Scales · Lydian Key of B

B Lydian Scale on guitar · notes, intervals & diagram

The B Lydian scale contains the notes B, C♯, D♯, F, F♯, G♯, A♯. Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder.

Standard tuning · 15 frets

Open in interactive tool →
EADGBE 35791215 F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F F♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ F F♯ Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 B root
2 2 C♯
3 3 D♯
4 #4 F
5 5 F♯
6 6 G♯
7 7 A♯

Sound & use

Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder.

Modern jazz solos over major 7 chords, film/TV scoring, prog rock atmospherics. Steve Vai's default mode.

Common in: jazz, film, prog, fusion

Try it interactively

Scale generator →

Other scales

Other scales in the key of B.

Scale

B Major

Bright, resolved, optimistic — the default sound of Western pop, folk and most children's music.

Scale

B Natural Minor

Melancholy, introspective, serious — but not desperately sad. The classic "minor key" sound.

Scale

B Major Pentatonic

The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant.

Scale

B Minor Pentatonic

The scale that built rock and blues. Bluesy, plaintive, and easy to play in five connected positions across the neck.

Scale

B Blues

Minor pentatonic plus the "blue note" (b5). Gritty, vocal, instantly recognisable as the blues.

Scale

B Dorian

Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy.

Scale

B Phrygian

Minor with a flat 2nd — exotic, Spanish, slightly menacing. The b2 is the defining sound.

Scale

B Mixolydian

Major with a flat 7th — bright but bluesy. The "rock major scale".

Scale

B Locrian

The "weird one" — minor with both a flat 2nd and a flat 5th. Restless, dissonant, hard to resolve.

Scale

B Harmonic Minor

Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours.

Scale

B Melodic Minor

Minor scale with a major 6th and 7th going up (jazz/ascending form). Sophisticated, slippery, modern.

Scale

B Phrygian Dominant

Phrygian with a major 3rd — the iconic flamenco/Middle-Eastern sound. Major flavour, minor tension.

Scale

B Hungarian Minor

Two augmented seconds (between b3–#4 and b6–7) give this scale its distinctive Eastern European / Romani drama.

Scale

B Whole Tone

Six equally-spaced notes, no semitones — the symmetrical "dreamlike" scale. No clear tonic; ambiguous and weightless.

Scale

B Hirajoshi

Traditional Japanese pentatonic — austere, contemplative, instantly evocative of koto music.

All keys

Lydian scale in every key.

FAQ

About the B Lydian scale
on guitar.

What notes are in the B Lydian scale?

The B Lydian scale contains the notes B, C♯, D♯, F, F♯, G♯, A♯. The intervals from the root are 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7.

Where does the B Lydian scale come from?

It's the Lydian scale rooted on B. Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder. Modern jazz solos over major 7 chords, film/TV scoring, prog rock atmospherics. Steve Vai's default mode.

How do I practise the B Lydian scale on guitar?

Start with the diagram on this page — find the root notes (the orange dots) and play through the pattern slowly, alternating picking. Once the shape is in your hands, set a metronome at around 60 BPM and play it ascending and descending in eighth-notes. Use the free metronome to keep yourself honest.

Which genres use the B Lydian scale?

The Lydian scale is found across jazz, film, prog, fusion. The character of the key — B — affects how it feels rather than how it works: a B Lydian solo has the same intervals and the same emotional shape as any other Lydian solo, just transposed.

Can I print the B Lydian fretboard diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the diagram on this page is a vector SVG that prints crisply at any size. Or use the interactive scale generator to export the same diagram as a standalone SVG or PNG file.