E LydianScale

Formula

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

E Lydian on the chromatic circle

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

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

Chords in E 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
IEmaj7E G♯ B D♯
IIF♯7F♯ A♯ C♯ E
iiiG♯m7G♯ B D♯ F♯
♯iv°A♯m7♭5A♯ C♯ E G♯
VBmaj7B D♯ F♯ A♯
viC♯m7C♯ E G♯ B
viiD♯m7D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯
Context

Where E 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.

E 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

E Lydian scale questions

What notes are in the E Lydian scale?

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

What is the E 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 E Lydian scale on guitar?

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

What chords are in the E Lydian scale?

Emaj7 (I), F♯7 (II), G♯m7 (iii), A♯m7♭5 (♯iv°), Bmaj7 (V), C♯m7 (vi), D♯m7 (vii).

When is the E 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.