E Lydian Scale

E lydian

Notes

E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯

Intervals

  • RootE (1P)
  • Major 2ndF♯ (2M)
  • Major 3rdG♯ (3M)
  • Augmented 4thA♯ (4A)
  • Perfect 5thB (5P)
  • Major 6thC♯ (6M)
  • Major 7thD♯ (7M)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EBC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BG♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E
Open in visualizer →

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

Modal character

E Lydian is the 4th mode of B 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 0–6
EBGDAE357EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯
Pattern 2frets 2–7
EBGDAE357F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯B
Pattern 3frets 4–9
EBGDAE579G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯
Pattern 4frets 6–11
EBGDAE7912A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯E
Pattern 6frets 9–14
EBGDAE912131415C♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯
Pattern 7frets 11–16
EBGDAE121314151617D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯

Quartal voicings

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

All voicings
EBGDAE57G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE3A♯D♯G♯C♯
A# root
EBGDAE3D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE79A♯D♯G♯C♯
A# root
EBGDAE57C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE79G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE912C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE79D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE9A♯D♯G♯C♯
A# root
EBGDAE121314D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE121314G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314C♯F♯BE
C# root

Diagrams

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

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