Guitar scale · Lydian diminished
E Lydian b3 Scale
Mode 4 of Harmonic Major: Lydian with a lowered 3rd, also called Lydian diminished.
Tap any note to hear it.
E 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|-----------------------------0-2-3-| B|-------------------------2-4-------| G|-------------------0-3-4-----------| D|-------------1-2-4-----------------| A|-------1-2-4-----------------------| E|-0-2-3-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------2-3-6-| B|-------------------------4-5-------| G|-------------------3-4-6-----------| D|-------------2-4-5-----------------| A|-------2-4-6-----------------------| E|-2-3-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-7-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-----| G|-----------------4-6-8-----------| D|-----------4-5-8-----------------| A|-----4-6-7-----------------------| E|-6-7-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|-----------------------------8-11--------| G|----------------------8-9-11-------------| D|---------------8-9-11--------------------| A|--------7-9-10---------------------------| E|-7-9-11----------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|---------------------------------11-12---------| G|-------------------------9-11-12---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13-----------------------| A|---------9-10-13-------------------------------| E|-9-11-12---------------------------------------|
How to play E Lydian b3 on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| ♭3 | G |
| ♯4 | A# |
| 5 | B |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | D# |
Chords in E Lydian b3
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Lydian b3; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Em(maj7) | Tonic |
| II | F# | F#7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Gaug | Gmaj7#5 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | A#dim | A#dim7 | Subdominant |
| V | B | Bmaj7 | Dominant |
| vi° | C#dim | C#m7b5 | Submediant |
| vii | D#m | D#m7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Lydian b3 Scale?
- The E Lydian b3 Scale has 7 notes: E, F#, G, A#, B, C#, D#.
- What chords are in the E Lydian b3 Scale?
- The chords of E Lydian b3 are Em (i), F# (II), Gaug (♭III+), A#dim (♯iv°), B (V), C#dim (vi°), D#m (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 E Lydian b3 on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.