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A♭ Lydian dominantScale

Open A♭ Lydian dominant in the scale libraryDownload the A♭ Lydian dominant chart (PDF)

Formula

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

A♭ Lydian dominant on the chromatic circle

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

W H W W W W H 5 E♭I Melodic minor 6 FII Dorian ♭2 ♭7 G♭III Lydian augmented 1 A♭IV Lydian dominant 2 B♭V Mixolydian ♭6 3 CVI Locrian ♮2 ♯4 DVII Altered A♭ Lydian dominant
The whole neck

A♭ Lydian dominant 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 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 dominant

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♭7A♭ C E♭ G♭
IIB♭7B♭ D F A♭
iii°Cm7♭5C E♭ G♭ B♭
♯iv°Dm7♭5D F A♭ C
vE♭m(maj7)E♭ G♭ B♭ D
viFm7F A♭ C E♭
♭VII+G♭maj7♯5G♭ B♭ D F
Context

Where A♭ Lydian dominant fits

Over dominant 7 chords that do not resolve down a fifth: 7♯11 chords, the ♭VII7 and tritone substitutes in jazz. Also heard in fusion and film music.

A♭ Lydian dominant is mode 4 of the melodic minor 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 dominant scale in every key

A♭ Lydian dominant scale questions

What notes are in the A♭ Lydian dominant 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 dominant scale formula?

1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W W W H W H W (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 dominant scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A♭ Lydian dominant 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 dominant scale?

A♭7 (I), B♭7 (II), Cm7♭5 (iii°), Dm7♭5 (♯iv°), E♭m(maj7) (v), Fm7 (vi), G♭maj7♯5 (♭VII+).

When is the A♭ Lydian dominant scale used?

Over dominant 7 chords that do not resolve down a fifth: 7♯11 chords, the ♭VII7 and tritone substitutes in jazz. Also heard in fusion and film music.