B Lydian scale
- Notes
- B C# D# E# F# G# A#
- Formula
- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
- Steps
- W W W H W W H (W tone, H semitone)
- Also called
- B Lydian mode
Seven notes from B up to the next B. Each note is written with the letter its degree names, one letter each, so the spelling follows the formula.
B Lydian on the piano
From B4 to B5, the root in blue-green.
Intervals from B
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 1 | root | 0 |
| C# | 2 | major second | 2 |
| D# | 3 | major third | 4 |
| E# | #4 | augmented fourth | 6 |
| F# | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
| G# | 6 | major sixth | 9 |
| A# | 7 | major seventh | 11 |
B Lydian on the guitar
Standard tuning, high e on top as in tablature, open strings to fret 12. Every dot is a note of the scale; the pattern repeats from fret 12 up.
The seven chords of B Lydian
Every other note of the scale stacked on each note. Numerals are measured against the major scale on B, so a b marks a chord root a semitone lower than in major.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | B | B D# F# | |
| II | C# (same notes, spelled Db on its chord page) | C# E# G# | |
| iii | D#m (same notes, spelled Ebm on its chord page) | D# F# A# | |
| #iv° | E#dim (same notes, spelled Fdim on its chord page) | E# G# B | |
| V | F# | F# A# C# | |
| vi | G#m | G# B D# | |
| vii | A#m (same notes, spelled Bbm on its chord page) | A# C# E# |
Seventh chords
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Bmaj7 | B D# F# A# | |
| II7 | C#7 (same notes, spelled Db7 on its chord page) | C# E# G# B | |
| iii7 | D#m7 (same notes, spelled Ebm7 on its chord page) | D# F# A# C# | |
| #ivø7 | E#m7b5 (same notes, spelled Fm7b5 on its chord page) | E# G# B D# | |
| Vmaj7 | F#maj7 (same notes, spelled Gbmaj7 on its chord page) | F# A# C# E# | |
| vi7 | G#m7 | G# B D# F# | |
| vii7 | A#m7 (same notes, spelled Bbm7 on its chord page) | A# C# E# G# |
Same notes, different home note
B Lydian uses exactly the same notes as Db Mixolydian, Eb natural minor, F Locrian, F# major, Ab Dorian and Bb Phrygian. What changes is the note the music keeps returning to, and with it which chord sounds like home.
Same notes as the key of F# major: the chords are the same seven, but with B as home.
How B Lydian is built
Lydian is the major scale with a raised 4th: against B major, E becomes E#. It has the same notes as F# major, played from its 4th note. The raised 4th, E#, is a tritone above the root, and it makes the chord on the 2nd note major (C#); B to C# and back is the bright, floating Lydian sound used in a lot of film music.
Played some notes and not sure which scale they come from? The scale finder listens to the piano, a MIDI keyboard or the microphone and ranks all 180 scales.
What this page cannot do
- One spelling per scale. the root is spelled the way that needs the fewest sharps and flats.
- Equal temperament only. Blues and many folk traditions bend notes between these pitches, and Arabic and Turkish maqam scales use quarter tones that a piano cannot play.
- The guitar diagram shows standard tuning only and does not suggest fingerings; any note can be played in several places.
- The sound is a simple synthesised tone made in your browser, not a recorded instrument.