeHeavyshield]

@rololoo Cool Story Bro...

[merlynfry]

@clubfootforyou Are you deaf, because if not then you clearly have no sense of Relative Pitch

[SuperChava213]

@clubfootforyou stupeh kid...

[tctebsrules]

this reminds me of dream theater so much but sweet

[guitarralaraja]

dream? i think if nobody remembers steve vai with this, he/she is fucking crazy hahaha

[taninggarci]

where did you download the backing track?

[Jhey172]

What ???...No MAn...Lydian Is The Fourth Mode of the scale WHich Is MAjor

[clubfootforyou]

no ...

[JacksonWarrior3]

no it defiantly is major you could have your eyes closed and realize that

[Gameglitcha]

Jhey172 is correct, don't be mislead by Clubfootforyou's comment if you're playing lydian then you're playing in a MAJOR key

(E.G: E lydian = E major key signiture (####)

[bastosgenocide]

Lydian is a major scale with an augmented Fourth.

[cjohnson1972]

Nice I think you get the feel of Lydian mode .

[MorgoSargas]

Sweet. I'm working on lydian too now for some time. Any tips?

[tenaciousguitar]

Dream theater intro. :D

Awesome man. Rock on!

[ZamyBendrix]

Really nice playing man! Keep up the good work!

[Sisler6]

can you send me the backing track, greatly appreciated

[CrimsonDrift16]

haa...coool..petrucci guitar..

[GorancicAdi]

On one side i love this mode because of it's dreamy mood...But on the other side i hate it because whenever you play it you can't sound like "you".You can only sound like Vai 'cause he is engaged to this mode =P

[pabcq]

i felt that way to, but i learned how i like to use it, you should to :)

[edwardtang1977]

@GorancicAdi ya Vai pretty much owns it and people think you're copying him

[ageyisgod]

@GorancicAdi this is spot on.

[PaulGilbert60sMind]

@GorancicAdi well not only that but hes using the whammy like vai does, using his techniques; i bet hes a big vai fan and involuntarily puts his technique into his improvising after learning his songs n stuff

[stoob1969]

@GorancicAdi lol

[Mpalmer00]

ace, got the feel and note choice spot on!... i wish i could improv lydian that good!!, great job .. feel free to check out a phrygian hip hop improv of mine!

[EmadLcccp]

at the start sounds like Dream Theatre song

[77Saphires77]

respect

[PeterVadim]

Try listen to it when you are high...it sounds fucking awesome

[derhsXcisX]

awesome man very vai, you captured it, ps is that the john petrucci model ibanez your playing looks lik it thats all

[N4o4N]

the first 2 chords sounded like Under A Glass Moon by Dream Theater, but the rest seemed like Steve Vai.

[raivai]

excelent job! very vai like :) what kind of chords would you use under the E lydian mode? to make a modal/vai-esque song ?

[MuffinWithAnAxe]

F# Major would be legitimate. But to be vai-esque, I'm not sure.

Some exotic Major chords that include the A# note I think.

[AGGOZZUR]

Dood... Thats fuckin' sick...

[ColinPRS]

Brilliant, I must learn that scale.

[westcoast1965]

It is great.. .and it's just a major scale with a sharp 4th basically.

[rafikimetalperu]

fucking nice impro man you owned the lydian mode

[Matt123ttam]

mostly steve vai. not satch

[kaaijer]

I can definitely hear the Vai vibe in your playing ;)

Lydian wins!!

[sacredgeometry]

almost zappa esque in places like zappa era vai

[westcoast1965]

I'm lucky enough to own a copy of 'The Frank Zappa Guitar Book' which is a bunch of Franks best guitar work transcribed by Steve Vai. If you want to check out beautiful Lydian imrov check 'He Used to Cut the Grass' from 'Joe's Garage'.

The directions by Vai in the beginning of the transcription just list it as 'super spacey A Lydian'

It's one of my favourite Zappa guitar solos ever. Maybe you already know it of course!

[sacredgeometry]

i'm bad with names but i will search it out im allways looking for new solos to learn :)

[JStrange13]

Very nice work!

[GuitaristSkele]

is that the jp100?

[Fishies125]

Hey this is actually a nice improv, unlike most youtube players.

[WhyIsThatMoving]

can i please have your guitar?

[shredftw]

where did you get the Backing track?

[DarkWhite88]

se parece a under a glassmooon de dream theater

[noizlessproduction]

nice solo like steve vai ! mode lydian !

[slowhand19]

excellent improv and sound by the way

jdamotte

[slowhand19]

if you want to get REALLY technical its G# aeolian as well, without the minor 6 chord. as i said, it just depends where you go with it

[slowhand19]

not really

the note he emphasizes is the tonic because mixolydian and lydian use the same progression. therefore it just depends on your orientation to the scale and how familiar you are with bringing out those particular notes

[Dlectronic]

if the note you began on was the tonic...which it seems to me it is..

THis isnt E lydian.. its F# mixolydian.

[kwikkash2]

wich is the exact same notes, lol. the modes are just going down the neck, if youre in E lydian you could as well be in G# Aeolian, A# Locrian, B Ionian, C Dorian, or D Phrygian.

[Dlectronic]

Doesnt make too much of a difference. if the tonic is not E, which I dont think it is..this is not lydian.

Its not like, debatable. its truth. key makes a difference.

Now if the video maker could tell me if the first note he played was the tonic (the first note he played for sure was an F#) then we'de have some set in stone facts here.

[Fishies125]

Hahaha who cares what note he started on? That's just what he did in the moment. He started on the 9th, so what? Most good players won't bother to start on the root, they'll start on any note they want, the 5th, 9th, 3rd, 7th, whatever. Does that change the key of the whole tune? You hear Vai starting a mixolydian solo on the 9th all the time. Does that make it aeolian? Of course not. Geez yall guys are retards. Listen to the freakin bass.

[Dlectronic]

At the moment? The backround chords wouldnt normally start on the secon d of the scale... That doesnt make sense. I would say they start on the tonic. If this is so, then its not Lydian..But Mixolydian, like I said.

[Fishies125]

Dude you don't get it. The first chord or note is NOT always the key. In this case, though, the guy who wrote it (Guthrie?) decided to make a lydian sound by playing an F#/E which then resolves to an E. IT'S ALL OVER AN E BASE. And it resolves on E anyway. As I said before, listen to the bass.

[sacredgeometry]

although you are right being nasty wont make people listen to your advice

[Fishies125]

Haha you're right.

[DtFaN93]

@Fishies125 exactly!! haha some many ppl dont realize that what the bass says goes! you can shred all you want in some cliche harmonic minor scale, but if the bass says no ima play a C7, u had better listen hahaha

[guitarshredking]

@Fishies125 agreed

[oregonskateok]

This is misleading, modes aren't quite that interchangeable.

[ibanez12468]

the begining sounds like under a glass moon by dream theater

[sebavef]

reminds me a bit of steve vai, but more metal xD

[samdubusc]

Very good! I can see where your influences are...

[ericprsse]

very impressive!

[rockboot90]

Do you get your backing tracks from a site or do you make them yourself?

[Lotion5150]

the backing track is from a guthrie govan instructional book, i can email it to you if you want it

[airbak]

Hey Lotion, nice playing can you e-mail the backing track to me? Also, what's the name of the book you got this from?

[jplay5]

what chords would you usually play the lydian mode over, i mean i know you can use it over major 7th chords, is that it...

[Lotion5150]

maj add9 also...

[AlexMitti]

Sweet JPM3

[taninggarci]

john petrucci guitar model

[fhdjskal]

whats the guitar called????? i know its a pettrucci ibanez but not sure what it is