F♯ / G♭ 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.

F♯ and G♭ are the same pitch, so this page covers both names; the notes are spelled from F♯, the way the key is usually written. 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 2; 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 2–8	4 6 8	4 5 7	3 5 6	2 4 6	3 4 6	2 4 6
Position 2 frets 4–9	6 8 9	5 7 9	5 6 8	4 6 8	4 6 7	4 6 8
Position 3 frets 6–11	8 9 11	7 9 11	6 8 9	6 8 10	6 7 9	6 8 9
Position 4 frets 7–13	9 11 12	9 11 13	8 9 11	8 10 11	7 9 11	8 9 11
Position 5 frets 9–14	11 12 14	11 13 14	9 11 13	10 11 13	9 11 13	9 11 12
Position 6 frets 11–16	12 14 16	13 14 16	11 13 15	11 13 14	11 13 15	11 12 14
Position 7 frets 12–18	14 16 18	14 16 17	13 15 17	13 14 16	13 15 16	12 14 16

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♯	A♯dim	B♯dim	C♯m	D♯m	Eaug
7th chord	F♯7	G♯7	A♯m7♭5	B♯m7♭5	C♯mMaj7	D♯m7	Emaj7♯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 2–8) 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♯.