Guitar scale · Lydian b7
Bb Lydian Dominant Scale
4th mode of Melodic Minor. Combines Lydian ♯4 brightness with Mixolydian ♭7 drive.
Tap any note to hear it.
Bb Lydian Dominant 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|---------------------------------6-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-9--------| G|----------------------7-9-10------------| D|---------------6-8-10-------------------| A|--------7-8-10--------------------------| E|-6-8-10---------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------------9-11---------| G|-------------------------9-10-12--------------| D|-----------------8-10-12----------------------| A|---------8-10-11------------------------------| E|-8-10-12--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-11-13----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------15-17----------| G|----------------------------13-15-17----------------| D|-------------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|----------13-15-17----------------------------------| E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-18-| B|-------------------------------------17-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-19----------------| D|-------------------15-17-18-------------------------| A|----------15-17-19----------------------------------| E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play Bb Lydian Dominant 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 | D |
| ♯4 | E |
| 5 | F |
| 6 | G |
| ♭7 | Ab |
Chords in Bb Lydian Dominant
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Bb Lydian Dominant; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Bb | Bb7 | Tonic |
| II | C | C7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | Edim | Em7b5 | Subdominant |
| v | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Dominant |
| vi | Gm | Gm7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII+ | Abaug | Abmaj7#5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the Bb Lydian Dominant Scale?
- The Bb Lydian Dominant Scale has 7 notes: Bb, C, D, E, F, G, Ab.
- What chords are in the Bb Lydian Dominant Scale?
- The chords of Bb Lydian Dominant are Bb (I), C (II), Ddim (iii°), Edim (♯iv°), Fm (v), Gm (vi), Abaug (♭VII+).
- What is the formula of the lydian dominant scale?
- 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W W H W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play Bb Lydian Dominant 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.