Guitar scale · Lydian mode
B Lydian Scale
Major scale with a ♯4 degree, creating dreamlike, mystical, celestial, and heroic lead lines.
Tap any note to hear it.
B Lydian 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|-----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|------------------------------9-11--------| G|----------------------8-10-11-------------| D|---------------8-9-11---------------------| A|--------8-9-11----------------------------| E|-7-9-11-----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|----------------------------------11-12---------| G|-------------------------10-11-13---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13------------------------| A|---------9-11-13--------------------------------| E|-9-11-13----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15----------------| D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------| A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|----------------------------15-16-18----------------| D|-------------------15-16-18-------------------------| A|----------14-16-18----------------------------------| E|-14-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-| B|-------------------------------------18-19----------| G|----------------------------16-18-20----------------| D|-------------------16-18-20-------------------------| A|----------16-18-20----------------------------------| E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|
How to play B Lydian on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B 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 7–11. 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.
B Lydian uses exactly the same notes as F# major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the F# Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C# |
| 3 | D# |
| ♯4 | E# |
| 5 | F# |
| 6 | G# |
| 7 | A# |
Chords in B Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Lydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | B | Bmaj7 | Tonic |
| II | C# | C#7 | Supertonic |
| iii | D#m | D#m7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | E#dim | E#m7b5 | Subdominant |
| V | F# | F#maj7 | Dominant |
| vi | G#m | G#m7 | Submediant |
| vii | A#m | A#m7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise B Lydian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the B Lydian Scale?
- The B Lydian Scale has 7 notes: B, C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#.
- What chords are in the B Lydian Scale?
- The chords of B Lydian are B (I), C# (II), D#m (iii), E#dim (♯iv°), F# (V), G#m (vi), A#m (vii).
- What is the formula of the lydian scale?
- 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W W H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play B Lydian on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.