A Lydian Scale

A lydian

Notes

A · B · C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯

Intervals

  • RootA (1P)
  • Major 2ndB (2M)
  • Major 3rdC♯ (3M)
  • Augmented 4thD♯ (4A)
  • Perfect 5thE (5P)
  • Major 6thF♯ (6M)
  • Major 7thG♯ (7M)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EBC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABG♯ABC♯D♯EF♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯AEF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modal character

A Lydian is the 4th mode of E Major — the same seven notes started from its 4th degree.

1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7

Characteristic note — sharp 4th (♯4 / ♯11). The raised 4th — heard as a ♯11 over a major chord — gives Lydian its bright, floating, film-score quality.

Lydian is the natural mode of the IV chord and lives over maj7, maj9, and maj7♯11 voicings. It is a staple of modern jazz and cinematic writing, where the ♯11 adds lift without the downward pull of the perfect 4th.

Chords that use this mode

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯A
Pattern 2frets 2–7
EBGDAE357F♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯AB
Pattern 3frets 4–9
EBGDAE579G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯
Pattern 4frets 5–11
EBGDAE57912ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E
Pattern 6frets 9–14
EBGDAE912131415C♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯
Pattern 7frets 11–16
EBGDAE121314151617D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE35F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE57C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE3D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE57G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE79D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE57F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE912C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE912F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE79G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE121314G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314C♯F♯BE
C# root

Diagrams

A Lydian Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

A Lydian Scale — notes A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G# shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
A Lydian Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
A Lydian Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel