Superlydian Augmented natural 6 Mode on Guitar: Notes, Chords & Examples

Superlydian Augmented ♮6 is a bright, tense, futuristic mode with a strong “fusion/prog sci-fi” flavor.

It sounds like Lydian taken to an extreme: raised 2nd, raised 4th, raised 5th, major 7th, and an unusually spelled augmented 3rd. On guitar, it creates sharp, angular lines that feel unstable but still strangely luminous.

This is not a common rock or blues mode. It is an advanced synthetic sound, best used for:

Progressive rock and metal riffs
Fusion soloing
Modern cinematic harmony
Outside playing over static vamps
Experimental songwriting and modal modulation

Because the mode has no normal major or minor 3rd, it does not behave like a typical “happy” or “sad” scale. Instead, it feels suspended, alien, and harmonically charged.

How does it sound?

Before anything else, let’s hear how it sounds. This can best be done by playing a chord from the mode, and playing the notes of the mode arpeggiated on top of it. This is the best and quickest way to determine the feel of a mode.

This can be quickly done using SLModes, a software dedicated to the music modes, and the following sound was generated by it:

Formula

The interval formula for Superlydian Augmented ♮6 is:

1 #2 #3 #4 #5 6 7

Using interval names:

P1 A2 A3 A4 A5 M6 M7

In plain guitar language, compared to a major scale, you raise the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

That gives the mode a very altered, synthetic sound.

Notes in C

C Superlydian Augmented ♮6 contains:

C D# E# F# G# A B

On guitar, you may also think of E# as F enharmonically:

C D# F F# G# A B

However, the theoretical spelling matters. The note is called E# because it functions as the augmented 3rd of the mode, not a normal perfect 4th.

That said, on the fretboard, E# and F are the same pitch.

The Chord That Defines the Mode

The defining chord for C Superlydian Augmented ♮6 is best thought of as a highly altered tonic color:

Cmaj7#5sus4(add#9, #11, 13)

A practical core voicing would be:

C F G# B

This gives you:

C — root
F / E# — augmented 3rd sound, heard like a suspended 4th on guitar
G# — #5, the augmented color
B — major 7th, giving the mode its bright modern edge

If you add more color tones, you get:

D# — #9 / raised 2nd color
F# — #11 / Lydian color
A — ♮6

This chord captures the sound because it avoids a normal major or minor identity. Instead, it highlights the mode’s unstable but radiant character: major 7, augmented 5, raised 4th, and raised 2nd tension.

A simple guitar voicing to try:

Cmaj7#5sus4

E|---0---  B
B|---1---  C
G|---1---  G#
D|---3---  F
A|---3---  C
E|-------

This voicing is tense, glassy, and unresolved — exactly the point.

Chord Progression (Example)

Because this is an advanced synthetic mode, the chord progressions are less “functional” than major/minor harmony. Think in terms of color, pedal tones, and atmosphere.

Roman numerals:

Imaj7#5sus4 – VII – #Vm7 – Imaj7#5sus4

In C:

Cmaj7#5sus4 – B – G#m7 – Cmaj7#5sus4

Mood:

Bright, alien, and cinematic. The B major chord gives a sharp major-7 pull back into C, while G#m7 emphasizes the #5 area of the mode.

This works well for progressive rock clean sections, fusion intros, or synth-heavy guitar arrangements.

Guitar Fretboard Shape

Here’s the mode mapped across the full fretboard, generated with my software SLModes.

The diagram shows every occurrence of the mode across the neck:

🟢 Green dots = the root note, your anchor points
🟠 Orange dots = the rest of the scale tones

Why Guitarists Love This Mode

C Superlydian Augmented ♮6 sounds bright, unstable, and otherworldly.

It does not give you the familiar emotional categories of major, minor, Dorian, or Phrygian. Instead, it creates a floating, synthetic atmosphere.

It can sound:

Futuristic
Mysterious
Angular
Cinematic
Unresolved
“Outside” but still organized

Genres Where It Works Well

C Superlydian Augmented ♮6 fits naturally into:

Progressive rock
Progressive metal
Jazz fusion
Modern instrumental guitar
Experimental rock
Cinematic scoring
Djent-inspired clean sections
Ambient guitar composition

It is especially effective when you want something brighter than diminished harmony but stranger than Lydian augmented.

Tips for Practicing

To practice a mode effectively, you only need two things:

An instrument to play the mode (your guitar is ready to go!)
A backing track that provides a harmonic context

The fretboard diagram above already show you where the notes are. The remaining piece is choosing an appropriate backing track to improvise over.

Practice with a drone

The simplest option is a single C drone.

You can create one using:

A looper pedal
A synth drone
A sustained bass note in your DAW
An open C tuning
Or any other source of a continuous C note

Because the accompaniment consists of only a single note, you are responsible for highlighting the intervals that define the mode. The more intentionally you emphasize its characteristic tones, the more clearly the modal sound will emerge.

Create modal vamps with SLModes

While a drone is an excellent way to hear a mode in isolation, a modal vamp often provides a more musical and rewarding practice experience.

A well-designed backing track naturally emphasizes the mode’s characteristic intervals, allowing you to focus on phrasing, melody, and expression instead of constantly trying to establish the modal sound yourself. As a result, improvising in the character of the mode often feels more intuitive.

There are many ways to build modal backing tracks, but SLModes can generate them for you in just a few clicks. For example:

Arpeggiated backing tracks — a repeating pattern that outlines every note of the mode.
Chord vamps — progressions built from chords that best reinforce the mode’s unique character.

This video shows you an example: