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B Lydian dominantScale

Open B Lydian dominant in the scale libraryDownload the B Lydian dominant chart (PDF)

Formula

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

B Lydian dominant on the chromatic circle

B 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 F♯I Melodic minor 6 G♯II Dorian ♭2 ♭7 AIII Lydian augmented 1 BIV Lydian dominant 2 C♯V Mixolydian ♭6 3 D♯VI Locrian ♮2 ♯4 E♯VII Altered B Lydian dominant
The whole neck

B 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 ♯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 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
IB7B D♯ F♯ A
IIC♯7C♯ E♯ G♯ B
iii°D♯m7♭5D♯ F♯ A C♯
♯iv°E♯m7♭5E♯ G♯ B D♯
vF♯m(maj7)F♯ A C♯ E♯
viG♯m7G♯ B D♯ F♯
♭VII+Amaj7♯5A C♯ E♯ G♯
Context

Where B 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.

B 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

B Lydian dominant scale questions

What notes are in the B Lydian dominant 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 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 B Lydian dominant scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of B 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 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 dominant scale?

B7 (I), C♯7 (II), D♯m7♭5 (iii°), E♯m7♭5 (♯iv°), F♯m(maj7) (v), G♯m7 (vi), Amaj7♯5 (♭VII+).

When is the B 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.