Guitar scale · Lydian mode
G Lydian Scale
Major scale with a ♯4 degree, creating dreamlike, mystical, celestial, and heroic lead lines.
Tap any note to hear it.
G 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|-----------------------------3-5-7-| B|-------------------------5-7-------| G|-------------------4-6-7-----------| D|-------------4-5-7-----------------| A|-------4-5-7-----------------------| E|-3-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-9-| B|-------------------------7-8-------| G|-------------------6-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-7-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-9-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-9-10-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-11--------------------| A|--------7-9-10---------------------------| E|-7-9-10----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-14----------| G|----------------------------11-12-14----------------| D|-------------------11-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------14-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------| A|----------12-14-16----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Lydian on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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.
G Lydian uses exactly the same notes as D major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the D Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| 2 | A |
| 3 | B |
| ♯4 | C# |
| 5 | D |
| 6 | E |
| 7 | F# |
Chords in G Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Lydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | G | Gmaj7 | Tonic |
| II | A | A7 | Supertonic |
| iii | Bm | Bm7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | C#dim | C#m7b5 | Subdominant |
| V | D | Dmaj7 | Dominant |
| vi | Em | Em7 | Submediant |
| vii | F#m | F#m7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise G Lydian anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the G Lydian Scale?
- The G Lydian Scale has 7 notes: G, A, B, C#, D, E, F#.
- What chords are in the G Lydian Scale?
- The chords of G Lydian are G (I), A (II), Bm (iii), C#dim (♯iv°), D (V), Em (vi), F#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 G Lydian on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.