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

  • May 21, 2026

Superlydian Augmented Natural 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.

Formula

The interval formula for Superlydian Augmented Natural 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 Natural 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 Natural 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 — natural 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 Progressions

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.

Progression 1

Roman numerals:

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

In C:

Cmaj7#5sus4 – B – G#m7 – Cmaj7#5sus4

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.

Progression 2

Roman numerals:

Imaj7#5sus4 – #IVdim(maj7) – VIm(maj7)#5 – VII

In C:

Cmaj7#5sus4 – F#dim(maj7) – Am(maj7)#5 – B

Cmaj7#5sus4 | F#dim(maj7) | Am(maj7)#5 | B

Mood:

Darkly elegant and unstable. The F#dim(maj7) chord highlights the #4, while Am(maj7)#5 brings out the natural 6 and major-7 tension.

This progression has a modern jazz/fusion flavor and could work under a slow legato solo.

Progression 3

Roman numerals:

#ii°7 – #Vm7 – VII7 – Imaj7#5sus4

In C:

D#dim7 – G#m7 – B7 – Cmaj7#5sus4

D#dim7 | G#m7 | B7 | Cmaj7#5sus4

Mood:

Angular, tense, and almost “wrong” in a useful way. The B7 to C movement creates a half-step resolution, but the tonic chord refuses to sound settled.

This is great for prog-metal interludes, fusion turnarounds, or experimental songwriting.

Famous Songs and Guitarists Using C Superlydian Augmented Natural 6

There are no widely known guitar songs that can be confidently identified as being written specifically in C Superlydian Augmented Natural 6.

This is an obscure synthetic mode, so it is better to be honest: it is not commonly labeled in mainstream guitar music.

However, its sound is related to colors commonly associated with players and composers who use Lydian augmented, whole-tone, altered, and synthetic scale ideas, such as:

  • Allan Holdsworth — commonly associated with wide-interval fusion lines, major 7#5 colors, and synthetic harmony
  • Frank Zappa — often used angular, unusual modal and chromatic sounds
  • Steve Vai — known for Lydian-based and highly colorful modal harmony
  • John McLaughlin — fusion vocabulary often touches altered dominant and synthetic sounds
  • Progressive metal players — especially in contexts involving symmetrical, augmented, or non-diatonic riff writing

To be clear, these artists are not necessarily “using this exact mode” in famous songs. But if you enjoy their more outside or harmonically adventurous moments, this mode lives in a similar universe.

Guitar Fretboard Shape

Here is a practical C Superlydian Augmented Natural 6 shape starting around the 8th fret.

Notes:

C D# E#/F F# G# A B

E|-------------------------11-13-14-16-|
B|----------------12-13-16-------------|
G|----------10-11-13-14----------------|
D|-----9-10-13-------------------------|
A|-8-9-11-12---------------------------|
E|-8-11-13-14--------------------------|

Start from the low C on the 8th fret of the low E string.

Try not to simply run the pattern up and down. Instead, listen for the character notes:

  • D# — raised 2nd, sharp and tense
  • E# / F — augmented 3rd, suspended and strange
  • F# — #4, Lydian brightness
  • G# — #5, augmented color
  • B — major 7, dreamy and unresolved

Why Guitarists Love This Mode

Emotional Flavor

C Superlydian Augmented Natural 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

Riff Potential

For riffs, this mode is excellent because of its tight half-step clusters and augmented shapes.

Useful note groupings include:

C - D# - E#/F - F#

This gives you a tense chromatic-like upper movement.

Another strong riff cell:

F# - G# - A - B - C

This has a sharp Lydian/augmented flavor and works well with odd meters.

Try using palm-muted low C pedal tones, then jump into fragments like:

C - F# - G# - B

That gives you root, #4, #5, and major 7 — a very strong progressive metal color.

Soloing Applications

This mode works best over static or ambiguous harmony.

Try it over:

  • Cmaj7#5sus4
  • C drone
  • C and B alternating chords
  • C pedal with upper-structure triads
  • G#m7 over C bass

Avoid using it casually over normal C major or C minor progressions. The mode contains no natural E or G, so it will clash with standard C major harmony.

That clash can be useful, but it should be intentional.

Genres Where It Works Well

C Superlydian Augmented Natural 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

Use a C Drone

Start with a simple C drone.

You can use:

  • A looper pedal
  • A synth pad
  • A bass note in your DAW
  • An open C tuning drone
  • A sustained C power-style texture, without the G if possible

Then play the mode slowly and listen to how each note feels against C.

Pay special attention to:

  • D# against C
  • F# against C
  • G# against C
  • B against C

These are the notes that create the mode’s identity.

Try Chord Vamps

Use short vamps instead of long progressions.

Good starting vamps:

Cmaj7#5sus4 | B
Cmaj7#5sus4 | G#m7
Cmaj7#5sus4 | F#dim(maj7)

Keep the rhythm simple at first. Let your ear adjust to the sound.

Improvise with Small Cells

Do not start by shredding the whole scale.

Instead, make small melodic cells:

C - D# - F
F# - G# - A
G# - B - C
D# - F# - A - B

Repeat them rhythmically. Move them around. Sequence them in odd groupings.

This mode rewards phrasing more than speed.

Target the Important Intervals

When soloing, target the most colorful tones:

  • #2: D#
  • #4: F#
  • #5: G#
  • 6: A
  • 7: B

The root C gives the listener a home base.

The B gives you that beautiful major-7 tension.

The F# and G# give the mode its most obvious Lydian augmented sound.

Try This Mode in SLModes

Want to explore C Superlydian Augmented Natural 6 more deeply?

Try it in SLModes.

SLModes helps you experiment with:

  • Chords built from the mode
  • Guitar fretboard shapes
  • Modal modulation
  • Unusual synthetic scales
  • Negative harmony transformations
  • Color-tone exploration

For a mode this advanced, visual tools are extremely useful. You can hear the chords, see the fretboard, and test how the mode behaves against different harmonic centers.

Load up C Superlydian Augmented Natural 6 in SLModes and start building your own progressive, fusion, and cinematic guitar ideas.