Scale quality

lydian augmented

Lydian augmented is the third degree of melodic minor: a major scale with both a raised fourth and a raised fifth. The sharp fourth lifts the scale while the sharp fifth turns the tonic chord into an augmented major seventh, so the sound is luminous and unsteady at the same time. It is the scale of the maj7♯5 chord and a favourite in modern jazz, fusion and film scoring, where it suggests wonder with a shadow underneath. The augmented triad at its centre is symmetrical, which keeps the scale floating. Listen for the sharp fifth at the top and the sharp fourth passing through the middle.