D 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 D Lydian dominant scale has 7 notes: D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C. 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 D major scale it has ♯4 (G♯ instead of G), ♭7 (C instead of C♯).

The explorer above is set to D 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.

D Lydian dominant 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	10	n

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

D Lydian dominant scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, D Lydian dominant has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on D on the low E string at fret 10; 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 10–16	12 14 16	12 13 15	11 13 14	10 12 14	11 12 14	10 12 14
Position 2 frets 12–17	14 16 17	13 15 17	13 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 15	12 14 16
Position 3 frets 14–19	16 17 19	15 17 19	14 16 17	14 16 18	14 15 17	14 16 17
Position 4 frets 15–21	17 19 20	17 19 21	16 17 19	16 18 19	15 17 19	16 17 19
Position 5 frets 17–22	19 20 22	19 21 22	17 19 21	18 19 21	17 19 21	17 19 20
Position 6 frets 7–12	8 10 12	9 10 12	7 9 11	7 9 10	7 9 11	7 8 10
Position 7 frets 8–14	10 12 14	10 12 13	9 11 13	9 10 12	9 11 12	8 10 12

Chords in the D Lydian dominant scale

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

	I	II	iii°	♯iv°	v	vi	♭VII+
Triad	D	E	F♯dim	G♯dim	Am	Bm	Caug
7th chord	D7	E7	F♯m7♭5	G♯m7♭5	AmMaj7	Bm7	Cmaj7♯5

Where you hear it

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

Backing tracks to practise D Lydian dominant

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 10–16) 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.