Playing the C Lydian Dominant Scale

The C Lydian dominant scale is C, D, E, F#, G, A and Bb. It sounds like C major with a flat seventh and a sharp fourth, the combination that gives dominant chords their bright, unresolved lift.

Play the root on the 8th fret of the low E string or the 3rd fret of the A string. The notes are those of G melodic minor, started on its fourth degree, and the page on Lydian dominant over dominant chords shows where it fits.

Play the C lydian dominant scale

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

Notes of the C lydian dominant scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
C1Root0
D2Major 2nd2
E3Major 3rd4
F##4Tritone6
G5Perfect 5th7
A6Major 6th9
Bbb7Minor 7th10

Structure

C lydian dominant scale notes:

C D E F# G A Bb

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.

C Lydian Dominant Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

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

On one string (B)

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

Box pattern — position 1

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

Box pattern — position 2

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

Box pattern — position 3

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

Box pattern — position 4

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

Box pattern — position 5

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

3 notes per string — position 1

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

3 notes per string — position 2

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

3 notes per string — position 3

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

3 notes per string — position 4

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

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the C lydian dominant scale

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

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 C C7
2 D D7
3 Edim Em7(b5)
#4 F#dim F#m7(b5)
5 Gm Gm(maj7)
6 Am Am7
b7 Bbaug Bbmaj7(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 →

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