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

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

The explorer above is set to E♭ 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.

E♭ Lydian scale notes

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

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

E♭ Lydian scale positions on the guitar

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

Chords in the E♭ Lydian scale

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

	I	II	iii	♯iv°	V	vi	vii
Triad	E♭	F	Gm	Adim	B♭	Cm	Dm
7th chord	E♭maj7	F7	Gm7	Am7♭5	B♭maj7	Cm7	Dm7

Where you hear it

E♭ 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 E♭ Lydian

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 11–17) 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 E♭ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on E♭.