D 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.

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 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 14 15	11 13 14	11 12 14	11 12 14	10 12 14
Position 2 frets 12–17	14 16 17	14 15 17	13 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 16	12 14 16
Position 3 frets 14–19	16 17 19	15 17 19	14 16 18	14 16 18	14 16 17	14 16 17
Position 4 frets 16–21	17 19 21	17 19 21	16 18 19	16 18 19	16 17 19	16 17 19
Position 5 frets 17–22	19 21 22	19 21 22	18 19 21	18 19 21	17 19 21	17 19 21
Position 6 frets 7–12	9 10 12	9 10 12	7 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 10
Position 7 frets 9–14	10 12 14	10 12 14	9 11 13	9 11 12	9 11 12	9 10 12

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	F♯m	G♯dim	A	Bm	C♯m
7th chord	Dmaj7	E7	F♯m7	G♯m7♭5	Amaj7	Bm7	C♯m7

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 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.