Which mode has a sharp 4?

Which mode has a sharp 4?

• A. Phrygian
• B. Lydian
• C. Mixolydian
• D. Aeolian

Answer: (A)

A sharp 4 means the fourth scale degree is raised by a half step from what it would be in the major scale. Lydian is defined by that raised fourth. For example, C Lydian is C–D–E–F#–G–A–B–C; here the F is F#, the sharpened 4, giving a brighter, more electric sound. The other modes alter different degrees instead: Phrygian has a flattened second, Mixolydian flattens the seventh, and Aeolian is the natural minor with flattened third, sixth, and seventh. Thus, Lydian is the mode that features the sharp 4.

A sharp 4 means the fourth scale degree is raised by a half step from what it would be in the major scale. Lydian is defined by that raised fourth. For example, C Lydian is C–D–E–F#–G–A–B–C; here the F is F#, the sharpened 4, giving a brighter, more electric sound. The other modes alter different degrees instead: Phrygian has a flattened second, Mixolydian flattens the seventh, and Aeolian is the natural minor with flattened third, sixth, and seventh. Thus, Lydian is the mode that features the sharp 4.