A Lydian Dominant Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The A Lydian dominant scale has 7 notes: A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G. Lydian dominant (the overtone scale) is Mixolydian with a raised 4th, or Lydian with a ♭7. It is the jazz sound over a 7♯11 chord and the bright “Simpsons theme” sound.

Compared with the A major scale it has ♯4 (D♯ instead of D), ♭7 (G instead of G♯).

The explorer above is set to A Lydian dominant: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

A Lydian dominant scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from A	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	A	R	0	S
2	B	M2	2	R
3	C♯	M3	4	G
♯4	D♯	A4	6	M'
5	E	P5	7	P
6	F♯	M6	9	D
♭7	G	m7	10	n

Steps between the notes: W W W H W H W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any A and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

A Lydian dominant scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, A Lydian dominant has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on A on the low E string at fret 5; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 5–11	7 9 11	7 8 10	6 8 9	5 7 9	6 7 9	5 7 9
Position 2 frets 7–12	9 11 12	8 10 12	8 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 10	7 9 11
Position 3 frets 9–14	11 12 14	10 12 14	9 11 12	9 11 13	9 10 12	9 11 12
Position 4 frets 10–16	12 14 15	12 14 16	11 12 14	11 13 14	10 12 14	11 12 14
Position 5 frets 12–17	14 15 17	14 16 17	12 14 16	13 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 15
Position 6 frets 14–19	15 17 19	16 17 19	14 16 18	14 16 17	14 16 18	14 15 17
Position 7 frets 15–21	17 19 21	17 19 20	16 18 20	16 17 19	16 18 19	15 17 19

Chords in the A Lydian dominant scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in A Lydian dominant is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	I	II	iii°	♯iv°	v	vi	♭VII+
Triad	A	B	C♯dim	D♯dim	Em	F♯m	Gaug
7th chord	A7	B7	C♯m7♭5	D♯m7♭5	EmMaj7	F♯m7	Gmaj7♯5

Where you hear it

A Lydian dominant is used in jazz, fusion and funk. It sounds best over dominant 7♯11 chords and 9th chords.

Backing tracks to practise A Lydian dominant

A blues shuffle A slow blues A major pop A major ballad A jazz ii – V – I A Mixolydian rock

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 5–11) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every A (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on A.