Lydian scale · 7 notes
D♭ Lydian scale on guitar
The D♭ Lydian scale (D flat Lydian scale) has 7 notes: D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ and C. A major scale with a ♯4: dreamy, floating and cinematic. You may also see it written as C♯ Lydian, but D♭ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G
- A♭
- B♭
- C
Formula
1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
Steps
W – W – W – H – W – W – H
Sound
Dreamy, bright and weightless
D♭ Lydian on the whole fretboard
Every D♭ Lydian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, D♭, 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
D♭ at fret 9. 8th position: frets 8–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D♭ Lydian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D♭, the D♭ Lydian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 flats (D♭, E♭, A♭ and B♭). Compared with D♭ major, it has G (♯4) instead of G♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | E♭ | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | F | major 3rd | 4 |
| ♯4 | G | augmented 4th | 6 |
| 5 | A♭ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | B♭ | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | C | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in D♭ Lydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to D♭ Lydian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in D♭ Lydian.
- ID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- IIE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭7
- iiiFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- ♯iv°G°G · B♭ · D♭Gm7♭5
- VA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
- viB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- viiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
Progressions to try
- D♭ – E♭ I–II · the Lydian lift
- D♭ – E♭ – Cm – D♭ I–II–vii–I
- D♭ – A♭ – E♭ I–V–II
How to use D♭ 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.
- D♭ Lydian contains exactly the notes of A♭ major, played from its fourth note, D♭. See A♭ major.
Where to find D♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every D♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with D♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as D♭ Lydian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D♭ Lydian scale FAQ
What notes are in the D♭ Lydian scale?
The D♭ Lydian scale has 7 notes: D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭ and C. Its formula is 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. It contains 4 flats (D♭, E♭, A♭ and B♭).
What chords are in D♭ Lydian?
Harmonising the D♭ Lydian scale in thirds gives D♭ (I), E♭ (II), Fm (iii), G° (♯iv°), A♭ (V), B♭m (vi) and Cm (vii).
Where do you play the D♭ Lydian scale on guitar?
The root, D♭, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as D♭ Lydian?
D♭ Lydian contains exactly the notes of A♭ major, played from its fourth note, D♭.