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

The explorer above is set to F 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.

F Lydian 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	11	N

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

F Lydian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, F Lydian 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 5 6	2 4 5	2 3 5	2 3 5	1 3 5
Position 2 frets 3–8	5 7 8	5 6 8	4 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 7
Position 3 frets 5–10	7 8 10	6 8 10	5 7 9	5 7 9	5 7 8	5 7 8
Position 4 frets 7–12	8 10 12	8 10 12	7 9 10	7 9 10	7 8 10	7 8 10
Position 5 frets 8–13	10 12 13	10 12 13	9 10 12	9 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12
Position 6 frets 10–15	12 13 15	12 13 15	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 13
Position 7 frets 12–17	13 15 17	13 15 17	12 14 16	12 14 15	12 14 15	12 13 15

Chords in the F Lydian scale

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

	I	II	iii	♯iv°	V	vi	vii
Triad	F	G	Am	Bdim	C	Dm	Em
7th chord	Fmaj7	G7	Am7	Bm7♭5	Cmaj7	Dm7	Em7

Where you hear it

F 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 F Lydian

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.