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|-----------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------4-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-6-----------| D|-------------3-4-6-----------------| A|-------3-4-6-----------------------| E|-2-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------6-7-------| G|-------------------5-6-8-----------| D|-------------4-6-8-----------------| A|-------4-6-8-----------------------| E|-4-6-8-----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------6-8-9-| B|---------------------------7-9-------| G|--------------------6-8-10-----------| D|-------------6-8-10------------------| A|-------6-8-9-------------------------| E|-6-8-9-------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|-----------------------------------11-13---------| G|--------------------------10-11-13---------------| D|-----------------10-11-13------------------------| A|---------9-11-13---------------------------------| E|-9-11-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------13-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15----------------| D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------| A|----------11-13-15----------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Lydian on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 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 2–6. 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# | F#maj7 | Tonic |
| II | G# | G#7 | Supertonic |
| iii | A#m | A#m7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | B#dim | B#m7b5 | Subdominant |
| V | C# | C#maj7 | Dominant |
| vi | D#m | D#m7 | Submediant |
| vii | E#m | E#m7 | 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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- 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 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), A#m (iii), B#dim (♯iv°), C# (V), D#m (vi), E#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 F# Lydian on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.