A♭ LydianScale

Formula

W W W H W W H 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
The family

A♭ Lydian on the chromatic circle

A♭ Lydian is the 4th mode of the Major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W H W W W H 5 E♭I Ionian 6 FII Dorian 7 GIII Phrygian 1 A♭IV Lydian 2 B♭V Mixolydian 3 CVI Aeolian ♯4 DVII Locrian A♭ Lydian
The whole neck

A♭ Lydian across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
Harmony

Chords in A♭ Lydian

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
IA♭maj7A♭ C E♭ G
IIB♭7B♭ D F A♭
iiiCm7C E♭ G B♭
♯iv°Dm7♭5D F A♭ C
VE♭maj7E♭ G B♭ D
viFm7F A♭ C E♭
viiGm7G B♭ D F
Context

Where A♭ Lydian fits

Major with a raised 4th: film scores, dreamy pop and jazz over maj7♯11 chords. At home over the IV chord of a major key.

A♭ Lydian is mode 4 of the major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Lydian scale in every key

A♭ Lydian scale questions

What notes are in the A♭ Lydian scale?

A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G. As degrees from the root: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.

What is the A♭ Lydian scale formula?

1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7, or in steps between the notes, W W W H W W H (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the A♭ Lydian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A♭ Lydian up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape to the A shape.

What chords are in the A♭ Lydian scale?

A♭maj7 (I), B♭7 (II), Cm7 (iii), Dm7♭5 (♯iv°), E♭maj7 (V), Fm7 (vi), Gm7 (vii).

When is the A♭ Lydian scale used?

Major with a raised 4th: film scores, dreamy pop and jazz over maj7♯11 chords. At home over the IV chord of a major key.