B LydianScale

Formula

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

B Lydian on the chromatic circle

B 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 F♯I Ionian 6 G♯II Dorian 7 A♯III Phrygian 1 BIV Lydian 2 C♯V Mixolydian 3 D♯VI Aeolian ♯4 E♯VII Locrian B Lydian
The whole neck

B 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 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 ♯4 5 6 7 1 2 3 ♯4 5
Harmony

Chords in B 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
IBmaj7B D♯ F♯ A♯
IIC♯7C♯ E♯ G♯ B
iiiD♯m7D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯
♯iv°E♯m7♭5E♯ G♯ B D♯
VF♯maj7F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯
viG♯m7G♯ B D♯ F♯
viiA♯m7A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯
Context

Where B 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.

B 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

B Lydian scale questions

What notes are in the B Lydian scale?

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

What is the B 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 B Lydian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of B 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 A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape.

What chords are in the B Lydian scale?

Bmaj7 (I), C♯7 (II), D♯m7 (iii), E♯m7♭5 (♯iv°), F♯maj7 (V), G♯m7 (vi), A♯m7 (vii).

When is the B 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.