Lydian scale
Lydian: a major scale with a raised fourth, the fourth mode of the major pattern, bright and floating with no perfect fourth above the tonic. Notes in all twelve keys, with piano and guitar diagrams.
On C
- Formula
- 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
- Steps
- W W W H W W H
- Notes
- 7
What it sounds like
Lydian follows the pattern whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, half. It matches the major scale except for the fourth degree, which is raised a half step. That raised fourth forms an augmented fourth above the tonic, a tritone, so the scale has no perfect fourth above its root. Without that perfect fourth, the scale lacks the subdominant pull that major keys use. The result is bright, airy, and suspended, which is why film and jazz writers often choose it for that quality.
Where you hear it
Lydian appears often in film and television scoring for wonder, weightlessness, and fantasy scenes. Jazz musicians treat it as the default color over major seventh chords, and the Lydian chord, a major seventh with a raised eleventh, is built from its notes. Impressionist and twentieth-century composers used raised fourths for brightness and lift. Modern pop and rock writers use it to create a sense of lift over major harmony. Its floating quality suits openings and transitions.
How it is built
Lydian is the fourth mode of the major pattern, the rotation that starts on F. On C, its pitches are C D E F♯ G A B, the same notes as G major, so C Lydian is the fourth mode of G major. Its diatonic triads on C are C major, D major, E minor, F♯ diminished, G major, A minor, and B minor. The tonic chord is major with a major seventh, and the second degree is a major triad, which distinguishes Lydian from major.
How to practise it
Play C Lydian with the F♯ against a drone on C, and hear the lifted fourth as a bright color. Improvise over Cmaj7 using F♯ as a target, resolving it to G. Play a short melody that alternates F natural (major) with F♯ (Lydian) within one bar, and hear the difference. Finally, write eight bars over a C pedal using only Lydian notes, avoiding F natural.
Lydian scale in every key
Each scale below is spelled by letter name, so every letter appears once where the scale has seven notes. Click a name for its full page.
| Key | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C D E F♯ G A B | |
| C♯ | C♯ D♯ E♯ F× G♯ A♯ B♯ | |
| D♭ | D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C | |
| D | D E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ | |
| E♭ | E♭ F G A B♭ C D | |
| E | E F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ | |
| F | F G A B C D E | |
| F♯ | F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ | |
| G♭ | G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F | |
| G | G A B C♯ D E F♯ | |
| A♭ | A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G | |
| A | A B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ | |
| B♭ | B♭ C D E F G A | |
| B | B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ |
Further reading
- Church Modes From Dorian to Locrian: A Practical GuideFundamentals · 7 min
- Chord-Scale Theory Explained: Which Scale Fits Which ChordJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
Questions
What is the difference between Lydian and major?
Lydian is the major scale with the fourth degree raised by a half step. On C, major is C D E F G A B and Lydian is C D E F♯ G A B. The raised fourth removes the perfect fourth above the tonic, which gives Lydian its floating sound.
How is Lydian used in jazz?
Jazz players use Lydian over major seventh chords, especially those with a raised eleventh, because the raised fourth matches the eleventh. The Lydian chord, a major seventh with a raised eleventh, is built from the scale's notes. Improvisers also use Lydian in modal passages where a floating major color is wanted.
What chords go with Lydian?
On C, the diatonic triads are C major, D major, E minor, F♯ diminished, G major, A minor, and B minor. The tonic is major with a major seventh, and the II chord is a major triad, which is distinctive. The diminished chord on the raised fourth reflects the augmented fourth most directly.