Ab Lydian
- Notes
- Ab Bb C D Eb F G
- Degrees
- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Character
The major scale with the 4th raised a half step. It differs from major by one note.
It sounds brighter than major. The raised 4th pushes up toward the 5th, producing a floating quality that never quite settles. It is the sound film scores use for wide, open scenes.
In major, the 4th pulls toward the root and has to be handled carefully in a melody. In Lydian that note is a half step higher and carries no such weight — you can rest on any note without it sounding wrong.
A major seventh sharp eleven chord sits on the first degree. Meet that chord in jazz and Lydian is the default answer.
Scales with the same notes
This scale starts on note 4 of the Eb Major Scale scale and contains exactly the same notes. The fretboard positions are identical, so a shape you already know carries over.
Diatonic chords in this key
Seventh chords built on each scale note, using only notes from the scale. These do not clash with one another, so they are the reference set when you build a progression.
| Degree | Position | Chord |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imaj7 | Abmaj7 |
| 2 | II7 | Bb7 |
| 3 | iii7 | Cm7 |
| #4 | iv°7 | Dm7♭5 |
| 5 | Vmaj7 | Ebmaj7 |
| 6 | vi7 | Fm7 |
| 7 | vii7 | Gm7 |
Practice
It starts on the fourth note of its parent major scale. There is no new fretboard shape to learn.
Play it against the major scale to check the 4th. That one note is the entire reason to use Lydian.
Rest on the raised 4th. In major it is an unstable note; here it is the note that shows the scale's colour best.