I can't find a satisfying answer on Google. What determines if I'm in a certain mode vs just in the key that the key signature would be? Ex: Am I playing in C Lydian or G Major?

If I'm playing some chords and melodies using the notes C, D, E, F#, G, A, and B, what determines whether I'm playing in C Lydian or G Major?

Disregard the fact that the order I listed them in is C Lydian, as I did not mean to order them with meaning. In this example I am just playing some chords and melodies made up of those notes.

As far as I know I think it would just be whether Cmaj or Gmaj is considered the "home" or the "root", but I have trouble playing to make Cmaj the root. It always sounds like Gmaj is.

Submitted November 06, 2017 at 10:17AM by toughenough6 https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/7b527g/i_cant_find_a_satisfying_answer_on_google_what/?utm_source=ifttt