Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
B Lydian
♯4, the raised 4th. Bright, floating, dreamy: film-score wonder.
Where you hear it: Imaj7 – II vamp; the ♯11 colour on IVmaj7.
Step pattern W – W – W – H – W – W – H
- Relative major: F♯ major (this mode starts on its 4th degree)
- Relative minor: E♭ natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of F♯ major)
- Compared with B major: ♯4 E → E♯
- Compared with B natural minor: ♯3 D → D♯, ♯4 E → E♯, ♯6 G → G♯, ♯7 A → A♯
B Lydian on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the major pentatonic: playedother notes of Lydian: not playedPlay runs up the position from its lowest note and back down; Sample melody plays a short tune using only its notes. Tap a position's name to see it on the neck.
Modes with the same notes as B Lydian
Every chord in B Lydian
- Bmaj71/20easyfret 7· shell
- C♯71/19easyfret 6· shell
- D♯m71/16easyfret 6· shell
- E♯m7♭51/12easyfret 1· shell
- F♯maj71/19easyfret 2· shell
- G♯m71/18easyfret 4· shell
- A♯m71/13easyfret 1· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in B Lydian
A few well-known chord loops that bring out this scale’s sound. Play one through, or tap a chord to hear it.
I – II
The Lydian signature. The II is a major chord a whole step up, and it contains the ♯4, the note that makes the scale float.
I – II – V – I
Home, the bright II, the major V and back. The first three chords are all major, which is why Lydian sounds so open.
I – II – iii
A rising line of three steps: I, II, iii. Each root is a whole step above the last, a film-score “wonder” gesture.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From B you can go through the 2nd of the scale to sus2 and 9 chords, through the 4th to sus4 and 11, and so on. All seven chords of B Lydian.
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Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.