Is the Parent Major Scale of F Lydian: C, or G, ?
I may be confused, considering, that I am using the formula from another ‘On-Line Guitar Instructor.
Plese show your calculations…
It is C.
I don’t really have any calculations other than what I see. I.e., I know that Lydian is the fourth mode, I also know that “F” is the fourth scale degree of C major so therefore I know the answer by just looking.
If you give me a note that I don’t instantly know then I might actually imagine the guitar fretboard and intervals in my mind to quickly figure it out, even easier if I’m near a guitar.
Other ways I might do it is to relate something close by that I already know.
For example, what is the relative major scale of Ab Mixolydian? Well, I know that Mixolydian is the fifth mode, I also know that “A” is the 5th of D major so therefore it will be Db major.
I rarely do this myself but you could count tones and semitones. Some are dead easy, for instance, the relative major of Locrian will be a half step (semitone) up. In the case of Lydian it will be two and half tones down (or five semitones). You might need to think harder about enharmonic notes doing it this way to make sure it’s the right one.
With all that said, other than messing around for the sake of it, I rarely use modes in music that I play.
