A Lydian Dominant, Starting on Open A

A Lydian dominant contains A, B, C#, D#, E, F# and G, which is A Mixolydian with D# standing in for D. That one swapped note adds the lifted fourth that gives the scale its character.

Open A supplies the root, and the 5th fret of the low E string is the second place to find it. For something less like a scale run, try the scale exercises that add intervals and triads.

Play the A lydian dominant scale

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

Notes of the A lydian dominant scale

Note	Degree	Interval	Semitones from root
A	1	Root	0
B	2	Major 2nd	2
C#	3	Major 3rd	4
D#	#4	Tritone	6
E	5	Perfect 5th	7
F#	6	Major 6th	9
G	b7	Minor 7th	10

Structure

A lydian dominant scale notes:

A B C# D# E F# G

How the lydian dominant scale is built:

The lydian dominant scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-W-H-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is mode 4 of the Melodic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.

It is also known as Lydian b7 and Overtone Scale.

A Lydian Dominant Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

On one string (A)

Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 5

3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the A lydian dominant scale

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

Degree	Triad	Seventh chord
1	A	A7
2	B	B7
3	C#dim	C#m7(b5)
#4	D#dim	D#m7(b5)
5	Em	Em(maj7)
6	F#m	F#m7
b7	Gaug	Gmaj7(b13)

Related modes

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

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

The lydian dominant 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 dominant scale →

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

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