Scale
D♭ lydian
Major scale modes
- Formula
- 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
- Notes
- D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♭ | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 2 | E♭ | major second | 2 | The major second — a bright neighbour a whole step above the root; in sus2 it replaces the third, so the chord commits to neither major nor minor. |
| 3 | F | major third | 4 | The major third — the bright note that makes a quality major; it defines the chord's colour and pulls gently toward the root. |
| ♯4 | G | augmented fourth | 6 | The augmented fourth — the tritone; lydian, lydian dominant and maj7♯11 use it to lift the sound off the ground. |
| 5 | A♭ | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
| 6 | B♭ | major sixth | 9 | The major sixth — the hopeful note that separates dorian and m6 from their darker cousins; it sits a whole step above the fifth. |
| 7 | C | major seventh | 11 | The major seventh — the leading tone a half-step under the root; in maj7 it glows, in harmonic minor it sharpens the pull home. |
About this scale
Lydian is the fourth degree of the major scale: the major pattern with a raised fourth. The sharp fourth is a tritone above the root, but instead of pulling downward it lifts, which gives the scale its floating, wonder-struck quality. Film composers use it for awe and space, and jazz players use it over major chords that need to shimmer rather than settle. Everything else about the scale is major, so the brightness stays intact; only the fourth is displaced. It is the scale of the maj7♯11 chord. Listen for the sharp fourth opening the top of the scale instead of closing it.
How to practise this scale
- Hold the sharp fourth and listen to it lift instead of pull.
- Compare it with ionian and hear the single note that changes everything.
- Improvise over a maj7♯11 chord and aim for the raised fourth.
- Play the scale in descending pairs to hear the raised fourth clearly.