B 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.

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 7; 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 7–13	9 11 13	9 11 12	8 10 11	8 9 11	8 9 11	7 9 11
Position 2 frets 9–14	11 13 14	11 12 14	10 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 13
Position 3 frets 11–16	13 14 16	12 14 16	11 13 15	11 13 15	11 13 14	11 13 14
Position 4 frets 13–18	14 16 18	14 16 18	13 15 16	13 15 16	13 14 16	13 14 16
Position 5 frets 14–19	16 18 19	16 18 19	15 16 18	15 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 18
Position 6 frets 16–21	18 19 21	18 19 21	16 18 20	16 18 20	16 18 20	16 18 19
Position 7 frets 6–11	7 9 11	7 9 11	6 8 10	6 8 9	6 8 9	6 7 9

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♯	D♯m	E♯dim	F♯	G♯m	A♯m
7th chord	Bmaj7	C♯7	D♯m7	E♯m7♭5	F♯maj7	G♯m7	A♯m7

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 7–13) 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.