Playing the C Lydian Augmented Scale

The C Lydian augmented scale is C, D, E, F#, G#, A and B. It is a major scale with both a raised fourth and a raised fifth, which gives the opening five notes a floating, whole-tone feel.

Play the root on the 8th fret of the low E string or the 3rd fret of the A string. The notes are the same as A melodic minor, so that familiar pattern gives you the shape. A major seventh chord with a raised fifth is its natural partner.

Play the C lydian augmented scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the C lydian augmented scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
C1Root0
D2Major 2nd2
E3Major 3rd4
F##4Tritone6
G##5Minor 6th8
A6Major 6th9
B7Major 7th11

Structure

C lydian augmented scale notes:

C D E F# G# A B

How the lydian augmented scale is built:

The lydian augmented scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W-W-W-W-H-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is mode 3 of the Melodic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.

C Lydian Augmented Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (B)

On one string (B)

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

C Lydian Augmented Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the C lydian augmented scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 Caug Cmaj7(b13)
2 D D7
3 E E7
#4 F#dim F#m7(b5)
#5 G#dim G#m7(b5)
6 Am Am(maj7)
7 Bm Bm7

Related modes

These scales share the same notes as the lydian augmented scale, starting from a different degree.

Melodic Minor Scale Dorian b2 Scale Lydian Dominant Scale Mixolydian b6 Scale Aeolian b5 Scale Super Locrian Scale

The lydian augmented scale in other keys

C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B

All about the lydian augmented scale →

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher