Guitar scale · Lydian mode
C Lydian Scale
Major scale with a ♯4 degree, creating dreamlike, mystical, celestial, and heroic lead lines.
Tap any note to hear it.
C 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|---------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-11-12---------------| D|-----------------9-10-12-----------------------| A|---------9-10-12-------------------------------| E|-8-10-12---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------11-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-19----------| G|----------------------------16-17-19----------------| D|-------------------16-17-19-------------------------| A|----------15-17-19----------------------------------| E|-15-17-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|-------------------------------------19-20----------| G|----------------------------17-19-21----------------| D|-------------------17-19-21-------------------------| A|----------17-19-21----------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Lydian on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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.
C Lydian uses exactly the same notes as G major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the G Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C |
| 2 | D |
| 3 | E |
| ♯4 | F# |
| 5 | G |
| 6 | A |
| 7 | B |
Chords in C Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Lydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Cmaj7 | Tonic |
| II | D | D7 | Supertonic |
| iii | Em | Em7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Subdominant |
| V | G | Gmaj7 | Dominant |
| vi | Am | Am7 | Submediant |
| vii | Bm | Bm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C 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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One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Lydian Scale?
- The C Lydian Scale has 7 notes: C, D, E, F#, G, A, B.
- What chords are in the C Lydian Scale?
- The chords of C Lydian are C (I), D (II), Em (iii), F#dim (♯iv°), G (V), Am (vi), Bm (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 C Lydian on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.