Guitar scale · Lydian diminished
Bb Lydian b3 Scale
Mode 4 of Harmonic Major: Lydian with a lowered 3rd, also called Lydian diminished.
Tap any note to hear it.
Bb Lydian b3 Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------------------6-8-9-| B|----------------------------8-10-------| G|---------------------6-9-10------------| D|--------------7-8-10-------------------| A|-------7-8-10--------------------------| E|-6-8-9---------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------8-9-12-| B|--------------------------------10-11--------| G|------------------------9-10-12--------------| D|----------------8-10-11----------------------| A|--------8-10-12------------------------------| E|-8-9-12--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14-------| G|-------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|----------------10-11-14-------------------------| A|-------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-17-| B|-------------------------------------14-17----------| G|----------------------------14-15-17----------------| D|-------------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-13-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------17-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-18----------------| D|-------------------15-17-19-------------------------| A|----------15-16-19----------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play Bb Lydian b3 on guitar
Find the root first: Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Bb on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 6–10. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bb |
| 2 | C |
| ♭3 | Db |
| ♯4 | E |
| 5 | F |
| 6 | G |
| 7 | A |
Chords in Bb Lydian b3
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Bb Lydian b3; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Bbm(maj7) | Tonic |
| II | C | C7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Dbaug | Dbmaj7#5 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | Edim | Edim7 | Subdominant |
| V | F | Fmaj7 | Dominant |
| vi° | Gdim | Gm7b5 | Submediant |
| vii | Am | Am7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the Bb Lydian b3 Scale?
- The Bb Lydian b3 Scale has 7 notes: Bb, C, Db, E, F, G, A.
- What chords are in the Bb Lydian b3 Scale?
- The chords of Bb Lydian b3 are Bbm (i), C (II), Dbaug (♭III+), Edim (♯iv°), F (V), Gdim (vi°), Am (vii).
- What is the formula of the lydian b3 scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W H W+H H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play Bb Lydian b3 on the guitar?
- The root Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 6–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.