Guitar scale · Lydian mode
F Lydian Scale
Major scale with a ♯4 degree, creating dreamlike, mystical, celestial, and heroic lead lines.
Tap any note to hear it.
F 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|-----------------------------1-3-5-| B|-------------------------3-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-5-----------| D|-------------2-3-5-----------------| A|-------2-3-5-----------------------| E|-1-3-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-5-7-| B|-------------------------5-6-------| G|-------------------4-5-7-----------| D|-------------3-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-7-----------------------| E|-3-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-10-12---------------| D|-----------------9-10-12-----------------------| A|---------8-10-12-------------------------------| E|-8-10-12---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Lydian on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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.
F Lydian uses exactly the same notes as C major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the C Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F |
| 2 | G |
| 3 | A |
| ♯4 | B |
| 5 | C |
| 6 | D |
| 7 | E |
Chords in F Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Lydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | F | Fmaj7 | Tonic |
| II | G | G7 | Supertonic |
| iii | Am | Am7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Subdominant |
| V | C | Cmaj7 | Dominant |
| vi | Dm | Dm7 | Submediant |
| vii | Em | Em7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F 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 F Lydian Scale?
- The F Lydian Scale has 7 notes: F, G, A, B, C, D, E.
- What chords are in the F Lydian Scale?
- The chords of F Lydian are F (I), G (II), Am (iii), Bdim (♯iv°), C (V), Dm (vi), Em (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 F Lydian on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.