D♭ / C♯ 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 D♭ Lydian scale has 7 notes: D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C. 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.

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

The explorer above is set to D♭ 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.

D♭ Lydian scale notes

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

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

D♭ Lydian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, D♭ Lydian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on D♭ on the low E string at fret 9; 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 9–15	11 13 15	11 13 14	10 12 13	10 11 13	10 11 13	9 11 13
Position 2 frets 11–16	13 15 16	13 14 16	12 13 15	11 13 15	11 13 15	11 13 15
Position 3 frets 13–18	15 16 18	14 16 18	13 15 17	13 15 17	13 15 16	13 15 16
Position 4 frets 15–20	16 18 20	16 18 20	15 17 18	15 17 18	15 16 18	15 16 18
Position 5 frets 16–21	18 20 21	18 20 21	17 18 20	17 18 20	16 18 20	16 18 20
Position 6 frets 6–11	8 9 11	8 9 11	6 8 10	6 8 10	6 8 10	6 8 9
Position 7 frets 8–13	9 11 13	9 11 13	8 10 12	8 10 11	8 10 11	8 9 11

Chords in the D♭ Lydian scale

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

	I	II	iii	♯iv°	V	vi	vii
Triad	D♭	E♭	Fm	Gdim	A♭	B♭m	Cm
7th chord	D♭maj7	E♭7	Fm7	Gm7♭5	A♭maj7	B♭m7	Cm7

Where you hear it

D♭ 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 D♭ Lydian

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 9–15) 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 D♭ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on D♭.