B♭ / A♯ Lydian Scale

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

The B♭ Lydian scale has 7 notes: B♭ – C – D – E – F – G – A. Lydian is the major scale with a raised 4th. That ♯4 floats instead of resolving, giving a dreamy, magical sound loved by film composers. In Indian music it is Kalyan thaat, the scale of raga Yaman.

B♭ and A♯ are the same pitch, so this page covers both names; the notes are spelled from B♭, the way the key is usually written. Compared with the B♭ major scale it has ♯4 (E instead of E♭).

The explorer above is set to B♭ Lydian: 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.

B♭ Lydian scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from B♭	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	B♭	R	0	S
2	C	M2	2	R
3	D	M3	4	G
♯4	E	A4	6	M'
5	F	P5	7	P
6	G	M6	9	D
7	A	M7	11	N

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

B♭ Lydian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, B♭ Lydian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on B♭ on the low E string at fret 6; 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 6–12	8 10 12	8 10 11	7 9 10	7 8 10	7 8 10	6 8 10
Position 2 frets 8–13	10 12 13	10 11 13	9 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12
Position 3 frets 10–15	12 13 15	11 13 15	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 13	10 12 13
Position 4 frets 12–17	13 15 17	13 15 17	12 14 15	12 14 15	12 13 15	12 13 15
Position 5 frets 13–18	15 17 18	15 17 18	14 15 17	14 15 17	13 15 17	13 15 17
Position 6 frets 15–20	17 18 20	17 18 20	15 17 19	15 17 19	15 17 19	15 17 18
Position 7 frets 17–22	18 20 22	18 20 22	17 19 21	17 19 20	17 19 20	17 18 20

Chords in the B♭ Lydian scale

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

	I	II	iii	♯iv°	V	vi	vii
Triad	B♭	C	Dm	Edim	F	Gm	Am
7th chord	B♭maj7	C7	Dm7	Em7♭5	Fmaj7	Gm7	Am7

Where you hear it

B♭ Lydian is used in film scores, fusion, progressive rock and dream pop. It sounds best over major 7th chords, especially major 7♯11, and a I – II chord change.

Backing tracks to practise B♭ Lydian

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 6–12) 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 B♭ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on B♭.