E 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.

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 0; 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 0–6	2 4 6	2 4 5	1 3 4	1 2 4	1 2 4	0 2 4
Position 2 frets 2–7	4 6 7	4 5 7	3 4 6	2 4 6	2 4 6	2 4 6
Position 3 frets 4–9	6 7 9	5 7 9	4 6 8	4 6 8	4 6 7	4 6 7
Position 4 frets 6–11	7 9 11	7 9 11	6 8 9	6 8 9	6 7 9	6 7 9
Position 5 frets 7–12	9 11 12	9 11 12	8 9 11	8 9 11	7 9 11	7 9 11
Position 6 frets 9–14	11 12 14	11 12 14	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 12
Position 7 frets 11–16	12 14 16	12 14 16	11 13 15	11 13 14	11 13 14	11 12 14

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♯	G♯m	A♯dim	B	C♯m	D♯m
7th chord	Emaj7	F♯7	G♯m7	A♯m7♭5	Bmaj7	C♯m7	D♯m7

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 0–6) 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.