Lydian scale · 7 notes
A♭ Lydian scale on guitar
The A♭ Lydian scale (A flat Lydian scale) has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭, F and G. A major scale with a ♯4: dreamy, floating and cinematic. You may also see it written as G♯ Lydian, but A♭ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D
- E♭
- F
- G
Formula
1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
Steps
W – W – W – H – W – W – H
Sound
Dreamy, bright and weightless
A♭ Lydian on the whole fretboard
Every A♭ Lydian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A♭, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A♭ at fret 4. 3rd position: frets 3–7.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A♭ Lydian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A♭, the A♭ Lydian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 flats (A♭, B♭ and E♭). Compared with A♭ major, it has D (♯4) instead of D♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | B♭ | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | C | major 3rd | 4 |
| ♯4 | D | augmented 4th | 6 |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | F | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | G | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in A♭ Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to A♭ Lydian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in A♭ Lydian.
- IA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
- IIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭7
- iiiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- ♯iv°D°D · F · A♭Dm7♭5
- VE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭maj7
- viFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- viiGmG · B♭ · DGm7
Progressions to try
- A♭ – B♭ I–II · the Lydian lift
- A♭ – B♭ – Gm – A♭ I–II–vii–I
- A♭ – E♭ – B♭ I–V–II
How to use A♭ Lydian
Reach for it over major 7th chords, film and game music, and progressions that move from I to a major II chord. Its sound is dreamy, bright and weightless.
Tip: Over a major chord, linger on the ♯4. It is the one note that separates Lydian from the plain major scale.
- A♭ Lydian contains exactly the notes of E♭ major, played from its fourth note, A♭. See E♭ major.
Where to find A♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 4 |
| B (2nd) | 9 |
| G (3rd) | 1 |
| D (4th) | 6 |
| A (5th) | 11 |
| Low E (6th) | 4 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A♭ Lydian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A♭ Lydian scale FAQ
What notes are in the A♭ Lydian scale?
The A♭ Lydian scale has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭, F and G. Its formula is 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. It contains 3 flats (A♭, B♭ and E♭).
What chords are in A♭ Lydian?
Harmonising the A♭ Lydian scale in thirds gives A♭ (I), B♭ (II), Cm (iii), D° (♯iv°), E♭ (V), Fm (vi) and Gm (vii).
Where do you play the A♭ Lydian scale on guitar?
The root, A♭, is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 3–7, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A♭ Lydian?
A♭ Lydian contains exactly the notes of E♭ major, played from its fourth note, A♭.