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

The explorer above is set to F 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.

F Lydian dominant scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from F	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	F	R	0	S
2	G	M2	2	R
3	A	M3	4	G
♯4	B	A4	6	M'
5	C	P5	7	P
6	D	M6	9	D
♭7	E♭	m7	10	n

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

F Lydian dominant scale positions on the guitar

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

Chords in the F Lydian dominant scale

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

	I	II	iii°	♯iv°	v	vi	♭VII+
Triad	F	G	Adim	Bdim	Cm	Dm	E♭aug
7th chord	F7	G7	Am7♭5	Bm7♭5	CmMaj7	Dm7	E♭maj7♯5

Where you hear it

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

Backing tracks to practise F Lydian dominant

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 1–7) 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 F (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on F.